Last week our bargaining team met with administration on both Thursday and Friday. Slow, tedious progress was made, as you can read about below. Of course, we MUCH prefer quick, dramatic progress-the kind that happens when members show up in full force, ready to act in solidarity with one another for the contract we all deserve.
Our organizing efforts are about to ramp up-more to come on that!
Here is a summary of what went down last Thursday and Friday:
Tentative Agreement means that we have agreed to the new language in the contract with the administration and it will remain tentative until FFAP members ratify the contract during a vote after all proposals have been agreed to.
FDC Workgroup: TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED
- FFAP and PCC agreed to create a workgroup to develop proposals related to the FDC Workgroup recommendations. The workgroup will take place outside of regular bargaining (likely after the contract is settled), and be open to observers via Zoom.
Article 3: Appointment of FT Faculty and Academic Professionals and PT Academic Professionals
- We are inching closer to an agreement on Right of First Consideration. Our latest proposal would ensure internal PT candidates who meet all qualifications for FT positions will be guaranteed an interview, and it would also grant preference to internal candidates moving to the finalist round, meaning if an internal and external candidate were equally qualified after initial interviews, the internal candidate would advance. We really need PT faculty to help us push this over the finish line.
Article 4: Employment of Part-Time Faculty
- After the college responded to our Article 4 proposal related to seniority in class assignment with the following vague language, “prior teaching experience at PCC will be considered,” we reasserted our belief that Step Level is a fair and transparent measure for assigning classes. Our proposed contract language reads that after FT and MYCs loads have been met, classes should be assigned “based on highest step level provided the faculty member has a successful history of teaching the class including any required special training. Preference may also be given to specific part-time faculty to teach a course that they have designed, developed, or significantly redesigned or if there is a demonstrated need to develop adjunct faculty within a particular program or sequence and to meet College goals around diversity, equity, and inclusion.” We also reasserted our Right to First Refusal which states that “Only when no current Part-Time faculty is identified through this process to be available to teach a class can a new Part-Time faculty be hired and assigned a class.” We also continue to push for a provision allowing PT faculty to teach more and with more flexible workloads. We really need PT faculty to help us push this over the finish line.
Article 5: Professional Duties
- We explained why the AP Classification system is so confusing for APs. We acknowledged the College is working on a big overhaul of the classification system and discussed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that provides APs with some clarity about the new system and how it can work better for us.
Article 20: Professional Leave
- The College agreed to add language clarifying that professional leave will not result in reduction in leave accruals.
Article 23: Non-Renewal
- The College has so far rejected our proposal to provide FT faculty college service options in place of bumping PT instructors in order to meet their teaching load. (Can you help us change their minds? Show up to bargaining!)
Article 27: Health and Safety
- The College removed language that commits to prevention of “physical and psychological injuries” but added language about prevention of stalking on campus. They declined to commit to annual paid training around the Student Code of Conduct policies and procedures, but agreed to maintain safety committees at PCC campuses and centers.
Article 28: Intellectual Property Rights: TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED
- After tinkering with language, the College agreed to a provision clarifying that instructional materials created by a part-time faculty member without significant College personnel time, facilities or resources will be owned by the part-time faculty member.
Article 34: Facilities and Parking
- The College agreed to increase the stipend for office supplies and services for PT faculty from $18 to $40 per term. They rejected our proposal to pay a portion of parking expenses for members who work at PCC locations where parking is not available-a provision that would cost very little and lift a huge burden for our colleagues at Vanport Center. They acknowledged the issue and said they are working on it. We will keep pushing.