Six faculty union leaders from other community college districts spoke briefly to the SMCCCD Board of Trustees on Wednesday, June 28, to explain how their districts had agreed to provide their part-time faculty the same healthcare coverage as their districts’ full-time faculty, with full funding from the state under AB 190.  (For details, see CFT’s FAQ on healthcare coverage for adjunct faculty mandated under AB 190 funding or Chancellor’s Office explanation)

Click here to watch all of the faculty union leaders’ comments or click on the individual links below to view each comment separately:

Linda Sneed, long-time adjunct faculty member in the Los Rios Community College District explained that her district enthusiastically agreed to provide part-time faculty healthcare funded by the state under AB 190 beginning in Spring 2023

James McKeever, President of LA Faculty Guild, explained that LA Community College District (largest community college district in US) agreed to provide adjunct faculty with loads of at least .33 the same healthcare coverage as full-time faculty and LACCD will receive more money back from the state than they currently get

Karen Chan, Executive Director of W. Valley/Mission Federation of Teachers, reported that the W. Valley/Mission District has agreed to pay adjunct faculty 82% parity and to provide adjunct faculty with the same CalPERS health benefits they provide to full-time faculty (fully funded by the state under AB 190)

Claire Thorasen, adjunct faculty member at Cabrillo College and on the union negotiating team, reported that the Cabrillo District has also agreed to provide their adjunct faculty with the same healthcare coverage as their full-time faculty, following the AB 190 guidelines to enable them to be fully reimbursed by the state

Kate Disney, President of the W. Valley/Mission Fed. of Teachers, explained that their district, like SMCCCD, is a Basic Aid district that provides health benefits through CalPERS, and encouraged the SMCCCD Board to work collaboratively with AFT 1493 to move to provide equitable health benefits to adjunct faculty

Malaika Finkelstein, CCSF adjunct instructor and member of AFT 2121 bargaining team, reported that CCSF has also agreed to provide fully equitable health benefits to their part-time faculty at no cost to the district and also explained that CCSF Trustees regularly speak with union reps. (even during negotiations) and that it is incumbant on elected officials to listen to their constituents to receive the full information needed to make appropriate decisions

Also watch:

AFT 1493 President Monica Malamud, providing corrections to misinformation about PT healthcare funding given by SMCCCD administrators at the previous Board meeting

AFT 1493 Co-Vice President Katharine Harer, emphasizing the Trustees’ responsibilty to provide healthcare to the District’s adjunct faculty

Districts that have agreed to provide equitable healthcare to adjunct faculty 

The following 12 California community college districts have already agreed to provide equitable healthcare to adjunct faculty funded by the state under AB 190.

• West Valley-Mission
• City College of San Francisco
• Peralta
• Los Rios
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Grossmont-Cuyamaca
• North Orange
• Cuesta
• Glendale
• Southwestern
• Palomar

Following advocacy from faculty and students, the Board of Trustees voted June 28th to maintain the 10-student enrollment minimum through Fall 2023, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024. That means that courses that achieve an enrollment of at least 10 students will not be canceled.

The 10-student minimum first came into effect through MOUs negotiated by AFT during the pandemic. In May, Interim Chancellor Moreno put forward a draft recommendation to return to a minimum of 20 students. However, at the May Board meeting and elsewhere many faculty and students spoke about why the 10-student minimum benefits our students and in June Moreno changed course and recommended instead “a temporary suspension of the current BP 6.04 minimum class size of 20 students for the 2023-24 academic year, including the 2024 summer session, to allow time for more study and discussion of the issue with the Board during the Fall semester.”

Bob Lee (Sociology, Cañada) was one of the many faculty and student speakers calling for a continuation of the 10-student minimum at the May Board of Trustees meeting. Other speakers included Liza Erpelo (Kababayan, Skyline), Todd Windisch (ESOL, CSM), David Eck (Philosophy, Cañada), Kathleen McClung (English, Skyline), Lee Miller (Political Science, CSM), Arthur Veloso (the incoming Student Trustee, Skyline student), Lori Slicton (Anthropology, Skyline), the outgoing Student Trustee, Lesly Ta and Kate Browne, the District Senate President.

This recommendation was approved by the Trustees. Thanks to all of the faculty and students who spoke out at the May Board meeting and elsewhere, more students will have access to the courses they need.

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!