2/25/13
Dear Pierce faculty,
Here is a summary of our Feb 21, 2013 AFT 1521 Pierce Chapter luncheon meeting for the benefit of
those of you who were unable to attend because of teaching obligations during that time. We had a
sizable crowd including many of our non-faculty staff who joined us for this meeting. Thanks to
Pierce Staff Guild President Henry Chang for coordinating this joint event. We were also delighted to
welcome Louisa Hele, a visiting scholar to our Agriculture Department from Mozambique.
Chapter News and Information
* Chancellor Stepping Down: The surprise announcement from Chancellor LaVista on Tuesday was
noted. The door continues to revolve! We trust our union will have a significant role to play in the
selection of the next one.
* Benefits Conference Apr 19: Save this date and plan to participate in the Guild’s 11th Benefits
Conference: This always popular, all day conference will have “Get a Handle on the New Realities of
Your Benefits” as its theme. Look for workshops and panels of experts on critical issues in healthcare,
early career financial planning (especially topical to new and younger faculty) and retirement for all
faculty, young and old, Gen-x to Geritol. Gain practical information on the range of District benefits
available to LACCD faculty. As your Guild is in cost saving mode, this year the conference will be
held at Trade Tech rather than at a hotel. Free registration and parking to members. Go to
www.aft1521.org and register now.
* MERF: A Guild sponsored program called MERF (Member Emergency Relief Program) for
adjunct faculty members is again available via the guild website. The funding is to aid those adjunct
faculty guild members who are on seniority lists and lost either all their assignments or 50% of their
course load since Spring 2012. It will help pay tuition for DL training or for extreme emergency
financial assistance. Application material can be downloaded at:
http://www.aft1521.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=221738&page=Forms
Or contact me for the forms. Application deadline: Apr 30, 2013.
* Guild Scholarships: Faculty were reminded of three Guild scholarship opportunities for students
with April 19, 2013 deadlines for submittal and they were encouraged to get their students to apply for
them:
1. Jean Trapnell $1000 Scholarship
2. Bill Doyle $1000 Scholarship
3. Hy Weintraub Two $1000 Scholarships
Pdf files for all three scholarships are downloadable at the main page at www.aft1521.org. Or contact
me for the forms. (If you are receiving this newsletter via e-mail, you will find the files attached.)
* HRAs: Good news—new legal interpretations point with (almost) certainty that we will be able to
receive the fifth of five years of the $1500 HRA (your Guild negotiated benefit for eligible employees
and early retirees) next January and that you can use and/or keep some/all those funds for a rainy day
need.
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* EAP : Faculty and staff were reminded of another of our Guild negotiated benefits—the Employee
Assistance Program--and that our campus SPOC, Mofe Doyle, is also our campus EAP coordinator.
He periodically sends out email messages of trainings, and other EAP counseling opportunities related
to personal, marital, family, relationship, work, substance abuse problems, financial and legal
consultations and other referrals they can make. Read those emails. Utilize your benefits. Contact
Mofe for details and/or go to the district website: http://www.laccd.edu/faculty_staff/hr/eap.htm
* Substitutes : If you substitute for another faculty member who is out, be sure to get your paperwork
in asap to get timely paychecks. If it happens that your service occurs such that your paperwork
cannot be in by SAP payroll processing dates, that will necessitate you not receiving pay until probably
the following month. But your pay it is not contingent on the person for whom you are substituting
getting their paperwork in. If you have any questions in this regard contact me.
* Membership Meeting: Another good reason to attend the Benefits Conference on April 19 is that
the Guild’s annual membership meeting will take place during the luncheon. At that time Guild
members will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed, modest 2/10 of 1% increase in Guild dues to
enable the Guild to continue to support its current level of services to us in negotiations, our good and
welfare program, our scholarships program, our student political mobilization program, and our efforts
to maintain a faculty friendly Board of Trustees. The Guild has been able to not have to pass on any of
the increases we have from our umbrella state CFT and national AFT organizations for about 10 years
now. We have just absorbed them in our annual budgets and did not pass them on to our faculty. But
we, like every organization, have not been immune to the bad times since the collapse in 2008.
* Accreditation: Mia Wood, our Accreditation Coordinator, provided an enthusiastic reminder to our
assembled faculty and staff to be prepared for or March 11-14 accreditation visit. Although CFT and AFT
have issues with the Accrediting Commission (ACCJC), accreditation itself is a process that we have had to
(and will continue to need to) engage in for the life of the College, now and in the future. It is in all our best
interests to make the accreditation visit, as successful as possible. Be sure to become familiar with the Self
Evaluation and read the FAQs sheet (http://acred.piercecollege.edu/faqs.html) so you are prepared to
support the college during the visit. You can look at the entire Self Evaluation document at:
(http://acred.piercecollege.edu/final/Pierce%20College%20Self-Evaluation.pdf ).
Guests—Joanne Waddell Introduces Mike Eng and David Vela, Faculty and Staff Guilds’
Endorsed BoT Candidates
As our assembled group enjoyed lunch catered by Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill, Joanne
Waddell, our AFT 1521 Faculty Guild President, introduced our two Guild endorsed candidates for our
LACCD Board of Trustees in the upcoming March 5 election. All Guild endorsed candidates achieve
that status via our Guild COPE (political education committee) process. An incumbent and two retired
college presidents participated in that process but the candidates that emerged as likely to provide the
most for our labor force were our featured guests.
Candidate for Seat #6 is David Vela (running against incumbent Nancy Pearlman). He is currently on
the Montebello School Board in his 10th year as a legislative aide for LA County Supervisors. He
spoke of his desire to get to the task of being part of managing our district so as to maximize
opportunities for training students for the workforce and for transfer and to keep a watchful eye on
bond project management.
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Candidate for Seat #2 is former 49th district California Assemblyman Mike Eng, well regarded for his
consensus building skills. Mike had past lives as Monterey Park Mayor and City Council Member and
as a part-time trade Tech faculty member. He provided a sketch of his having emerged from difficult
circumstances in his youth to his accomplishments through education and hard work. He spoke of his
past (and planned future) advocacy for adequate Community College funding. He indicated his desire
to consult with us in large and smaller groups concerning some of the proposed big ticket ideas, like
CCs absorbing Adult Ed, increasing the scope and amount of Distance Ed, etc., proposed by Gov.
Brown for CCs.
Questions the candidates responded to included ones dealing with classified management training; with
how accessible they will be as Trustees; with, in Vela’s case, how he will contrast with the incumbent.
Joanne reminded the group that our Guild has a largely successful history of helping to elect labor
friendly Trustees. This election will be a low turnout election for a very low profile, little known entity
(LADDC Board of Trustees). Encourage friends and family voters to vote and to support Mike Eng
and David Vela for LADDC Board of Trustees.
Mark your Calendars—The remaining planned Guild Chapter meetings for Spring 2013 (on
Thursdays at 12:45 -2 in the Great Hall):
Mar 21, Apr 18, May 16
In unity,
Don Sparks,
Pierce AFT 1521 Faculty Chapter President
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