ACE News

ACE Update 03.06.17: PDQ’s & Next Steps; March Dues Forgiveness; Access & Control

2017-03-06Written by ACE

President’s Message

Participating, sticking together, and educating potential members and the public about ACE are simple, everyday ways we can support our labor organization. Here are a few others:

Attend monthly site and board meetings regularly. Site meetings are held at noon. De Anza’s are generally held the 1st Tuesday of the month; Foothill and Central Services site meetings are generally held the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Can’t make a meeting? Talk to your Vice President or other members about what took place.
Stay informed. Read your email and bookmark www.acefhda.org for updates.
Participate in elections. Your vote is your voice.
Get to know your steward. As your primary contact with ACE, they can answer many of your questions or refer you to the appropriate resources.
Know your agreement. Available online at www.acefhda.org.
Spread the word. If you hear about an issue that concerns you, tell your coworkers and show them how to get involved. Educate others.
Serve as an ACE officer. With the exception of the ACE Recorder, all of the positions on the ACE Executive Board and Negotiators are elected by the membership.

Chris White, ACE President
(650) 949-7789, office

Dues Forgiveness in March 2017 Paycheck

ACE will forgive dues in your March paycheck (March 31st). For Classified Hourly employees, this will be reflected in your April 15 paycheck.

Last September, ACE permanently reduced dues by 10% but we also promised to monitor our budget, and if finances allowed, we would forgive one month in spring. We are making good on that promise.

PDQ’s and Next Steps

by Chris White, ACE President

Approximately 75% of you completed the position description questionnaire (PDQ) and it is clear you put a lot of time and thought into your responses. Thank you.

Next steps: Managers have until March 31 to make comments on the PDQs you submitted and/or complete a PDQ for any classification under their purview which was left unanswered. After the 31st, the PDQ’s are sent to the consultants who will begin the review process. Based on their recommendations, follow-up interviews will be scheduled with employees and supervisor, even if a PDQ wasn’t submitted. Not everyone will need to be interviewed but we will work with the consultants to make certain our members feel heard throughout this process. The interviews will most likely be scheduled for late April.

A few reminders:

This s not a performance evaluation. After the 31st, if you wish to review your supervisor’s comments, we will work with HR to give you access to your PDQ. While this process is about the position and not the person, I also recognize not everyone is comfortable having their information made public so we will not be posting the PDQ’s.
This is not a staffing study. The consultants are reviewing tasks being performed to make certain they are assigned to the appropriate classification. Their job will then be to make recommendations for any changes they feel are appropriate. ACE and the district will negotiate, ultimately with your approval, on whether or not to implement the recommendation(s).
- They base their job analysis on: Education, training, and certification or licenses required to do the job; experience needed by a new hire; independence of action performed; responsibility of resources; supervision received or given to others; consequences of actions; working conditions; and physical and mental demands.
- The volume of work a position is performing is not a factor in classification. If you have absorbed more duties due to vacancies, it is incumbent upon you to have a conversation with your supervisor to prioritize workload and determine what can be eliminated. If your supervisor says it all needs to be done, call your ACE steward and we will work with you and your supervisor to get this addressed. By not filling vacancies or combining positions, the administration has made the decision that they are willing to sacrifice this work. FHDA is very lucky to have so many conscientious employees who want to make sure students aren’t impacted by these decisions but when you do the added work there is no incentive on the district’s part to add more staffing. Their goal to get the work done has been met.
Classifications are generalized. Not every word from the PDQ will be on the final classification descriptions.

As we move forward, your participation will become even more critical in developing a classification system which will affect our unit for years to come. Just because the results may not affect you right now, doesn’t mean they never will.

Retirement Workshop, Friday, May 5 at De Anza College

Hosted by the Faculty Association (FA), this Retirement Workshop is open to ALL district employees. Tentatively, the workshop will include sessions from CalPERS, CalSTRS, Social Security, and Medicare. Employees at all stages of their career are encouraged to attend. It is never too early to plan for your retirement. More details to come.

Access & Control – Your Independent Labor Association
By Bradley Booth, ACE Attorney

For many years ACE was represented by the SEIU, an international union affiliated with the AFL/CIO. SEIU collected the dues and sent a labor representative to represent members on grievances and in bargaining. There was little or no access to a labor attorney. Because SEIU collected the dues, they alone determined how they were spent. The majority of the funds were spent on the labor representative, but also on lobbying and political contributions.

In 2009, a majority of members decided that they wanted a different type of representation. They formed a labor association that would be strictly controlled by non-supervisory white-collar classified employees, employed by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District (FHDA). An election was held and a majority of the classified employees voted to leave SEIU and formed what is now known as the Foothill-De Anza Association of Classified Employees, or ACE. ACE is formed as a 501(c)(5) non-profit corporation and is tax-exempt by both the federal and state taxing agencies. ACE is the state certified exclusive bargaining representative for all white-collar, classified employees at FHDA.

ACE is governed by a constitution, which allows members only to vote in elections, for changes to the constitution and for any collective bargaining agreements. Anyone employed at FHDA in a white-collar job can and should be a member of ACE in order to contribute – not only to collective bargaining – but for the betterment of your colleagues and working conditions. ACE represents all employees, regardless of membership, in all matters relating to the collective bargaining agreement. That includes not only bargaining but also enforcement of the agreement and assurances that all employees are treated properly under the agreement and the California Education Code.

One of the advantages of leaving SEIU was the total control over dues revenue. Employees of FHDA determine how and on what dues are spent, eliminating any concern over them being spent on political or social issues that don’t directly benefit all of the members. The ACE Board of Directors set up a Political Action Committee (PAC) which is funded solely by voluntary contributions and is limited to expenditures on issues which directly relate to FHDA, such as Board of Trustee elections, bond measures, and other tax assessments.

Another major advantage as an independent union is the unlimited access to legal and labor representation. Your ACE Board hired the Booth Law Group to provide representation to its members, the Board of Directors, negotiations, and meetings with the District. The Booth Law Group also provides ACE with access to an attorney, at all times, for the President and the stewards and when necessary for members and fee payers. This relationship has allowed ACE to file a lawsuit on a representational issue, file unfair labor practices and arbitrations without any additional cost to the ACE.

In order to have an effective voice in the representation of all ACE employees, ACE urges everyone to become a member; and, to be actively involved in this vital organization, for the benefit and betterment of all ACE represented employees.

Uncategorised

ACE Classification Study: 6 working days and counting! 02.14.17

2017-02-14Written by ACE

Dear colleagues,

It is true. There are only six working days left until your completed position description questionnaire (PDQ) is due. Since we’ve only received 10 completed PDQs – with over 400 ACE members – let’s all try not to wait until the last minute to get them in. Mine will be turned in by this Friday.

In case you missed it, your PDQ is due by 5 p.m. next Friday, Feb. 24. This is a FIRM deadline.

Drop-in assistance available tomorrow, Wed., Feb. 15.

Foothill: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Altos Room
De Anza: Noon – 3 p.m. – Staff Development Office, MLC246

Questions:

I need more space than the form allows, what should I do? Create a word document for your answers which do not fit on the form. Be certain to clearly document which question you are responding too. Don’t forget to add your name, title, and supervisor on the document. Include the attachment when you submit your PDQ.
What if colleagues on the opposite campus holding the same title don’t fill out the PDQ, who will my position be compared too?
1. First, if a classification which a supervisor has responsibility has not been completed by one of their employees, they will do it. They have a vested interest to make sure the duties that they believe are being performed within the classification are accounted for in this study. Their version might not match yours – the person doing the work – so I hope people take this opportunity to be heard.
2. Second, ACE has yet to negotiate with the district who the comparator agencies will be for this study. It’s a safe bet that decision will be based on a recommendation from the consultants. We hired them for their expertise.
3. Third, as another reminder, this is about the position NOT the person. Each college may have defined the work differently, but currently, it falls under the same classification. The consultants have been hired to help us determine if this is appropriate and how best to move forward.
When the form asks for others who report to the same supervisor, do they mean classified only or faculty too? For purposes of this study, we’re referring to classified only.
What do I do with my completed PDQ? Return it to:
1. Your supervisor and/or administrator who signs your time sheet; AND
2. Myisha Washington, Manager, Compensation, Classification and Employment, washingtonmyisha@fhda.edu.
3. Keep a copy for your records.

Questions, comments, concerns? Don’t hesitate to contact me.

Chris

Classification Study 2017

ACE Classification Study: PDQ’s, Rumors and FAQs 02.09.17

2017-02-09Written by ACE

Good afternoon colleagues,

To date, we’ve received four completed PDQs. With only 10 working days left until they are due, we’ve got some work to do.

Rumors and FAQ’s

I’ve heard this study really is a way for management to reorganize and eliminate positions. Is that true? In a word, NO!
1. First, ACE requested this study. Under our current classification system, which is nearly 20 years old, internal inequities made it difficult to accurately create new positions or address reclassifications. The district agreed. Our mutual goal for this study is to build a new classification structure that develops a clear, equitable, consistent and competitive classification and compensation structure that appeals to and fosters retention of qualified classified staff professionals while providing opportunities for growth and development throughout the district.
2. ACE and the district are committed to being transparent in this process and we recognized that outside assistance was necessary to maintain objectivity while conducting this study. Enter Koff and Associates.
3. Second, this is about the position and work being performed by classified staff, not the person. Let me repeat that, it is the position NOT the person being reviewed.
4. Third, ACE and the district agreed on the consultants after an independent review from both parties. Their role in this process is to be a neutral party and review our classification system in relationship to ACE job descriptions based on the work being done today. Under our Joint Labor Management Classification Committee (JLMCC) and an MOU dictating that decisions affecting the outcome of this study must be mutually agreed upon, neither side has influence over the consultant’s recommendations.
5. Fourth, whether we conduct this classification study or not, management retains the right regarding how they choose to staff positions. Any eliminations, which can only occur due to a lack of work or a lack of funds, must be negotiated with ACE. An independent review of the work being performed and updated job descriptions only help us should this scenario arise.
My comments will be ignored, why should I complete the PDQ?
1. If you say nothing, they will be ignored. The PDQ is the best way to document the work that you do in your position in your words.
2. If you don’t provide information regarding your duties, someone else will – namely your supervisor. Although not every job description will require significant changes, every classification will be reviewed and modified as needed. At the completion of the Study, all classified positions will have job descriptions that accurately reflect the roles and responsibilities of the position.
3. To ensure your comments remain unchanged, we are asking you send a copy to Myisha Washington in HR and keep one for yourself when you send forward it to your supervisor.
I have a colleague out on medical leave, can we contact them to get their PDQ completed to make certain their position is accurately reflected? No. They are off work and it should be considered that they are unable to respond. Their supervisor will need to address their position PDQ. If they return after the Feb. 24th submission deadline, there may be an opportunity for the worker to respond during the follow-up interviews. ACE, the district, and the consultants will address this on a case-by-case basis.
How much information should I include in the PDQ? As much as you believe accurately describe the duties you currently perform. When in doubt, include it. It is the consultant’s job to sort it out.
Under minimum qualifications, should I put down my current experience and education level? No. This section should be reflective of what skills, experience, and education level someone new coming into the position would absolutely need to have or know to do the job.
I supervise student employees, interns, etc. Should I include them under the supervisor section? Yes. It is one of your duties and needs to be reflected. If it has been a few quarters since you have had a student employee or intern, still include it.

If you need assistance or have questions regarding the PDQ, please contact me or Myisha Washington. We are also offering drop-in assistance:

Foothill, Altos Room
Feb. 15 – 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
De Anza – Staff Development Office, MLC246
Feb. 15 – Noon – 3 p.m.
Feb. 21 – 1 – 4 p.m.

Obligatory reminder: PDQ’s DUE no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017.

To ensure your comments remain unchanged, email your completed PDQ to:

The supervisor and/or administrator who signs your time sheet; AND
Myisha Washington, Manager, Compensation, Classification and Employment, washingtonmyisha@fhda.edu.
Keep a copy for your records.

Avoid misinformation that inevitably makes its way through the grapevine. Please ask questions, read emails from me or the ACE account, attend site meetings and bookmark, http://hr.fhda.edu/class-comp/e-ACE%20Classification%20Study%202017.html.

In unity,
Chris

Classification Study 2017