Association of Classified Employees Foothill – De Anza

Author: ACE

  • 2022.07.28 Update – Paystub Common Questions, 22-23 COLA, Retroactive Pay, CalPERS PEPRA Rates

    ACE Members,

    At the last site meeting we discussed common issues found in monthly paystubs. Always check your paystub for accuracy! Below are a few examples and what to do about them, plus updates on issues that impact our net pay.

    Correction regarding item (1) “I didn’t receive 10 hours for the July 4th Holiday – what do I do?”

    The new answer is no action is needed – our monthly regular pay remained the same and we did not have to surrender any vacation leave to reimburse hours.

    We verified with Nancy Chao that the calculation for Holiday pay defaults to 8 hours and is a “cosmetic display” (which I have a hard time saying when it comes to money) – see message below:

    The holiday hours of 8 is defaulted in by the system and we would have modified it to 10 if we were alerted via your entry to the comments that it is a required work schedule, which you did (see below), and we failed to make the change to the holiday hours.  I am sorry for our oversight.

    Please note that you are a contracted employee and are paid a monthly contractual amount per your salary grade and step. There will NOT be any additional compensation due to your holiday hours is 10 instead of 8 but it is cosmetic display of # of hours in your stub and pay history.

    Again, we experienced no loss and there is no additional amount that is due to be paid out – we received the correct amount of monthly pay. Contact me if you need further explanation or if you have identified that your situation falls outside this explanation.

    (2) I didn’t receive the 5.56% 22-23 COLA – what do I do?

    Wait (unfortunately.)

    Until the 21-22 retroactive payment is calculated and paid out, the 22-23 ongoing salary schedule increase cannot be implemented due to how CalPERS reporting is structured. At the time of negotiations in June it was said that this calculation may take at least six months (December.) 🤞

    Human Resources currently has a staff filling 6 of 13 positions, 2 of which are on reduced schedules. Everything is going to take longer than we’d like while there aren’t enough workers to complete tasks. While we are patient and understanding, ACE will continue to communicate the impact that these delays have.

    (3) I wasn’t notified that I’d reached the vacation limit – what do I do?

    Email olsenscott@fhda.edu

    This would be a contract violation of section 9.2.5: A worker will be notified by a notice on his/her paycheck when he/she is within two pay periods of reaching his/her maximum vacation accrual for two years.

    The “VAC LIMIT” box should have contained either “APPROACH” or “EXCEED” (see example below):

    (4) I’m not paying the right amount for medical benefits – what do I do?

    Email olsenscott@fhda.edu

    This is an obscure occurrence, but it does happen. How do you know what you should be paying? You would have to dig deep into the FHDA website to find the rates (LINK) and then potentially into Article 18 (LINK), specifically 18.2.6 and 18.2.7, if you are part time or less than 12-month contact.

    (5) HR/Benefits/Payroll deducted money without my approval – what do I do?

    Email olsenscott@fhda.edu

    This is illegal. FHDA cannot deduct for overpayment without your express written authorization. Before signing any documents, contact ACE to understand your rights. In consultation with our attorneys we can determine if the deduction is appropriate and how it should be managed.

    (6) I didn’t receive my step adjustment/longevity award – what do I do?

    Email your nearest steward @Anthony Caceres(Foothill), @Erika Flores (De Anza), or myself to review Article 8 (LINK)

    Read section 8.3 “Advancement on Salary Schedule” and 8.4 “Longevity.” If you have not received an expected increase upon completion of the specified amount of time, ACE can help follow up with Human Resources and Payroll.

    (7) I’m paying more for CalPERS as of July 2022 – what do I do?

    CalPERS 2022-23 School Employee Contribution Rates (LINK)

    Effective July 1, 2022, PEPRA members will contribute 8% of their regulate pay the CalPERS pension system. The contribution rate for classic members will remain at 7%.

    Who’s a PEPRA member? Short Answer: Anyone* hired after January, 2013. *exceptions may apply, see the CalPERS website for the long answer (LINK)

    Thank you to @Phuong Tran and @Anthony Caceres for organizing the recent “ACE Coffee+Pastry Break” on the Foothill Campus. We’ll work to coordinate similar events at De Anza and Central Services. It was great to see and talk to so many ACE members in person.

    In Solidarity,

    Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
    https://acefhda.org | olsenscott@fhda.edu
    650-949-7789 | M-F 8:00am-5:00pm

  • 2022.07.14 Update – Classification Appeals Due, Summer Time Card Instructions, +More

    ACE Members,

    Classification Study Final Steps – Appeal PDQs Due August 31st, 2022

    Has your work changed significantly since the original classification study? Does your job description not align with your permanent ongoing duties? Have you not already submitted an appeal by completing a position description questionnaire? If you answered “yes” to all three questions complete a PDQ appeal form by 8/31/22.

    Contact me with questions but understand that you are the expert when it comes to the work you are regularly assigned. If the bulk of that work is done by a higher classification, filling out this form is your best opportunity to be fairly compensated for that work.

    Copy me on final submissions and I will forward them to the appropriate person in human resources. Interviews may occur months after the deadline (date to be determined.)

    Summer Time Card Instructions

    Yesterday I spoke with Nancy Chao in Payroll to gather details on how to record the summer schedule transition. If your work schedule as of July 14th is 4×10, on your liquid office time report (LOTR) you would input 10-10-10-10-0, for M-T-W-T-F, and include a note in the comments at the bottom stating the date you were required to begin that schedule (see example in screenshots below.) This will clarify details for payroll and cause fewer headaches 🤞

    Timecard example described above showing how to input hours.
    Timecard example described above showing note on when new schedule was required.

    Wanted: Chief Steward, Central Services

    We are still in need of a Chief Steward for Central Services. Training will take place after we have a member in the role. This is a key union position that serves to help members interpret our agreement, defend against contract violations, and has a seat(vote) on our executive board.

    Contact me with questions.

    Wanted: De Anza Travel and Conference Committee

    This committee has two vacant seats – one ACE, one De Anza Classified Senate. It meets once a month or as needed to review applications. Roles and responsibilities are described in this document here (LINK). Reach out to Sushini Chand and Dana Kennedy for details on how the committee operates.

    Contact @Dawn Lee Tu if you are interested in joining.

    July Board of Trustees Meeting

    On Monday night I gave the trustees a thank you card for approving our reasonable cost of living adjustment. ACE and the district never agree to anything that is clearly beyond the district’s ability to provide, which makes any agreement reasonable. The card had artwork by Ricardo Levins Morales (see below.) During the leadership report I spoke to the importance of unions in social justice movements and building a better world for workers, along with ACE’s commitment toward leadership development and maintaining a strong democratic union. I mentioned that every unionist at the conference I attended whom I described the staffing shortage in HR considered that shortfall to be a significant organizing issue – one that is broadly and deeply felt. I also highlighted the number of retirements and resignations on that meeting’s HR report. From many of you I hear that the district’s outcomes haven’t changed – the work is still getting done, students are graduating – but the way FHDA CCD is conducting business has changed as is leading employees to consider leaving. I urged the board to pursue a staffing study to identify where support is needed across the district. I recognize many of you have large workloads that go beyond a 40-hour workweek and a plan needs to be developed to alleviate the pressure.

    Thank you card described above.

    Finally, I’ll encourage you to use your vacation time during the summer if you have a balance that enables you to disconnect from the workplace for a while. Watching the leave numbers grow is not nearly as relaxing as taking some time off. I will be out of the office on most Fridays during the summer and on vacation the week of Aug 15th recovering to handle the other side of 2022.

    In Solidarity,

    Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
    https://acefhda.org | olsenscott@fhda.edu
    650-949-7789 | M-F 8:00am-5:00pm

    Previous messages regarding classification study appeals attached to original email.

  • 2022.06.21 Juneteenth + Labor Notes Conference 2022 Debrief

    ACE Members,

    Happy Juneteenth! Labor Notes crafted a fantastic statement to accompany the 2022 conference:

    The Juneteenth holiday celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. It marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when word reached Galveston, Texas, of President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, though many enslaved African American workers across the South had already been emancipating themselves in what W.E.B. DuBois characterized as a general strike that won the Civil War. Last year, after decades of struggle, Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Day was established in 1983; many unions are fighting for their members to have the day off. Today Black workers are more likely to be union members than any other group, and have often pushed forward workplace militancy. The confluence of Juneteenth and the Labor Notes Conference offers us an opportunity to celebrate the Black liberation movement, explore its connection to labor struggles throughout our history, and make connections and plans together to expand the power of labor to win racial justice.

    A picture containing books: "Labor Law for the Rank & Filer", "Secrets of a Successful Organizer", "Union Member's Guide", "Facilitating Group Learning", "Re-imagining Change", "Solidarity Unionism", and the conference program. Also shows sticker stating "Strong Unions Fight Racism" along with a "Bernie Sanders" speaking at the convention and Scott Olsen in attendance.

    Recordings of the conference’s main sessions are linked to below among the list of all the workshops I attended. Combined they are a lengthy (~3 hours) playlist of YouTube videos, so I’ve also included separate links to four impactful speakers and two performances, which provide an overall feel for what the experience was like. I highly encourage watching them to get energized about being part of a global worker movement.

    This event was the perfect opportunity to learn and engage with fellow unionists. I dedicated my attention toward gathering guidance for building a stronger democratic organization. My luggage is weighed down by books and the ACE laptop is packed with notes that I’ll be consolidating to share during upcoming meetings and messages. (I’m not going to bombard you with 4 days worth of information in one email.)

    Sessions Attended

    • How to Be an Educator in Your Union
    • Building a Member Organizer Program
    • Building Worker Power through Peer Education
    • Developing the Leaders Your Union Needs
    • Building a Member-to-Member Leadership Network
    • Industrial Power in Higher Education: Organizing in Support Staff Unions
    • Higher Education Workers Meeting
    • Meet the Authors
    • Friday Main Session (YouTube)
      • Stacy Davis Gates, president-elect, Chicago Teachers Union
      • Nolan Tabb, John Deere striker, Auto Workers/Unite All Workers for Democracy
      • Dilson Hernandez, musician and hip hop artist
      • Sean O’Brien, president, Teamsters
      • Michelle Eisen, Starbucks Workers United
      • Chris Smalls, president, Amazon Labor Union
      • Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator
      • Chair: Alexandra Bradbury, Labor Notes
    • Saturday Main Session (YouTube – audio resumes at 25:15)
      • Union Funk by Lynn Marie Smith, The Motown Diva
      • Victor “The Mixer” Bouzi, IATSE Local 695
      • Marcia Howard, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers
      • Chair: Elise Bryant, Labor Heritage Foundation
    • Race and Labor
    • Engaging New Members
    • Sunday Main Session (YouTube)
      • Israel Cervantes, Casa Obrera del Bajio, General Motors, Mexico
      • Jessica Wender-Shubow, Brookline Educators Union president
      • Jon Schleuss, president, NewsGuild
      • Liliana Herrera, singer-songwriter
      • Chair: Barbara Madeloni, Labor Notes

    Special Note: Chris Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Union, issued a call to action during his Friday night speech to boost the number of participants watching the hearings which would force Amazon to recognize the ALU as an employee union. Actively watch or leave a device logged in – Zoom meetings begin at 7am PST each day for the foreseeable future (click on the link for details.)

    One workshop included the following: “To achieve power, we need a core group of union members who take on the responsibility of carrying out the program of the union by communicating regularly with coworkers to keep us informed, learn about what interests motivate us, sign up new members, and activate our co-workers on an ongoing basis.” We can feel a lot of pride that we’re a member-operated union which fits that description.

    In Solidarity,

    Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
    https://acefhda.org | olsenscott@fhda.edu
    650-949-7789 | M-F 8:00am-5:00pm

    *and for anyone who’s tuned into how dues are spent, this trip was funded by travel and conference funding negotiated in our contract (Article 14.7) and a reminder that member dues are forgiven for the June paystub. Everyone at the conference whom I told about dues forgiveness thought it was an awesome practice. It’s something we can provide because ACE is not part of a national labor organization.