Category: ACE News

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

ACE Members,

Elections Results & Negotiator at Large Open Appointment
Thank you to @Shawna Santiago for operating the election. Results were sent Monday at 8am and we’re all looking forward to getting things done.

• New Executive Board Members begin their terms on Jan 1, 2025.
• New Negotiatiors begin their terms on Nov 1, 2024.

We have a vacancy for a Negotiator at Large position. This negotiator seat can be filled by any member.
Please submit a statement of interest to @Scott Olsen by Oct 30^th if you would like to serve on the negotiations team.

Return to In-Person Work MOU (LINK)
If you or your child are sick with covid and able to work:

1. Stay Home & get tested for covid.
2. Ask about teleworking (remote work) in writing:
   • If you are approved, you can work from home.
   • If you are denied, you can receive paid administrative leave.
3. If you are too sick to work, use you would use your accrued sick leave.

Reminder: Sick leave cannot be denied for treatment or preventative care.
If your manager/supervisor asks you to cancel your medical appointment or requests a doctor note for using leave, contact @Scott Olsen .

Upcoming Trainings/Events

• Oct 31^st Scary Forms Drop-In Event at De Anza
  • Bring a partially complete form or a completely empty one downloaded from our website (LINK). Ask questions, eat pizza, costumes encouraged (optional).
  • In-Person event.
  • Details are on Outlook calendar’s for De Anza and Central Services ACE members.
    
    Want to help plan festivities? Contact @Lidia Burlanescu .

• Nov 5^th Site Meeting Topic: Staff Development Leave
  • Have you been with the District for 7 consecutive years or has it been 7 years since your last SDL? You’re likely eligible to take up to 10 months of leave at 85% pay for retraining. Attend the site meeting to learn more.
  • See 10.10 Staff Development Leave under our Agreement for contract language (LINK).
  • Expect additional training sessions on the topic. Applications are due by December 15^th,2024; however, all signatures must be received by January 31^st, 2025.
  • Hybrid event.
  • Details are on ACE member’s Outlook calendars.

• Nov 7^th Reclassification Training
  • Conducted by Anthony Booth of the Booth Law Group. Anthony has been a part of multiple classification studies at community colleges and assisted members in submitting a clear message that merits a higher classification.
  • ACE members will takeaway best practices for filing a successful position description questionnaire (PDQ) along with a better understanding of the process.
  • Note: This training was moved from Wednesday to Thursday. Zoom link TBA.
  • Details are on ACE member’s Outlook calendars.

In Solidarity,

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