I am thrilled to announce that 95% of our members voted YES to authorize our Executive Committee to call a legally protected faculty strike if the District fails to make fair contract offers during the impasse process!  Additionally, 80% of our members voted, which is an incredible feat considering 57% of our members are adjuncts who are often spread thin working two or three jobs in addition to their employment at SMCCCD.  Furthermore, over 20 people joined our union in the past week so they could vote!

The final vote tally was:

• 641 Yes
• 37   No

Results can be viewed here.

This result is an incredibly powerful statement that we are united in our fight for a fair contract. We are no longer going to accept a District that consistently disrespects, demeans, and devalues our educators, cutting classes and faculty at CSM while boasting about putting “students first.”  And we are not alone.

Students are joining our fight.  18 student clubs at Skyline issued a statement on Instagram yesterday standing in solidarity with us in our fight for a fair contract. Additionally, the CSM Democrats sent us a statement in solidarity, which will be quoted in our press release about the strike vote. And students at Cañada and all three campuses stopped by our voting tables throughout the week, asking how they can support us.  We have the support of our students!

Finally, this overwhelming “Yes” vote didn’t magically appear out of thin air: it is the result of months and months of organizing by our members.  Our members talked to each other, read my many (many) emails, called, texted, and showed up.  We showed up at Board meetings, did the Flex Day Boycott, and then secured nearly 600 “Count On Me” pledges leading up to the Strike Vote.  So a huge congratulations and thank you to YOU for all your support, especially our “Count On Me Captains” and Campus Strike Teams who executed this organizing plan.

What’s Next?

We are now in the “fact-finding” stage of impasse, which will take, at minimum, another 40 days.  We will keep communicating as more details emerge, but for now, soak in this victory.

And remember: we did all of this not because we want to go on strike, but in case we need to go on strike.  The ball is now in the District’s court: do they want to make fair offers?  Our demands are reasonable and just, and we will proceed in impasse accordingly.

Onward in solidarity,

Chet Lexvold
Executive Director
San Mateo Community College Federation of Teachers, AFT 1493
lexvold@aft1493.org
650-395-8347