The Advocate

The Advocate, newsletter of the San Mateo Community College Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1493, is available in .pdf format– by clicking on the links for the specific issues below. Links to individual articles in an issue are listed under the link for that issue. (To read .pdf files, download Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

E-Mail The Advocate: Click here to send us your letters, article or comments
Click here to see The Advocate Archives (issues from 1999-present)

March-April 2019

View full March-April 2019 issue

In this issue:

• AFT and District begin bargaining on new 3-year contract; current agreement expires June 30th
• Workload Equity Update
• Concerns raised by dual enrollment faculty being investigated by AFT and Senates
• Oakland teachers strike for “schools students deserve”; win significant victory; next step is at state level
• Horns & warm Kleenex: A personal view of the Oakland teachers’ strike
• What do we mean by part-time parity?
• Supporting our colleges’ undocumented students
• President’s Perspectives
• Letter to The Advocate: Confusion about why Skyline kept campus open during power outage

February 2019

View full February 2019 issue (pdf)

In this issue:

• Let’s be honest: District needs to face reality and negotiate a reasonable workload equity system
• L.A. teachers’ strike turns tide in addressing public school funding & economic & social inequality
• Fighting for public education in California: CA Educators Rising and the L.A. Teachers’ Strike
• AFT 1493ers organize breakfast delivery to striking L.A. teachers
• President’s Perspectives: Revitalized union activism across the country and in our district
• Governor’s 2019-20 January budget proposal increases education and community college funding
• Yosemite Community College District faculty reach contract agreement after 2-day strike

December 2018

December 2018 (pdf)

In this issue:

• Faculty negotiations survey results lead to AFT’s initial 2019-22 contract proposals
• Questions and concerns about dual enrollment need to be addressed
• What is “binding arbitration” and why we need it in our contract
• Skyline Chapter holding bi-monthly office hours
• Yosemite Community College District faculty go on 2-day strike
• Understanding the “migrant caravan” and building support for immigrant rights
• President’s Perspectives
• Solidarity meeting to support Oakland and LA teachers’ unions set for Dec. 15
• Katharine Harer wins national labor journalism award

November 2018

November 2018 (pdf)

In this issue:

• Don’t forget to vote in Nov. 6 general elections; AFT co-endorses Holober & Mohr for Trustee
• President’s Perspective: Paul’s October Surprise
• Spending on faculty down, but more funding needed to improve faculty conditions
• District Workload Committee making slow progress
• AFT Members head to Central Valley for election canvassing
• Support the Marriott hotel workers strike!
• Meet our newest AFT 1493 Executive Committee member
• Dan Kaplan’s AFT career celebrated at retirement party

September 2018

September 2018 (pdf)

In this issue:

• 2018-19 COLA increases and Step adjustments
• President’s Perspectives: A busy start to the new semester for old and new AFT leaders
• Standing in solidarity with our undocumented students
• Meet our new AFT 1493 Executive Committee members
• Executive Committee votes to endorse both Richard Holober and Tom Mohr
• An interview with Paul Bissember, new AFT 1493 Executive Secretary
• Workload Committee Report