Tuesday, April 8, 2008

District Ominosity: code red

.....Uh-oh.
.....Looks like negotiations re the faculty contract are not going well. There's a very real chance that the Faculty Association (the union) will call for a "work-to-contract" (a 36-hour work week) very soon. Possibly on Friday.
.....If that happens, faculty will be asked to stick to the work defined by the contract, though it is likely that faculty will be encouraged to apply the action only to administrative activities, not to teaching activities. Union leadership is disinclined to take actions that will hurt students.
.....Among the faculty that I hang with, going into work-to-contract mode would entail a very substantial reduction in work.

.....Many of us, of course, are in the midst of search processes for new hires, part of Raghu Mathur's absurd HIRING INSTRUCTORS STUPIDLY (HIS) initiative, a misbegotten extravaganza necessitated by the Gooster's inveterate failure to observe the 50% Law (a law which, incidentally, has been on the books since about 1960, so ignore all that Fuentean "stupid new state mandate" malarkey).
.....In the case of the search that I happen to be participating in (for an IVC writing instructor), if the work-to-contract action is called, all of our committee's work—including about 18 hours of work per committee member over last weekend alone—will likely be for naught, 'cause we've got one more interview—there's no getting around it—and the soonest we can hold it is Saturday.
.....Alas, if the union calls for a work-to-contract action, they'll likely do that this Friday. That would mean that our committee cannot meet for the final interview and deliberations. And that, dear reader, would mean that our top candidates will be hired by some other college, not by us.

.....As you know, our Mathur-induced 50% problem can be addressed only by increasing instructional spending or decreasing non-instructional spending. Instructional spending boils down to: spending on faculty salaries and benefits.
.....Reducing non-instructional spending is damned hard, as you know.
.....But the Fuentes-dominated board is, shall we say, disinclined to opt for faculty raises or pay increases, even if they merely keep up with the cost of living. That pretty much leaves only the big dumb HIS initiative—that certified FIASCO that occupies the time (and weekends) of so many of us.
.....But, if the union is compelled to call for a work-to-contact, much of the HIS is threatened—and that could spell disaster for our effort to cross above the 50% line (spending must occur by June for this year). Perhaps as many as 20 of the searches are threatened.
.....Stay tuned.

N.B.: you'll find SOCCCD trustee bios (with email addresses) at Board Members.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can someone define "work-to-contract" for me?

Bohrstein said...

My, that is a shitload of shittitude.

Gonna need some scuba gear to breathe soon enough.

Anonymous said...

What can people do? Email the trustees again?

Anonymous said...

Is this somehow related to Bob King's abrupt departure?

Anonymous said...

SO, they don't want to give us raises (whish would address part of the problem) and that's why we're running neatly 40 hiring committees to make up for the deficit in instructional spending - but now those cmtes. will be sunk because they won't take any action on the contract.

Great.

Just 8!?+%ing great.

Anonymous said...

The Accreditation folks are going to LOVE this one.

Bring on the plague of hostility and despair!

Anonymous said...

At another college where there was a work-to-contract, faculty attended graduation - but didn't walk in the procession - they stood in the stands with the families and other students who were, by and large, supportive and sympathetic. They were able to honor their students but make their points at the same time.

I think we should plan something like that if this lasts.

Anonymous said...

I heard that it's going into effect on Friday.

Anonymous said...

The board is incredibly irresponsible.

torabora said...

Our district got around the 50% rule by getting a waiver. Our $200/hr consultant must be in the favor of system office. A Golden Child indeed! Bet you guys don't get a waiver...neener neener.

BTW our faculty haven't had a raise in going on SEVEN years...and with this waiver they aren't getting one now either. They are being held hostage to the districts accreditation probation status. Your Board will try to maneuver your accreditation status to some kind of sanction status by the accreds to muzzle your faculty. Then they can Spend Spend Spend to "fix" the "problem"....and the spending won't be on the existing bargaining unit members. It's all a friggin' game and the accreds are deep in it.

Leightongirl said...

Shi-se, as my jewish grandmother would say. Good luck with that.

Anonymous said...

Our luck ran out long time ago.

Anonymous said...

The Faculty Association has been more than patient - I am willing to follow their lead in a work to contract action.

Anonymous said...

A 36 hour work week to create pressure to get them to come to the table and negotiate?

I'm fine with that.

Imagine what the campus will look like after awhile.

We'll need to provide clear guidelines for full-time and adjunct instructors.

Anonymous said...

I've already worked my 36 hours for this week - or by midday tomorrow I will have - can I go home then?

(ha ha- I know better. Just making a point.)

Anonymous said...

Are we still going to lose our walk-up copiers? I understand that this was pushed by the budget guy...what's his name? The president and vps of this place need to start doing a better job in recognizing the good workers, like our IT people. I just got a new computer and it's GREAT!

Anonymous said...

I like the Hugh Hewitt quote about Raghu on the masthead!

torabora said...

Years ago, I served on a hiring committee too. We hired a classified librarian assistant.

SIXTY DAYS later she was LAID OFF along with 20% of the classified staff. The Library hasn't been open Friday nights and weekends since.

I haven't been on a hiring committee since either.

Students are a byproduct of Community Colleges...sorta like toxic waste from nuclear power plants. Their real purpose is to lavish extraordinary salaries and perks on their Presidents/Chancellors. Our new Pres got a 20% raise over the last one. He'll be hauling in North of $200k/yr...at a failing college.

Anonymous said...

so....what happened or didn't happen yesterday at 5:00?

Anyone know?

Spill please.

Anonymous said...

I suppsoe a work-to-contract action would also bring a halt not only to the hiring committees but also to that Accreditation Progress report task force, right?

Anonymous said...

yep, the Accreditation Progress report committee (the one charged with showing how everything is working soooo well) would certainly shut down. Or else limp along without faculty and then, of course, the faculty eladership wouldn't be able to sign off on the thing later.

Anonymous said...

No wonder the Vice-Chancellors are leaving in droves -- who's next?

Anonymous said...

Nobody's answered anonymous 4:05's question about what "work-to-contract" means. Although I don't work in your district and am not familiar with your collective bargaining agreement, "work-to-contract" means you only do what the contract requires.

Generally, that means teaching your classes (15 hours/week), preparation and grading (15 hours/week), and keeping office hours.

Anything else--hiring committees or slogging through accreditation--is not part of your contract and is not required work. So stop doing it!

--100 miles down the road

By the way do you all have department chairs? If they all resigned, imagine the shitstorm.

Anonymous said...

I'll believe it when I see it. All bark no bite.

Anonymous said...

There is no precise definition of work-to-contract beyond the obvious: stick to the contractual 36-hour work week (instruction and office hours). If the action is taken, no doubt the union will provide more detailed guidelines or suggestions.

(As of noon Wedn) I have heard nothing from union leadership re whether the district has responded to its latest missive. It seems likely that the district didn't respond by 5 yesterday--or we would have heard about it.

You might want to read the article in the latest Lariat. Not sure how accurate it is, but the story on contract negotiations is interesting. (Read about IVC's flag issue too.)

It seems likely that, if this work-to-contract happens, the union will advise faculty ceasing involvement on any committees beyond their committee assignment. That means: hiring committees, accreditation committees, etc. It also means that compensated department chairs should work only for the (miniscule) hours for which they are paid.

So, yes, expect a shitstorm. If this happens. I think it will.

I sense a perfect storm of shititude.

--100 milimeters down the road

Anonymous said...

"And that, dear reader, would mean that our top candidates will be hired by some other college, not by us."

Yeah, right. Like anyone else is hiring right now. If these so-called "top candidates" want to work for a non-basic aid district, friggen let them. More likely than not they'll be laid off before they get tenure.

Anonymous said...

PLENTY of hiring going on in other districts for higher pay. Check Chronicle of Higher Ed for current listings........

Anonymous said...

Saddleback College alone is hiring three writing instructors, and since they may well have finished the committee stage, they will not be affected by the work-to-contract; thus they could snap up our best candidates.

Anonymous said...

Truth is that IVC doesn't have the FTES($$$) to support all of these new hires, so if we end up not hiring a few then that's not so bad.

The 50/50 math works out regardless of which college gets the new faculty, so if Saddleback wants to bear that burden, great.

Anonymous said...

Any news today?

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...