Dear Peralta Community,

The Peralta Federation of teachers has voted to endorse the Bay Area Rally Against Hate and to send out the attached statement quoted below. PFT leaders, members, and friends will be meeting Sunday morning to join the rally.

New PFT t-shirts are available at the PFT offices (or let me know that you are coming and I’ll bring you one)!

In solidarity,
Jennifer Shanoski
President, Peralta Federation of Teachers, AFT 1603

———————

As educators and union members, we stand for full human rights for all people, equity in the delivery of services and resources, respect for different cultures, ethnicities, spiritual traditions, genders and gender expressions, and commit to upholding these values in our classrooms, on our campuses, and in the larger community. We mourn the lives lost fighting for these values, both past and present.

The recent tragedy in Charlottesville underscores a larger trend of unapologetic white supremacy and bigotry that has escalated over the past months in the United States, and as a union representing workers charged with the responsibility of educating our community, we will not stand aside when our community is threatened. As faculty at colleges where many of our students face attacks as members of low-income communities, as people of color, women and LGBTQ folks, we can play an important role in the movement for equality and racial, economic and social justice.

The Peralta Federation of Teachers has publicly endorsed, and will participate in the Bay Area Rally Against Hate, this Sunday, Aug. 27 from 10:30am-12:30pm, in Berkeley. This event is in response to a Neo-Nazi, white supremacist march that will be occurring at the same time in a different part of the city.   The rally is sponsored by Unite for Freedom from Right Wing Violence in the Bay Area and will be peaceful, with a wide range of participants, organizations, and labor unions that have also endorsed the event, including:

The Alameda County Labor Council
AFSCME 3299 (Berkeley Unit)
SEIU 1021
UAW Local 5810
UAW 2865

If you are reading this message, we invite you to join your fellow union members in making a clear statement: that hatred and bigotry will not go unanswered. The organizers of this rally are developing a strong safety plan and trainings to ensure the security of those demonstrating against hate and PFT will be staying abreast of this and send out announcements when necessary.

Let’s start this semester on the good foot! Join us for a social with your Peralta colleagues during the week of August 28th from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

MON., 8/28 (MERRITT): MONAGHAN’S, 2820 MOUNTAIN BLVD, OAKLAND, 94602 
TUES., 8/29 (COA): OTAEZ, 1619 WEBSTER ST., ALAMEDA, 94501 
WEDS., 8/30(LANEY): DRAKE’S DEALERSHIP, 2325 BROADWAY AUTO ROW, OAKLAND, 94612
THURS., 8/31 (BCC): EUREKA! 2068 CENTER ST., BERKELEY, 94704 

Brotzeit Lokal, Oakland, CA

Please take a moment to read this special report, Hope in Dark Times, from the summer 2017 edition of The American Educator. Discussed are some the challenges we face as a union and how our collective activism can be a solution.

SUMMER HOURS:

MONDAY-THURSDAY

10:00 A.M.- 5:30 P.M.

CLOSED FRIDAY

Please join us for an end-of-the-semester social! We will be celebrating the service of outgoing Executive Council members and welcoming in some newly elected members. Meet us at Brotzeit Lokal at 3 p.m. on  Thursday, May 25th. We will be there until 5. Appetizers are included; no host bar.

Brotzeit Lokal- 1000 Embarcadero, Oakland 94606

BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE

TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017

BY 4PM

*Contact union@pft1603.org if you did not receive a ballot at your home address

BALLOT

Peralta Federation of Teachers

GENERAL ELECTION

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 2017-2019

Please check only one box for each Council Position listed below:

President

• Chriss Foster (English, Merritt)
• Jennifer Shanoski (Chemistry, Merritt)
• Write in ________________________

Vice-President

• Tae-Soon Park (Math, Merritt)
• Write-in: _______________________

Secretary

• Matthew Goldstein (Humanities, CoA)
• Write-in: _______________________

Treasurer

• Rick Greenspan (Automotive Technology, Alameda)
• Miriam Zamora- Kantor (DSPS, Laney)
• Write-in: _______________________

Diversity Chairperson

• Kimberly King (Psychology, Laney)
• Linda Thompson (Kinesiology, CoA)
• Write-in: _______________________

Please check any two boxes for your campus ONLY:

Campus Co-Chairs

Your Campus:_________________

Alameda College Campus Co-Chair

• Maurice Jones (English)
• Mary Shaughnessy (Counseling)
• Write-in: _______________________
• Write-in: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________

Berkeley College Campus Co-Chair

• Joshua Boatright (Library)
• Scott Hoshida (English)
• Write-in: _______________________
• Write-in: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________

Laney College Campus Co-Chair

• David Jones (Culinary)
• Ann McMurdo (Counseling)
• Write-in: _______________________
• Write-in: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________

Merritt College Campus Co-Chair

• Hilary Altman (Communications)
• Sheila Metcalf-Tobin (Art)
• Write-in: _______________________
• Write-in: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________________

Career Technology Education (CTE) Representative

CTE Faculty ONLY, please check one box

• Peter Brown (Machine Technology, Laney)
• Write-in: ______________________

Part-Time Chairperson

Part-Time Faculty ONLY, please check one box

• Bradley Balukjian (Biology, Laney)
• Cynthia Mahabir (Sociology, Laney)
• Write-in: _______________________

BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE

TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017

BY 4PM

Contract Ratification Vote
Thursday, May 4, 2017
3-5:30 p.m.
Laney College room B-130
900 Fallon Street
Oakland, CA 94606
Refreshments will be served

Agenda:

• Review & discussion of the Tentative Agreement
• Review & discussion of 50/50 split of funds to address Part-time parity
• Q & A
• Ratification vote