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General Membership Meeting – COLA Ratification Vote

Written by ACE

ACE members,

The District and ACE have reached a tentative agreement on the 2024-2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), employee benefit rates for plan year 2025 (effective Jan. 1), and article 2​3 which extends our contract through October 31, 2027.

We will hold a general membership meeting next Wednesday, Aug. 14 at noon via Zoom.  Please check your email for the meeting invite.

 In short, we’ve agreed to:

 COLA

  • 1.07% – this was the full amount included in the state’s budget for 2024-25.  It is retroactive to July 1, 2024.  The District is currently working on a timeline to get it implemented as quickly as possible. 

Health Benefits

  • Employee medical premiums remain the same as plan year 2024. It’s important to note, on average, premiums went up 12.8% for active employees and 19.8% for retirees. 
  • Employees will pay $6/$12/$18 (employee, employee+1, or family) for dental and vision coverage.  This coverage was free for plan year 2024.
    • Maximum out of pocket for dental increases to $2000(in network) and $1800(out of network) for plan year 2025. Up from $1700/1500 in plan year 2024.

 Article 23 – ACE Contract Rollover

  • With our contract set to expire, Oct. 31, 2024, we have elected to roll it over through Oct. 31, 2027.   A new negotiation team will be selected through the election process in October. 

Your negotiations team was very thorough and thoughtful in this process to keep our agreement strong, benefits affordable and salary schedules moving upwards, especially during these challenging financial times.

We look forward to seeing you and answering your questions at the general membership meeting next Wednesday, August. 14.

Of service,
Chris White, chair of negotiations

Negotiators
Stacey Carrasco
Chris Chavez
Joseph Gilmore
Keri Kirkpatrick
Andrea Santa Cruz
Scott Olsen

Please note:  this information is for ACE members only. If your colleague did not receive it, please have them contact Scott Olsen.

ACE News, Negotiations

2024.07.31 Quick Update – Negotiations Survey Results, District HR Change

Written by ACE

ACE Members,

ACE 2024-25 Negotiations Survey Results
Please read the email attachment for full details and responses to concerns that stood out from members.

Executive summary:

Moving forward.

No articles besides pay and benefits received an overwhelming interest in opening. Keeping this in mind along with our fiscal challenges, your negotiating team’s focus will be:

• Maximum COLA on the salary schedule; and
• Stable employee health benefit costs.

Our other priority will be member education regarding our contract. Many of the comments and/or requests were items already negotiated or fall under Ed Code and labor law.

Questions? Ask your negotiator and/or attend an upcoming site meeting.

Thank you to members who filled our survey to inform actions going forward. Thank you to our negotiating team for work on this process.

District Human Resources Contact Update
The Associate Vice Chancellor of HR has submitted their resignation. If you have a pending request or issue that Rocio Chavez has been working on, please contact Marietta Harris and/or Pat Hyland to make them aware of outstanding issues (LINK). If you have having any difficulty or would you like to consult with a union steward or myself prior to reaching out to HR, our contact information is available on our website, https://acefhda.org/ .

In Solidarity,

Scott Olsen (he/him) | ACE President
https://acefhda.org | scott.olsen@acefhda.org  
650-949-7789 | M-TH 8:00am-5:00pm

ACE News, Negotiations

Summer Work Schedule 2024

Written by ACE

ACE Membership,

Summer work hours for ACE employees officially begin the week of July 1st and goes through August 26th. Your supervisor can’t ask you to delay it a week or two.

For the July 4th holiday ACE employees will be paid for the number of hours they would have worked (4-10-40, ten hours; 9-80, nine hours; 5-8-40, eight hours; etc.). All other bargaining units receive up to eight hours holiday pay and if they’re on an alternate schedule (i.e. 4-10-40), they must make up the additional two hours.

Article 13.5 – Summer Work Schedule

13.5.1 – Workers assigned to programs and departments where scheduling allows mandated four-day work schedule will be offered a four-day work schedule during the summer for the period beginning the first full week in July and ending the Friday before the Labor Day holiday. Under the summer schedule, the normal workday shall consist of ten hours starting and ending at times appropriate to the needs of the department and agreed upon by the worker and his/her supervisor.

13.5.2 – Workers who work fewer than 10 hours per day during the four-day summer work week shall select one of the following options to cover time not worked:

  1. Use of earned vacation (see Section 10.1 regarding the circumstances under which certain amounts of sick leave can be converted to vacation).
  2. Use of earned compensatory time.
  3. Leave without pay.
  4. A revised work schedule and/or location to accommodate the employee if they feel they are unable to work a 10-hour per day four-day work schedule.

Who sets the schedule?
Employees will establish, with supervisor approval, a work schedule of four days of ten hours of work plus a half-hour meal break for each day (minimum 10.5 hours total). Meal breaks may be longer upon request, and with the approval of the supervisor. The standard 10.5 hours work schedule will occur between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the meal break (7:00-5:30, 7:30-6:00, 7:15-5:45, etc.).

Can I stack my breaks to shorten the workday?
No. Employees may not stack break periods for later use or to combine with meal breaks and may not use breaks to account for late arrivals or early departures. It is a violation of labor law.

I am unable to work a 10-hour day may I set up an alternative schedule?
An employee, with supervisor approval may implement a modified schedule by requesting a different schedule or using accrued leave or leave without pay but cannot use Personal Necessity Leave.

What guidelines does a supervisor follow to determine if a request for an alternate schedule should be approved?

  1. Supervisors should work with employees regarding requests for alternate schedules to ensure which accommodate special considerations for childcare or other extenuating circumstances to find a solution that works for both the district and the employee.
  2. Supervisors must ensure adequate coverage and appropriate supervision for the official hours of operation. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to determine when an employee’s work schedule includes Friday that a level of supervision is adequately addressed.
  3. Supervisors and classified staff should be familiar with the provisions of the applicable bargaining unit agreements affecting employees on a 4-10 work schedule.

Bottom line?
If you are unable to work a 10-hour day and you do not have accrued leave and cannot take time off without pay, be flexible in your request, be clear on what work you will get done and be accountable with it. If you need assistance, please contact your chief steward.

In Solidarity,

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

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