Summary of the Side Letter Regarding Counselor Calendar Process
for the Remainder of 2002/2003 and for the 2003/2004 Academic Year
 

Since the PCCD exercised it's right to reopen Article 18F, the PFT negotiating team (which included counselor representatives from all of the colleges) has been meeting with the PCCD to reach agreement on this issue. The next step in the process would be to begin the impasse proceedings.

For various reasons, the PFT negotiating team unanimously agreed that it would be much better to reach a settlement which would be non-precedential rather than taking this sole issue to fact-finding (the first step of impasse proceedings) at this time. After several hours of negotiations, the PCCD and PFT reached tentative agreement on two side-letters which will apply to the counselors who have been traditionally funded with Matriculation moneys (The two side letters only apply to counselors whose eleventh-month contracts have been traditionally funded with Matriculation monies. PCCD has also agreed to drop reopeners on 18 F which would affect counselors whose eleventh-month contracts have been traditionally funded from sources other than Matriculation monies (DSP&S and EOPS). For these counselors, the 2000-2003 PFT/PCCD Agreement shall apply until the 2003-2006 PFT/PCCD Agreement is ratified). The PCCD agreed to withdraw the District's proposed reopener, subject to the following terms outlined in the side letters:
 

In order to resolve the issues of counseling needs for the 2002-2003 academic year, the Peralta Community College District and the Peralta Federation of Teachers agree to the following:
 

1) The District will offer matriculation-funded counselors a partial eleventh-month contract consisting of up to 4 days which can be scheduled at anytime prior to 6/30/03. Using the procedure described in Article 18 F (and its October 18, 2000 side letter) counselors and management at each of the colleges will work together to create a schedule by November 15, 2002, which meets the counseling needs for the remainder of 2002-2003;

a) To effect this full and appropriate coverage, volunteers will be sought to agree to work outside the 175 academic calendar days, in exchange for days off within the normal academic calendar. If necessary, extra-service or part-time counselors would fill in any gaps in the schedule;
b) If for any reason the appropriate counseling coverage is not achieved at any of the colleges, the parties will reconvene, discuss the status of this side letter [i.e., the current TA], and amicably resolve any dispute;
c) Upon receipt of notice from all of the colleges that the counseling schedules have been finalized for the remainder of 2002/2003 this agreement becomes effective and the PFT on its own behalf and on behalf of unit members will withdraw the grievance filed in July, 2002 regarding Article 18 F and not file any other grievance, claim or complaint related to the 2002-2003 counseling schedule.
 

For the academic year 2003/2004, the PCCD and the PFT agree to the following for regular contract and probationary counselors whose eleventh-month contracts have traditionally been funded by Matriculation moneys:
 

1) Using the timelines and procedures in Article 18F and the October 18, 2000 side letter, the counselors and administration at each college shall cooperate to establish an effective counseling schedule for the entire 2003-2004 year subject to a reasonable extension of time if requested by the District because of uncertainties in the State budget. The College Administration, after consultation with the counselors, will determine the number of eleventh-month contracts and the number of days of such contracts. The extent to which the College Administration will confer eleventh-month contracts at each college is not grievable will depend upon the extent of funding and the District's fiscal condition.

a) In addition to the additional days of eleventh-month contracts, volunteers will be sought to agree to work outside the 175 academic calendar days, in exchange for days off within the normal academic calendar. Extra-service or part-time counselors will be used to fill in any gaps in the schedule.
b) This side letter is intended to provide appropriate counseling services for the 2003-2004 academic year until the 2003-2006 PFT/PCCD Agreement is ratified by the PFT and approved by the PCCD governing board. At that time, the 2003-2006 PFT/PCCD Agreement shall supercede the terms of this side letter.
c) Should any changes be made to Article 18 F in the PFT/PCCD 2003-2006 Agreement, both parties agree to work together to incorporate those changes into the counselors scheduling process as soon as is feasible.
 

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