Exec Members Represent FA in The Bay (Area)!

by dara, FA Vice President

Mary, Billy, and I attended the California Community College Independents (CCCI) Spring Conference April 24-26. Along with the usual District Reports—when we get to hear about other unions’ negotiation strategies, contract improvements, struggles, and issues—there were several other highlights to the conference.

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We had a presentation from FACCC (Faculty Association of California Community Colleges), by FACCC Executive Director Stephanie Golman and FACCC Government Relations Director Anna Matthews (Anna visited MCC last semester), and they updated the attendees about AB1705 and other legislation priorities for FACCC.

CCCI’s consultant, Evan Hawkins discussed CCCI’s newly formed Legislation Committee and presented the work the small but effective group has already done. The Leg Committee and the CCCI revamped website both provide us with important and up-to-date information about bills associated with California Community Colleges and labor issues. All of this was just on Day 1! 

The rest of the conference provided opportunities to hear from David Conway and his associate, Patty Lim. David is CCCI’s legal counsel as well as ours, and he and Patty gave us updates on new legislation, new PERB cases, and one area our team requested: Duty of Fair Representation.  

Other informative, interactive discussions came from a small group activity I facilitated focused on AI and CBAs, and representatives from each district were able to meet and work with other reps from other districts to ask question about, and brainstorm about districts’ existing discussions about AI, areas of their CBAs where AI considerations are necessary, and thinking about CBA priorities regarding AI. The participants said they found the activity and chance to hear from others useful and fun.  

On the last day of the conference, we had the opportunity to attend one of two breakouts: “Response to Federal Actions” or “PERB and Impass 101.” Tim Shively English instructor from De Anza College led the discussion about sanctuary campuses, concerns over revocation of student visas, and other Immigration-related Federal Actions happening to community college students. K. Frindell Teuscher, Chemistry instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College and CCCI President facilitated the breakout about impasse. Billy was in this breakout session, and he reported back that he learned about the laws and regulations that determine how a union and a district get to impasse. Billy noted that before a union can go on strike, PERB has to certify the impasse, a mediator is assigned, and only then can a union move to strike. If those steps are disregarded, a union will certainly face negative repercussions.  

Overall, the conference was useful, interesting, and fun. We learn so much from other districts when we attend the CCCI conferences, and it’s absolutely true those districts learn from our work at MiraCosta.