AFT AND FACULTY MEMBERS SPEAK OUT ON SAFELY RETURNING TO IN-PERSON WORK

SMCCCD plans for returning to in-person work for the 2021-22 academic year were discussed at the May 12 Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting. Vice Chancellor Aaron McVean and others presented an Update on District Recovery of Operations Relating to Covid-19 and Policy Recommendations Relating to Vaccination Requirements for Employees and Students which called for:

  • Summer 2021 instructional and student support programs continue to operate mainly in a remote and online modality
  • Fall 2021 instruction to expand to include “Hard to Deliver Online” courses and student support services, programs, and business operations return on-campus with approval by the SMCCCD Emergency Operations Center (EOC). and that all employees working on site or accessing campus be required to be fully vaccinated by July 31, 2021.
  • Beginning January 3, 2022, all District operations will operate face-to-face on the campuses and at the District Office. Employees will be expected to work on campus. and all employees and students will be required to demonstrate proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

AFT 1493 Executive Secretary Marianne Kaletzky spoke at the May 12 BOT meeting to present AFT’s position on faculty returning to in-person work. The AFT 1493 Executive Committee voted at the May 12 AFT membership meeting to call on the District and Board of Trustees to ensure that:

  • no faculty members be required to begin working on campus against their will, before they feel it is safe, and that
  • no faculty member be required to teach or work in a space that does not meet the requirements of public health authorities.

Additional faculty concerns about returning to in-person work were presented by Marianne as well as by a number of faculty who spoke at the May 12 BOT meeting during public comments:

  • Many faculty members have expressed concerns about ventilation. Faculty know that many classrooms, offices and other spaces and small and have poor ventilation with inadequate air filtration systems.  Air quality information on faculty work spaces must be provided to faculty before they return to in-person work in these spaces.
  • Clear guidelines must be provided about who is responsible for insuring compliance with Covid-related regulations.
  • Campus health and safety committees must meet regularly and share district health and safety planning information and enable faculty and staff to bring forward concerns around these issues.

Click on the links below to watch public comments to the BOT by:

Also listen to Tina Acree, from AFSCME (facilities employees’ union,) commenting on labor’s lack of input and the lack of transparency in re-opening planning, and watch Annette Perot, CSEA Chapter 33 President, raising concerns of classified employees.