Category: ACE News

ACE Members,

President’s Message
It’s 2025, I’m feeling well rested after taking two weeks off. The renewed energy is being directed at responding to member emails, calls, and texts. At the same time, I’ve been hearing we’re all a little caught off guard that we’re back, so I’m not going to address anything too technical as a part of the first message of the year. Together we’ll make 2025 as good as we can.

ACE Board Position Updates
@Lindsay West has been appointed as Vice President of Central Services by the ACE Executive Board to serve the remainder of the elected term which @William Baldwin vacated due to retirement from the District. Bill was ever-present and a thoughtful contributor. We’re going to miss him but also wish him the best in retirement.

Lindsay’s appointment leaves a vacancy at the Central Services Board Member position, so we need you.

In addition, @Sharon Garcia-Vega has begun her elected term as Recorder, which has left a vacancy at the Foothill Board Member position, so we need more of you.

What’s required of a Board Member?

• Attend ACE Executive Board Meetings, Site Meetings, and General Membership Meetings (2-3 hours per month).
• Attend assigned committee (CS Classified Senate & HRAC | FH Classified Senate) (1-2 hours per month).
• Be responsible for the operation of ACE, assuring appropriate expenditure of funds, proper and legal administrator and implementation of the constitution, and a representation of ACE.
• Serving as an Executive Board Member requires subordination of personal interests to those that represent the highest good of the members. Board Members shall have no greater rights than any other member of ACE.

More questions?
Reach out directly to any current or former ACE Board Member.

I’m ready! How do I apply?
Respond to this message by January 16^th with a statement of interest.

ACE Executive Board Meeting Rescheduled to January 29^th
The upcoming Board Meeting has been rescheduled to 1/29. This will provide time to find two (2) new board members and we’ll have an executive board training that day provided by the Booth Law Group.

Grant Ave Affordable Housing Project
In December details on this project were provided during an onsite meeting with Kelly Hollywood from Mercy Housing. If you have an interest, I would highly suggest visiting – https://www.231grant.org/ where you can scroll to the bottom to be included on direct email notifications.

12 units have been allocated to Foothill-De Anza. They are a mix of studio, one bedroom and two bedroom units. The current distribution (which is subject to change) is 3 studios, 7 one bedrooms, and 2 two bedrooms. Units will be offered on a lottery system.

• Water & garbage services are covered as a part of the rent.
• Electricity is paid for by the occupant.

How long can I live there?
There is no time limit, but you must maintain your eligibility:

• Your income must not exceed the specified limits.
• Your employment must be with Foothill-De Anza.

More questions? Visit the project website and/or attend an upcoming meeting.

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

ACE Members,

President’s Message
Below are some quick topics that we’ve been working on. Expect additional thoughtful communication next week along with a survey regarding a winter/holiday/end of year event.

Union Position Appointments
Following the election we had a handful of vacant positions in our organization and there were opportunities to do some shuffling:

• @Adriana Garcia has been appointed to De Anza Board Member Seat 2 from Seat 1. Seat 2 was vacated by Angelica Esquivel. Adriana’s elected term runs through the end of 2026.
• @Lisa Ly has been appointed to De Anza Board Member Seat 1. Lisa’s appointment will serve for the duration of Adriana’s remaining term, through the end of 2025.
• @Janie Garcia Cordova has been appointed to Chief Steward for Foothill. The Chief Steward position was vacated by Anthony Caceres. Janie’s elected term runs through the end of 2026.
• @Jeff Dickard has been appointed by Chief Steward Andre Meggerson to Steward for De Anza.
• @Alex Collins has been appointed Negotiator at Large. Negotiators serve for the duration of the Agreement, through 2027.
• @Chris Chavez has been selected as Chair of Negotiations for ACE. Negotiators serve for the duration of the Agreement, through 2027.

Sincere thanks to all who do union work in addition to their daily work. We’re a member-powered organization and grateful to those who participate in advancing our concerns. Being able to seeking out guidance is a key benefit of being an ACE member. We’re all here to help so never hesitate to reach out if something in the workplace feels questionable.

November Dues Forgiveness
The ACE Executive Board approved dues forgiveness for October and November, so you will not see a deduction on your paystub for union dues. As always, we can do this because we control our dues rate and our money that we have set aside as a reserve, strike fund, and for potential litigation – for representing members.

Reclassification Training Recording
If you missed last Thursday’s reclass training, search your inbox for a message I sent last week which included a link to a recording available on our YouTube channel. Once you’ve filled out your draft position description questionnaire reach out to Anthony Booth and myself to schedule a one-on-one meeting for an initial review.

Employee Parking Enforcement
We’ve made an ask with the Vice Chancellor of HR and Business Services to resume enforcement of employee parking. Not being able to find a nearby parking spot is a nuisance. Currently the District is investigating a new solution for identifying employee cars. There is no timeline for a solution to be implement but we can continue to ask.

Did you know the topic of parking is covered under our Agreement? Section 14.5 states, “Use of staff parking lots shall be at no cost to the worker providing the worker’s automobile is properly identified.”

Pension Review Emails
Members have been receiving emails offering  “pension review” from outside companies. Before responding to any of these offers, scroll down and look at the fine print. Most will disclose that they are located outside of California and are no associated with our employer. CalPERS is the source of truth for anything pension related or helping you understand your retirement options, free of charge.

Money Minute

• ACE has no official relationship with StarOne Credit Union but it has been recommended amongst colleagues for a long time. Recently there’s been a request to share this more widely.  They offer free checking accounts which are interest bearing, meaning they pay out a monthly return. As of today their rewards checking and savings accounts pay 3.25% APY – so if you were to have a balance of 10,000$ for 1-year, you would earn $325 “over the course of that year. Their loan rates are also tend to be lower than for-profit banks.
• If you need help establishing your 403b or 457b account, Fidelity, Vanguard, and CalSTRS Pension2 remain the least costly options. One piece of information you’ll need is your first date of employment, which Scott Olsen can provide. More information is available on the FHDA website (LINK).

In Service,

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

ACE Members,

Thank you to our colleagues for working on implementation of the negotiated 1.07% COLA. Thank you to the District administration for prioritizing timely payment of wages. From September our regular pay for October increased by 1.07% and we all should have received retroactive payment (COLA w/R) for months worked since July 1^st, 2024 (July, August, September).

Let me know if you have any questions about your most recent paystub. The COLA increased line items that make up your regular pay (Per Lv, SL-EE, Holiday, Vacation, Comp Tk, etc.) but not special compensation (LG Award, PG Award, Weekend Pay, Bilingual Pay, etc.).

Reminder: The ACE Executive Board voted to approve dues forgiveness for October and November.

Always check your paystub. ACE is here if you experience an overpayment or underpayment.

In Solidarity,

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