Part-timers: Please read the urgent information below on our increased, expanded part-time healthcare reimbursement program. If you qualify for reimbursement, be sure to submit receipts for July through September premiums by this Saturday, September 30th at bit.ly/PTHealthSMCCD. You will not have another opportunity to request reimbursement for July through September premiums.

Full-timers: Please share the information on our increased, expanded part-time healthcare program with your part-time colleagues. And look for a message next Tuesday detailing the improvements to full-time health coverage our union has negotiated. (Summary: once we ratify a contract, District contributions to 2024 healthcare premiums will increase significantly for full-time faculty on all plans—not just Kaiser.)

Thanks to an agreement negotiated by our union, eligible part-time faculty can now receive up to $913.74 per month in reimbursement for your healthcare premiums. Also, more part-timers are now eligible. You are eligible for reimbursement if you work at least 40% time within SMCCCD OR if you work 40% time between SMCCD and another community college district or districts.

Reimbursement will also be more frequent so you get your money sooner. However, this means that the first reimbursement applications are due this Saturday, September 30th. This will be your only opportunity to submit receipts from July through September 2023 for reimbursement. Please see the infographic above for more on how to apply. Then be sure to submit online at bit.ly/PTHealthSMCCD by September 30th.

Good news! Your advocacy moved the District to significantly improve the current part-time healthcare reimbursement program. AFT and the District have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding that increases the PT healthcare stipend (Spring 2024 amount will be almost double Spring 2023 amount) and expands eligibility to part-timers who teach a total of at least 40% between SMCCCD and one or more other community college districts.

The MOU is in effect *now* and allows eligible part-timers to get reimbursement for premiums back to July of this year.

• For PT faculty with loads of at least 40% in SMCCCD:
  • Reimbursement of up to the $5484 for Fall 2023 and $6128.46 for Spring 2024 (previous amount was $3305 per semester)

• For PT faculty with total load of at least 40% between multiple community college districts:
  • SMCCCD will reimburse a portion of your premium costs based on the total number of districts you work in
    • For example, if you have at least 40% load between SMCCCD and one other community college district, SMCCCD will reimburse half your premium costs, up to a maximum of $5484 for Fall 2023 and $6128.46 for Spring 2024
    • If you have at least 40% load between SMCCCD and two other community college districts, SMCCCD will reimburse a third of your premium costs, again up to a maximum of $5484 for Fall 2023 and $6128.46 for Spring 2024

For all eligible PT faculty, reimbursement will take place four times a year (in October, January, April, and July) rather than twice per year as previously. AFT was able to negotiate this change from the District’s current practice of twice-yearly payment in response to feedback from part-timers. The more frequent reimbursement is intended to allow part-timers to take advantage of the higher reimbursement amount (by, for example, enrolling in a more expensive plan) without having to pay significantly more out of pocket before being reimbursed.

Also, all eligible PT will be able to claim reimbursement going back to July of this year, with the first receipts due September 30th for October reimbursement. AFT reps are working with District HR on logistics and will be in touch as soon as possible with details about how to submit.

This MOU is a victory for all our members who organized to get the District to provide better healthcare for part-time faculty. At the same time, it’s not the end of the story: before this MOU expires in June 2024, AFT expects to work with the District to fully implement AB 190 and provide eligible part-timers with all the coverage options available to full-timers, with the same District contributions full-timers receive.

Thank you, as always, for your organizing to improve working conditions for all faculty. Our negotiators could not have gotten this agreement without the consistent advocacy of both full-timers and part-timers for better part-time healthcare.