FACT: The cost of living in San Mateo County is the highest of any county in the high-priced Bay Area. (Cost-of-living index shows % above national median for each area.) FACT: Home values in San Mateo County are the highest of all counties in the exorbitant Bay Area housing market. (National Assoc. of Realtors)

FAIRNESS?: A faculty member making $104,000 per year and living alone with no dependents in San Mateo County is “low-income” (California Department of Housing and Community Development). This means that salaries for many full-time faculty members are below the low-income threshold, while the current top faculty salary of $142,128 is below the area “moderate income” level of $147,000.

EQUITY! Our district’s wealth comes from taxes on our county’s high property values. SMCCCD’s tax revenue increases the last 3 years were 5%, 8.4% and 6.5%.The last faculty raise, in 2021, was 0.5% – when inflation was 8.3%! True equity means providing salaries that allow all faculty to have a high quality of life – especially in counties like ours with some of the highest costs in the nation. Why does the District deny faculty even a “moderate” standard of living for our area?

Each of our weekly messages include a quick survey on your thoughts about the current District proposal on an issue by issue basis.(see Negotiation FAQs.)

Help shape AFT’s counter proposal on compensation! Let us know your thoughts and concerns regarding the district’s current proposal on salaries by taking a short survey. Click the “Take Survey” button on the right to begin. Every bit of feedback helps us act strategically to win a fair contract!

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

Confidential mediation concluded:
New District proposals available

As you know, AFT’s negotiating team and SMCCCD negotiators have been engaged in a confidential mediation process since January in an effort to come to agreement on our next faculty contract. Mediation concluded on Friday evening without an agreement. After mediation concluded, the District Chief Negotiator sent a set of post-mediation proposals. While we are disappointed that the parties were unable to come to an agreement in mediation, we are glad that the conclusion of mediation means we are once again free to share information about negotiations with all our members.

The current District proposals include:

• A raise for all faculty of 7% for 2022-2023; 5% for 2023-2024; and 3% for 2024-2025
• Additional raises for instructional part-timers of 2.5% per year for each of the three years of the contract
• District contributions to the full-time healthcare premiums equal to 100% of the Kaiser single person rate (currently $914 per month), 88% of the Kaiser two-party rate (currently $1828 per month), and 88% of the Kaiser family rate (currently $2376 per month)
• A one-year increase in the healthcare stipend available to part-timers working 40% or more to 100% of the Kaiser single person rate, currently $914 per month
• An MOU on dual enrollment that provides reimbursement for travel between worksites, compensation for travel time for part-time faculty only, and compensation for hours worked beyond SMCCCD contract hours (adjuncts) or days worked beyond 175 days (full-timers)
• Modified language on Article 12 (Transfers) and Article 20 (FSAs)

The District offer does not include:

• Any increase in lab rates
• Any changes to the current parental leave policy
• Any guarantee that faculty can choose whether to teach dual enrollment courses, or that dual enrollment faculty will be compensated for duties they undertake (ex. meeting with parents, attending school events) beyond standard SMCCCD faculty duties
• Any guarantee that faculty can work a certain percentage of hours remotely, or that counselors can take Zoom appointments remotely
• Any language setting forth a clear and timely process for faculty to receive disability accommodations
• Any contractual process for full-time faculty to submit schedule requests and have their preferences honored where possible
• Clarity on the load that part-timers are entitled to receive each semester

In addition, the District’s current proposals will not get instructional part-timers to the 85% parity goal they themselves agreed to in our last contract, and do not provide part-timers with the two-party and family coverage for which the California legislature has allocated funding. If the District provided part-timers with these coverage options, they would be eligible to have their costs reimbursed 100% by the state; as it stands, they will only be eligible for 50% reimbursement. While the District has argued that providing part-timers with access to District health plans would require it to provide the same level of contribution towards the premiums of all part-timers, including those with loads below 40%, this is not correct.

Read the District’s first post-mediation proposals:

• Articles 8 & 9: Pay & Benefits
• Article 12: Transfers & Reassignments
• Article 20: Faculty Service Areas
• MOU on CCAP & Dual Enrollment
• MOU on Part-Time Faculty Health Insurance

As AFT negotiators, we wanted to let you know about the District’s first public proposals following mediation as soon as we could. We invite you to send us your thoughts on the proposals by emailing Marianne Kaletzky at kaletzky@aft1493.org or your AFT campus chair. We look forward to working together to secure a strong contract for all.

In unity,

The AFT negotiating team

FACT:  In May, Interim Chancellor Moreno recommended increasing the minimum enrollment for a class from 10 students to 20—meaning more classes could be canceled for “low” enrollment. FACT:  Following speakouts from faculty and students, the Chancellor changed course and recommended continuing the 10-student minimum through the coming academic year, including summer ’24. Now more classes will be able to run.

FAIRNESS?  Requiring a minimum of 20 students leads to class cancellations that negatively impact: students’ timelines to graduation and transfer District enrollment, as students lose trust in SMCCCD and look for classes elsewhere adjunct faculty, who lose income and possibly health benefits. The district is in “spectacular financial shape,” according to one of the Trustees. Given our strong finances, what’s more important than offering students the classes they need, building our enrollments, and serving our community?

EQUITY!  The District tasks faculty with making their equity goals a reality for students. By investing in faculty working conditions, the District will also be investing in student success. Students and faculty from the Kababayan Filipinx Learning Community speak at the May Board meeting on how lower class minimums benefit them and the Kababayan program. “Although there are fewer than 20 students in these classes, our voices matter & these classes matter to us. Don’t take them away.” (A student commenting on Kababayan’s petition to keep the 10-student minimum.) “With lower class minimums, we prove to our community that we are willing to create a schedule that works for all sorts of students.” (Sarah Mangin, English faculty, CSM) Thanks to all the faculty and students who spoke up at the June 28th Board Meeting. By organizing collectively, YOU moved the needle on class minimums.

The Board will discuss potential permanent changes to class minimums and the cancellation policy in November in a study session—we’ll keep you posted on how you can join to share your thoughts with the Board and the Chancellor. Faculty voices matter on this important pedagogical issue!

NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

Contract negotiations still in confidential mediation – updates to come when possible

Our negotiating team is still in confidential mediation with the District team. The last two meeting took place on June 16 and July 7. As soon as we can share more, we will. 

We want to remind you that negotiations may pick up pace over the summer, and we may require input from you on how to proceed. Please update your contact info here so we can get in touch with you over the summer if necessary.

If you missed any previous Action Updates or would like to review previous updates, please visit our Action Update page.

We appreciate your continued advocacy and work to win a fair, equitable and just contract for all our members!