President’s Letter May 2015

Hello everyone! I hope your Spring Semester has gone well. Summer is coming fast. If you’re teaching or otherwise working this summer, I wish you a great session. If not, don’t forget that you are eligible for unemployment!

This has been an excellent term for the PFA. I want to bring you up to date on some of the highlights.

Membership Drive

Our membership recruiting drive continues to go well. As of this writing, we have 61 new members for 2015. We signed up 137 in 2014. Our goal for this year is 150.

California Federation of Teachers Convention

The CFT Convention, held March 20—22 at the Manhattan Beach Marriott Hotel, was an outstanding event all the way around. Our local sent four delegates: Besides myself, Secretary-Treasurer Rich Baker, Math Instructor Nahid Loghmani and Teacher/Counselor Jeff Stein. As in the past, our local was honored with numerous awards: Webmaster Dorran Nadeau won for Best Website (for the 3rd consecutive year). We also won First Place for Best Public Relations and Best Single Effort, as well as a Pride of the Union Award. More than 600 people attended. We heard speakers as diverse as Assemblyman Jose Medina, chair of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee, State Controller Betty Yee and State Superintendent of Public Instructor Tom Torlakson. There was an increased sense of union strength as union membership rises across the state and the country. There were also workshops on topics as varied as the student debt crisis, income inequality, and the future of adult education.

New Pay Rates Going Into Effect

We are all going to see the 4% increase bargained in February on our May paychecks, as well as the retro pay that has accumulated since the Spring Semester began. This fall an additional 2% increase goes into effect as well.

End of Semester Reminders

Don’t forget to turn your timesheet in to your dean/supervisor so you can get paid for your office hours and professional development. We advise making a copy of your timesheet and making a note of the date you sent it in, just in case it gets mislaid. You can find the timesheet on My Hancock, under the Faculty Tab, “Faculty Resources.” Under the terms of our collective bargaining agreement, the timesheet must be turned in “no later than the end of finals week.” And be sure to get your grades turned in by May 27.

Office Hours Increasing In The Fall

Starting this fall, office hours are increasing. If you teach one class, your office hour is going up from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. If you teach two classes, your office time is increasing to 90 minutes per week.

Availability Forms

Something else to remember is to get your Availability Forms in by the respective dates. For Spring 2016 your availability form is due September 12. You can find these forms on My Hancock under the Faculty Tab, “Instructor Forms.”

Did you know…?

Under our collective bargaining agreement, Article 17, you have the right to be given written notification ahead of time regarding the purpose and subject of a meeting with your supervisor. If the purpose of this meeting could reasonably lead to any type of disciplinary action against you, you also have the right to have a union representative there with you.

Mark James Miller, President, Part-Time Faculty Association of Allan Hancock College, CFT Local 6185, Santa Maria, CA