Dear PFT Member,

Happy New Year, and welcome to the spring term.

PFT is pleased to announce that it has reached a settlement in its part-time rehire grievance. After eleventh-hour discussions with the district, PFT agreed to a resolution under which the district will compensate the two faculty members for the fall classes they lost and reinstate them this term. As a condition of the settlement, the union has agreed to have its attorney meet with the district’s attorney to negotiate improvements to Article 30.H, the language covering the rehire pool.

The brave, vocal support of part- and full-timers for the rights of all faculty played a decisive role in securing this settlement. PFT thanks everyone who stood up for the contract and their fellow faculty members and looks forward to continuing to work together to improve the professional lives of the teachers, counselors, librarians, and nurses—full- and part-time alike—who make up the very foundation of our colleges.

Have a good semester—we look forward to seeing you at upcoming chapter and general membership meetings!

Matthew Goldstein, President
Peralta Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1603
Flex Day Spring 2015

The newest edition of The Peralta Teacher is now available! Click the picture below to see the full issue.

The Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees holds its final meeting of 2014 tonight at seven in the boardroom at 333 E. Eighth St. Julina Bonilla, newly elected Area 7 trustee, will be sworn in, as will board vets Bill Riley, who cruised to reelection in Area 5, and Linda Handy, who faced no opposition in Area 3 and didn’t appear on the ballot.

Trustees will also elect a new board president to replace Abel Guillén, who’s off to the Oakland City Council. PFT wishes President Guillén all the best at his new gig, and thanks him for his eight years of service at Peralta.

The board will also name a new CoA prez, consider appointments to the Citizens Bond and Parcel Tax Oversight Committee, and hear the district’s sunshine proposals for upcoming contract talks with Local 39, SEIU, and PFT.

Elsewhere:

*The PFT offices remain closed as contractors gut 500 E. Eighth St. and start top-to-bottom renovations. (Union HQ was flooded by a burst pipe in the fire-control system in mid-November.) PFT staff is currently working out of the Bay Area offices of its parent union, the California Federation of Teachers, at 1330 Broadway in downtown Oakland. To get in touch with PFT during construction, contact DB Coordinator/Communications Specialist Kayla Lewis at union@pft1603.org or 510.523.5238.

*PFT’s annual holiday party, which for years has brought together the whole Peralta community for seasonal cheer, has been canceled due to the flood. PFT will throw an office rewarming early next term once repairs have been completed—look for announcements after winter break.

*This afternoon San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow will hear closing arguments in The People of the State of California vs. the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. SF City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed suit against ACCJC to stop the commission’s disaccreditation order against City College of San Francisco. Disaccreditation would effectively shutter CCSF and cost 80,000 students access to affordable higher education. PFT will bring CCSF board members, faculty, and students to Peralta in early February for a panel discussion about the trial and the college’s battles with the ACCJC.

In solidarity,

Matthew M. Goldstein, President

Peralta Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1603

Dear Members,

Due to the current conditions at the office, the Executive Council meeting will be held tomorrow, November 20 from 3-5 at La Estrellita Restaurant 446 E 12th St, Oakland, CA 94606. The agenda will set at the beginning of the meeting.

In Unity,

PFT Staff

Greetings Members,

The PFT office had a pipe burst in the ceiling over the weekend and there has been extensive damage. Staff is working with the Landlord, insurers, and the cleanup crew to get us back in shape. We will be closed until further notice. You may still reach our voice mail at (510) 763-8820. We apologize for any inconvenience.

In Unity,

PFT Staff

WED, AUG 13
12-1PM
Laney College Cafeteria

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RALLY IN SACRAMENTO

On Friday, June 6, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) concluded a three-day meeting in Sacramento. Leaders in the fight to save City College of San Francisco lined up to speak during the 15 minutes set aside by ACCJC for public comment. As reported on the SF Chronicle website, the commission chair, Sherrill Amador, called security to stop a member of the public, Alvin Ja, from distributing a letter to commissioners after comment closed, and then tore up her copy of the handout. Hundreds of supporters, including CCSF  faculty and students, community college faculty from across the state, and community members, joined the rally outside the Citizen Hotel. PFT was on hand to support the fight.

SAVE CITY COLLEGE.  SAVE OUR STUDENTS.  SAVE PUBLIC EDUCATION!

Since most part-time faculty have several weeks “vacation” at the end of each semester, it is very important that everyone takes advantage of the unemployment benefits offered by the Employment Development Department of the State of California (EDD), which provide you a percentage of your income each week you are between assignments.  Read more by visiting Part-time Corner.

Karen Saginor, first vice president of the academic senate and a librarian at City College of San Francisco, prepared an enlightening summary of some of the more notable developments in CCSF’s ongoing struggle with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Last summer, ACCJC formally moved to disaccredit the state’s biggest public institution of higher learning.

To read Karen Saginor’s full summary, click here