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May 2003 Newsletter |
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C
O N T E N T S |
View the old contract from this link. 1999-2000 Contract |
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Ponderings of the President
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UPM Responds to
Layoffs UPM Assists ÒPinkedÓ Faculty No one represented by the United Professors of Marin goes it alone, especially in difficult times. On March 15th, fifteen full-time members of the faculty experienced one of the most disheartening and frightening events in a professional career: the arrival of a layoff notice. Eleven of these work in the ChildrenÕs Center, three work in the Disabled StudentsÕ Program, and one works in Basic Education/GED. While the final outcome of this lousy situation is yet to be determined (the State budget is not final by any means), the faculty affected by these circumstances have had, at least, support from the union. When the word ÒlayoffÓ was first used with serious intent, the UPM Executive Council charged Grievance Officer Arthur Lutz with special responsibility to ensure fair treatment under the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the affected faculty, to represent all eleven instructors in meetings with administrators, to communicate between those instructors and the Exec, and to shuttle between the UPM attorney Bob Bezemek and the union in all matters regarding this layoff. LutzÕs voluntary position was modeled after the one assumed by Ira Lansing during the Great Illegal Layoffs conducted in 1985 when over 90 members of the faculty were issued pink slips. Although no layoff proceeding can ever have a happy ending, Arthur LutzÕs efforts and the focused attention of the UPM Executive Council have yielded some solid and useful results. In the case of the eleven ChildrenÕs Center faculty, the District has agreed to extend medical benefit coverage through July and August of this year. Further, formal hearings for each laid-off instructor have been waived, avoiding that costly and often very difficult experience. More significantly, the UPM discovered that the District had conducted an inaccurate ÒlotteryÓ to establish the instructorsÕ date of first employment, a significant date that may be used as the foundation of reemployment rights. The District agreed to rescind the results of the lottery and to correct the dates in a manner satisfactory to all laid off faculty. In the case of the Disabled Students Program and Basic Ed faculty, the District agreed to conduct involuntary transfers, thus avoiding loss of jobs for those who received pink slips. Arthur Lutz represented each DSP faculty member during individual meetings held by Maggie Rumford. In these meetings, the details of the instructorsÕ reassignments were hammered out, and all the while their rights under the Contract were closely guarded. In the end, two instructors were transferred to English Skills and one was transferred to Computer Information Systems. The fourth laid-off instructor, in the end, was able to keep his position. Unfortunately, reassignments were not possible for ChildrenÕs Center faculty whose teaching specialty did not extend to other faculty service areas. There is no such thing as a good layoff. But in such bad times, the UPM acts to ensure basic rights and to seek just results. Election Results for the UPM Executive Council The ballots have been counted, and we can announce the winners: John Sutherland Arthur Lutz Mike Ransom Congratulations to each! Theo Fung, current Exec member, withdrew her bid for re-election to ensure that new people could take seats on the Exec. Grievance Officer's Report by Arthur Lutz Sumer is icumen in, Lhoude sing cuccu. (Anon. C.1250) The cuckoo-bird has long been considered the bird that heralds the arrival of summer. But at the College of Marin, cuckoo might also be the bird that best describes some recently occurring events. For example: President Middleton announced that the State budget crisis forced him to lay off the entire faculty and staff of our ChildrenÕs Centers, but he found hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on a new marketing department. And disabled students were told that there was no money to continue many of their classes, but a whole new costly layer of administrative directors was installed. And Dr. Middleton lamented that there were not enough young people in Marin County to make our enrollment grow, but he advised us to discourage students from enrolling in our classes if they signed up late. How many examples of the cuckoo-bird have YOU observed over the past ten years? A facilities plan before we have an educational master plan? A celebration praising our history followed by an immediate attempt to sell our historic campuses? Suggestions that we build a high-rise parking garage on the Kentfield campus disguised as a library? Throwing millions of dollars, year after year, into the black hole of CCMISC/Buzzeo software, after being told by IT experts that the system might be a scam? The sightings of cuckoo had grown so numerous that our faculty felt compelled to go on record in protest, and early this month almost 90% of those voting declared no confidence in Dr. Middleton, no confidence in his policies, and no confidence in his ability to continue to lead our college. The no confidence resolution was affirmed by our Academic Senate and was read to our Board of Trustees on April 8th. Unfortunately, the BoardÕs response might be characterized as a cross between the cry of the parrot and the call of the mocking bird. They parroted and defended Dr. MiddletonÕs excuses and failures, and they mocked the depth and seriousness of our facultyÕs concern. ÒSome institutional corrective action may be necessary and will be considered...Ó they cautiously peeped. Did they suggest INSTITUTIONAL corrective action? Our faculty does not believe that there is anything wrong with our institution. ItÕs BIG BIRD and his policies that our faculty wants the Board to correct! How much faculty concern must there be before our Board stops acting like the proverbial ostrich? If the foregoing paragraphs seem overly derisive it may be because, as UPM Grievance Officer, IÕve just come from meetings with more than fifteen of our full time faculty whose lives are being turned upside down because of Dr. MiddletonÕs personnel recommendations. Most of these colleagues have been teaching at our college for years. Many wonÕt be back next semester. Neither will many fledgling and adjunct faculty whom we have befriended over the years. It will be a great and unnecessary loss for us and for our college, the culmination of ten years of our administrationÕs educational and fiscal blundering and flights of fancy. Our Union is doing its best to help these unit members in these difficult times, but our mandate is limited by the terms of our CBA. ItÕs truly up to the faculty to continue to Òsing lhoudeÓ if there are to be meaningful changes at the College of Marin. News from Beyond Marin California Federation of Teachers Endorses Budget Accountability Act Signatures Needed Are you tired of the attacks on public education? Are you angered by the layoff notices and reductions in classes occurring across the state? Are you tired of the partisan gridlock in Sacramento? There is a way to protect public education and to improve the state budget process. ItÕs called the ÒBudget Accountability Act.Ó It is a proposed initiative being circulated for the March 2004 primary election. The initiative is a proactive response to the partisan gridlock in Sacramento. Only by changing the rules of the budget process will we be able to hold our elected officials accountable. This will also improve the chances for good public policy that reflects the needs and desires of the people of California. It has five parts: ¥ It will reduce the amount of votes necessary to pass a budget to 55 percent, the same number that is required to pass a school bond. ¥ If the Legislature and Governor fail to pass the budget in sex months, they will forfeit their salary, perdiem allowance, and care allowance for each day after the deadline until the budget is adopted and signed into law. ¥ The initiative will also help the budgeting process by requiring the state to create a Òrainy day fundÓ of 5 percent in years when revenues exceed the amount needed to fund existing services. ¥ Provides for the Legislative Ethics Committees to censure party leaders if they punish a legislator for voting for a state budget. ¥ Requires the State Controller, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the Legislative AnalystÕs Office, to prepare a budge summary which will be published in the state ballot pamphlet. The California Federation of Teachers is working with other public sector unions, health advocates, and the League of Women Voters to qualify this initiative. Initiative supporters will be circulating petitions on campus and in the community. Make sure you sign the initiative and volunteer to help your union ensure that it passes at the ballot box. Treasurer's Report Cash Flow Report 1/1/03 Through 3/31/03 1/1/03 Percent of Category Description 3/31/03 Total Inflows Dues & Assessments 36,245.69 69.36% CFT/AFT Grants 12,047.39 23.05% Legal Defense Fund Acct. 3,712.98 7.10% Interest Income 254.11 0.49% Total Inflows 52,260.17 100.00% Outflows Fed/State Tax w/h, Salary 1,186.10 2.48% Service Charge 30.00 0.06% Wells Fargo Payroll Service 340.31 0.71% Payment to Affiliates 18,381.58 38.46% Attorney 14,092.30 29.49% Contributions 97.80 0.20% Duplicating and Printing 167.26 0.35% Medical Employee Benefit 870.84 1.82% Insurance 1,526.96 3.20% Meeting Costs 355.31 0.74% Postage 104.60 0.22% Salary 5,792.82 12.12% Hourly Employee(s) 4,749.89 9.94% Telephone 94.46 0.20% Total Outflows 47,790.23 100.00% Overall Total 4,469.94 Benefits of Membership In an era of layoffs, votes of no confidence, and program reductions, life is definitely unpredictable. But itÕs not a time to withdraw; itÕs a time to unite with colleagues. Becoming an active member of the United Professors of Marin might be one of the most significant steps you can take to put some order to the uncertainty, to show your support for those colleagues ? both part time and full time ? whose jobs are on the line. And by joining, you can benefit from representation on not only the local level but also the state and national levels through corresponding membership in the CFT and the AFT. With that comes many benefits, including plans for other kinds of uncertainty in life. |
Web Page graphics & design by Mike Godsey, windfind@sonic.nett
Administration's Layoff Plan
by Ira Lansing