The PCCD Board of Trustees rolls into Rotten City tonight at seven, toting a relatively routine agenda to the Emeryville Senior Center/Veteran’s Building at 4321 Salem St. (Trustees hit the road from time to time to give folks in the other five cities a chance to check out their act.) Tonight’s meeting won’t be broadcast or streamed, so board fans have to schlep to Pixarland to get their second-Tuesday kicks.
*The lead story tonight: the announcement of a new chancellor. If you can’t make the trip to E-ville, don’t miss the next edition of PFT’s PCCD Board Watch, topping inboxes May 10. Learn who got the nod—and what the nod cost—Thursday morning.
*Board policies continue to be rolled out at each BoT meeting, and PFT keeps finding that some of the new policies contain language that must be negotiated. If a policy affects working conditions, discipline, or union-protected rights generally, the district is obligated to negotiate it with PFT.
*VC Sadiq Ikharo will nominate a new Measure A oversight committee. Former student trustee Jurena Storm and current Peralta Foundation board member Bill Patterson are among the nominees.
In other news:
*Mandatory re-enrollment for all “Current full-time, benefit-eligible employees” is ongoing through May 31. Visit the PCCD Benefits & Medical Information Home for downloadable forms and more information. District-led re-enrollment info sessions are set for Wed., May 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in R 110 at Merritt and 4-6 p.m. in the district boardroom, and for Th., May 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in D 204 at CoA and 4-6 p.m. in Room 423 at BCC.
*Part-time faculty who may be eligible to collect unemployment this summer should check out the detailed info at PFT1603.org (click Unemployment in the link list on the left).
*PFT President Matthew Goldstein joined a CFT delegation to the San Francisco offices of Sen. Dianne Feinstein this week. The group asked the senator to vote to stop federal student loan rates from doubling, and to reject GOP efforts to peg the rate lock to cuts in women’s healthcare programs.
*PFT thanks faculty who answered a recent call to contribute sick leave to a colleague whose hours had run out. The union collected the needed time quickly, keeping a friend protected for the rest of the semester.
*FACCC recently honored PFT stalwart Susan Schacher as Part-Time Advocate of the Year. Check out Peralta TV’s inspiring interview with Prof. Schacher. And grab your kazoo!
*PFT will send a link to a brief online survey for fulltime faculty regarding parity pay in the days ahead. Watch your Peralta email, and be sure to complete the survey.
*The PFT Executive Council voted to contribute $20,000 to the campaign for Measure B, the Peralta parcel tax that goes before voters in the six cities on June 5. And CFT, PFT’s parent union, has moved to kick in another $10K. Also on the ballot: PFT-endorsed candidate Abel Guillén, the PCCD trustee vying to take over for termed-out Sandré Swanson in the new 18th State Assembly District. Vote!
In solidarity,
Matthew M. Goldstein, President
Debby Weintraub, Communications Director
Peralta Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1603
union@pft1603.org, 510.763.8820
Follow the union on Twitter @PFT1603. And like us on Facebook, too!
Question of the day: Where should the board head for its next beyond-the-boardroom adventure? Email your response to dweintraub@peralta.edu; we’ll publish our favorite answer in Thursday’s PCCD Board Watch.