Dear Peralta Community,
The Peralta Federation of Teachers welcomes you to its regular fourth-Tuesday update, the—drum roll!—award-winning e-Communiqué (see Item No. 4, below). Send items you’d like to see here to PFT Communications Director Matthew Goldstein at mgoldstein@peralta.edu.
*The Peralta Board of Trustees reconvenes tonight, Tues., March 23, at 7 p.m., in the district boardroom at 333 E. Eighth St. The most-anticipated agenda item: consideration of a contract for an interim chancellor. Signs point to an internal candidate from the district office, a career administrator who’d take over July 1 from current Peralta chief Elihu Harris. Also on the agenda is a resolution to eliminate 7.75 FTEs’ worth of childcare-related classified positions, and a request to hire a grant-writing consultant to the tune of up to $45,000. Those wanting to address the board should arrive early to fill out a speaker card.
*Don’t miss the next PFT general membership meeting, Wed., April 28, 3-5 p.m., at Laney (room TBA). The new law that allows part-time faculty to receive State Disability Insurance benefits will be highlighted. Other likely agenda items include contract-extension negotiations and PFT responses to the ongoing budget crisis.
*Full-time teachers should keep the plight of part-time faculty in mind as they design their summer and fall schedules. Simply put, contract faculty overloads take jobs away from adjuncts. Full-timers in the autumn of their careers might consider “going Willie Brown,” working halftime but receiving full STRS credit and health benefits (see Article 27 of the PFT contract for details).
*PFT garnered five honors at the California Federation of Teachers convention, held March 19-21 in Los Angeles. The CFT Communications Awards, a competition among locals from around the state, saw PFT capture first prize in the bulletin and electronic newsletter categories (PCCD Board Watch and e-Communiqué), second place for best single effort, and third place for best four-page newsletter. The CFT further named PFT Communications Director Matthew Goldstein Rookie of the Year. PFT also recognized its own at the convention: Peter Brown earned Part-timer Leader of the Year notice, Janell Hampton won Emergent Leader honors, and Taesoon Park landed Longtime Leader laurels.
In unity,
Debby Weintraub, President
PFT, AFT Local 1603
For more about PFT—contract information, contacts, downloadable forms, updates, etc.—visit pft1603.org or write PFT1603info@gmail.com.