CCA Adjuncts Unite!

The "odor of Mendacity"

8/23/2016

After hearing about the most recent meeting with the lawyer for the
administration i could not help but recall Big Daddy (burl ives) in the
movie version of the tennessee williams play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof:
" Didnt you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this
room?"
Is Michael Vartain's outburst of expletives,(the obvious comparison to
Trump'esk behavior is an embarrassment) what we have all come to accept as
the norm? If silence is complicity then is the adminstration's bargaining
team speaking volumes?
Isn't there a harrassment and no bullying policy at CCA? Does it not
apply where labor politics are concerned ?
" Didn't you notice it?"..There ain't nothin more powerful than the odor
of mendacity..."
Here's hope upon hope that the air will clear and real bargaining can begin.

in solidarity,
spit it sister

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No, this isn't a Lynda Benglis piece either

5/28/2016

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No, it's not a Vito Acconci piece

5/28/2016

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Negotiating Still Life...

5/28/2016

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Against the Common Good

5/25/2016

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CCA is NOT negotiating in good faith!

5/25/2016

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For the "Game of Thrones" fans out there...

5/25/2016

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What Happens now that we won?...

10/14/2014

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What happens after you win your union election? Below is an outline, explaining the process. Our first meetings will be October 22nd and 23rd. We suggest that every department within CCA make sure they have a representative voice at one of the meetings. Should you not be able to make one of the meetings, you will still be part of the process via surveys as we begin to establish our bargaining priorities.

We will begin the process of creating our bargaining team and Contract Action Team at the first general meetings, which will be:
October 22nd, 11a-12p, Room B4 at the Oakland campus
October 23rd, 7p-8p, Room W1 at the San Francisco campus

1.     Establish Bargaining Priorities. Bargaining items and priorities are set by contingent faculty. Tools used to collect this information could include but are not limited to: general membership meetings, hard copy bargaining surveys, online bargaining surveys, etc. Bargaining priorities are set before bargaining begins, but they are not fixed. Contingent faculty can modify bargaining priorities as the nature of negotiations change.   Bargaining surveys will be coming out next week

2.     Bargaining Team Selection. The bargaining team is the group of contingent faculty who negotiates the union contract. The terms, structure, time and place of the nomination and selection for the bargaining team is determined by contingent faculty. The makeup of the bargaining team, i.e., representation by department, job title, etc., is determined by contingent faculty. The number of bargaining team members is determined by negotiations between contingent faculty and administration.

3.     Establish Contract Action Team (CAT). The CAT is the group of contingent faculty who supports the bargaining team during union contract negotiations. The CAT disseminates bargaining updates to the general membership, coordinates actions in support of union negotiations, does research for contract language, etc. As the name suggests, the CAT is active during contract negotiations, but it can stay active beyond bargaining if contingent faculty desire. Note: CAT is the commonly used name for this group. This group can be renamed if contingent faculty wish. We will begin the process of creating our bargaining team and Contract Action Team at the first general meetings, which will be: October 22nd, 11a-12p, Room B4 at the Oakland campusOctober 23rd, 7p-8p, Room W1 at the San Francisco campus

4.      Negotiate Your Union Contract. After winning your union election, administration is required by law to negotiate with contingent faculty over job security, working conditions, benefits, pay, etc. Contingent faculty is represented by their elected bargaining team during this process. Contract language is written by contingent faculty themselves to reflect the specific needs of the general membership. An experienced negotiator will also be assigned to assist the bargaining team in developing contract language and strategies. Ongoing general assembly meetings allow for the membership and bargaining team to discuss contract proposals.

5.     Ratify Your Union Contract. When both parties come to agreement on all items, a tentative agreement has been reached. The tentative agreement is then taken to the general membership, i.e. all contingent faculty, and a ratification vote is conducted. If the tentative agreement is ratified, it becomes a legally binding collective bargaining agreement between CCA and the contingent faculty. If the tentative agreement is voted down, the bargaining team and administration return to the bargaining table until a new tentative agreement is reached and ratified. It is only after the tentative agreement is ratified by both contingent faculty and administration that union dues (1.74%) go into effect.

6.      Enforce Your Union Contract. Once a collective bargaining agreement is established, contingent faculty are the first stop in enforcing the union contract and ensure it is not violated. This is primarily done through shop stewards, self-appointed or elected contingent faculty who are given training in contract enforcement. Ultimately, the more contingent faculty are versed in the terms of the union contract, the less vulnerable to contract violations you are.

-SEIU Local 1021 will assist in each step of this process.
-Legal, research, communication, political and other resources will be available to ensure a successful contract.
-Contingent faculty will have the primary voice in how each of these components are developed and resolved.

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Culture of Poverty - An Email Response from "Spit It Sister"

9/28/2014

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In support of my fellow weebly adjuncts I (warily) attended a cca meeting with administrators and tenured faculty. The word culture was tossed about, as a reason not to unionize- a union wouldn’t understand our “culture”. If the current culture was so tight, why was there was a palpable air of mistrust and indignation in the room? Things seemed to be taking an ugly turn... Maybe Javier Arbona was right, what was I doing in this room?

I was reminded of what a mentor (with mfa, phd, melon grants, Fulbright’s, ivy league and private art school teaching under her belt) said to me about education-“it’s a culture of poverty”.

Are we so entrenched in a structure that pits us against one another that we can’t entertain anything different? Do we really want to be playing in the schoolyard where everyone is afraid we are going to steal each other’s marbles? I think not. I think we can do better by everyone: instructors of all ranks, the students and the cca community at large.

In solidarity,
Spit It Sister

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What's Up at SFAI & Mills? Just ask them:

9/26/2014

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Dear CCA colleagues,

We, the contract negotiations teams at SFAI and Mills College, are writing to address recent statements that our unionization has been a divisive process at the schools where we work. We assure you that the situation is the precise opposite. Our negotiations with administration have been collegial, and have opened up meaningful conversation about our teaching conditions and the wider issues that affect our institutions. We are finally able to have a real dialogue with our administration and have our concerns taken seriously. Both sides of the table are learning a lot. We have only been in contract negotiations for a few months, but even without a contract we’ve been able to sit at the table where decisions are being made and have an equal voice. We are making real progress towards contracts that will bring tangible benefits to us and our fellow adjunct faculty members.

We have also found that our relations with other faculty have expanded and deepened. Many good working relationships have formed through this process. For some of us, this has been the first time we've experienced sustained collegiality at our school.

We at SFAI and Mills College are glad we joined SEIU Local 1021 when we did. We organized because as hardworking educated professionals, we were tired of being treated as second class citizens. Some of your colleagues may be asking you to just “wait and see”, but we at SFAI and Mills College encourage you to act now and vote yes. Join us as we demand the respect and fair working conditions all adjuncts deserve. If you have any questions about activities on our campus or contract negotiations so far, please feel free to contact any of us below.

Sincerely,
The SFAI and Mills College Contract Negotiation Teams

Carolyn Duffey
SFAI
Liberal Arts/Critical Studies

Christian Nagler
SFAI
Interdisciplinary Studies

Stephanie Young
Mills College
English

Keith Boadwee
SFAI
New Genres

Liz Green
SFAI
Interdisciplinary Studies

Ben Brown
Mills College
History

Art Hazelwood
SFAI
Printmaking

Neha Dave
Mills College
Economics

David Buuck
Mills College
English

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<<Previous

The "odor of Mendacity"

No, this isn't a Lynda Benglis piece either

No, it's not a Vito Acconci piece

Negotiating Still Life...

Against the Common Good

CCA is NOT negotiating in good faith!

For the "Game of Thrones" fans out there...

What Happens now that we won?...

Culture of Poverty - An Email Response from "Spit It Sister"

What's Up at SFAI & Mills? Just ask them:

Speak Up!

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