Category: ACE News

ACE Members,

President’s Message
“We are entering dark times,” was stated by an administrator at the start of the most recent Chancellor’s Advisory Council meeting. On February 14^th the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights issued a letter (attached) which provides the department’s interpretation of current legal standards. According to District counsel, this is not law, this is a statement of priorities. At this time there are no budgetary changes, no changes in reporting structure, and no changes in positions. Today the Chancellor will be holding an in-person townhall meeting on the De Anza campus. I hope to hear your questions/concerns at 1pm, Campus Center conference rooms A & B. FHDA CCD is going to continue to provide the same services and instruction, but there will be updates to how we continue forward under federal management.  

At this time I would highly recommend each of us reach out to our elected representatives – https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

• How do you feel about added scrutiny/penalties being placed upon public education?
• How do you feel about federal workers being laid off indiscriminately?
• How do you feel about the cost of living?
• How do you feel about the opportunity for current and future generations to succeed?

Sending an email or leaving a voicemail is free. These are the decision makers who need to hear the impact of what’s going on in our community. Help them develop an informed response by regularly contributing your perspective.

Future Townhalls are scheduled to be held at Foothill and virtually:
Monday, March 17, 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Foothill College, Room 8338

Friday, March 21, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Virtual meeting – Zoom link to follow

Please join. Our questions and concerns will help contribute to developing a response here at the district.

Congratulations to Vins! We are all grateful for your years of service and leadership in the ACE Vice President for De Anza position.

Seeking Members for De Anza VP Appointment
Vins is available if you have any questions about stepping into this union leadership position. Please send a statement of interest to @Scott Olsen by Tuesday, March 11^th :

D. Duties of the Vice Presidents
1) Upon approval of the Board, the vice presidents may be authorized to approve expenditures withdrawn on ACE funds in place of either the president or treasurer, and shall perform such other duties as assigned by the president or the executive board.
2) The vice presidents shall serve on the College Council, PARC, College Budget committees and other District committees as assigned.
3) The vice presidents shall hold and facilitate site meetings each month at their respective sites.
4) The vice presidents shall assign ACE representatives to hiring committees for classified workers in Unit 1 for their respective areas.

A. Responsibilities of Executive Board Members
The Executive Board Member is directly responsible for:
1) The operation of ACE.
2) Assuring appropriate expenditure of funds.
3) Proper and legal administration and implementation of the constitution.
4) Any representation of ACE that has been authorized by the Board in order to bind ACE or agree to any issues subject to collective bargaining and EERA.

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.

Reach out to any current VP or Board Member for more information.

ACE T-Shirt & Sweater Survey (Reminder)
Our swag “stuff we all get” survey is (still) live via a Google Forms. ACE has a $3,000 annual budget for marketing and increasing union visibility. Stickers are a small step, but we’re also looking to offer T-shirts to those who are interested. We will need to advocate for workplace improvements at board meetings, city meetings, county meetings, state meetings, etc. and shirts help to show we are united as a group with a request. Often, we are mistaken for faculty members or outside community members, but something as simple as a shirt shows that we’re organized together and willing to show up in numbers to speak to a need/concern.

I purchased my shirt from the Labor Notes store (LINK) and would love to see similar shirts with ACE logos around campus showing union pride and solidarity. ACE has a massive effect on our workplace, but our visibility does not reflect that. Let us know your thoughts and T-shirt size so that we can create an estimate.

Thank you to @Janie Garcia Cordova, @Lindsay West, and @Sharon Garcia-Vega for advancing this.

The items in this message are ongoing conversations. Please attend union site meetings and respond to future surveys to voice how we move forward collectively as a group.

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
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