Gavilan Faculty Unity Group
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“I need a union because…

Ali Arid
A union will use its bargaining power to get better contracts for part-time faculty and fair treatment.”
Ali Arid, Math

Jane Rekedal
Part time faculty offer the same level of expertise and teaching excellence as full-time faculty, and yet we do it at 56 percent of the pay and without benefits. A union will serve us and the students by improving this situation.”
Jane Rekedal, Art

Art College
It's the only fair and equitable way that part-timers can be recognized for the contributions that we make to the college. Certainly there should a reasonable and equitable structure, and representation for part-timers, that doesn't exist now. It's the trend across the state from what I can see.”
Art College, Accounting

Matt Johnston
It's critical that part-timers have a say in their pay and working conditions and that can only happen when we join the existing union and make ourselves heard.”
Matt Johnston, Philosophy

Should the GCFA expand to include part-time faculty as members?

Prepared by the GCFA executive board for members in May 2007.

What is the GCFA's current arrangement? GCFA is an agency fee chapter. All full-time faculty pay either dues or an "agency fee." They get collective bargaining representation, grievance services, voting rights, liability insurance, and membership perks such as special rates on loans and insurance. However, only paying members get voting rights and access to CTA group legal services. Those few full-time faculty who opt out of full membership and file for a refund on a percentage of their payment are "agency fee payers," usually for political reasons. ALL full-time faculty, whether members or agency fee payers, are "bargaining unit" members covered by the contract.

The union executive board has recently had legal advice from CTA in untangling a confusing situation with part-timers. There is reason to believe that full-time faculty at Gavilan moved away from representation of part-timers in 1986, when GCFA was allowed by the Public Employee Relations Board to change which part-timers could join the bargaining unit. The modification allows that ONLY those few part timers who work between 41-59 percent of a full-time load over three semesters including the current one to be part of the bargaining unit. GCFA must represent this group at the negotiations table. Members of this group are theoretically REQUIRED to pay agency fees if they do not join, but the GCFA has never implemented that requirement. This means that whether or not part-timers in this group pay dues or agency fees, the GCFA must represent them at the negotiating table. Dues-paying members within this group can vote on GCFA contract ratification and leader elections, but are currently barred in the GCFA bylaws from holding leadership positions.

Those part-timers who work 40 percent or less, and those who work 60 percent, or whose load fluctuates outside the 41-59 percent for a semester, are NOT part of the bargaining unit and NOT covered by the contract (though practically speaking it is not likely they will be separated out or treated differently by the college.) People in this group may join the GCFA and CTA, and get all CTA benefits as well as GCFA voting rights, but they are not represented at the bargaining table or in the contract, and do not have rights to grievance representation. This group constitutes the considerable majority of our part-time faculty, though we don't have exact numbers; even the district has trouble keeping track.

All part-timers sometimes benefit from GCFA negotiations with the district simply because the overload salary schedule for full-time faculty is the same as the part-time salary schedule; when overload salaries increase, so automatically do salaries for part-time faculty.

How could this change? More and more community college faculty unions are including all part-time faculty in their unions. The law changed in California in 2004, so now part-time faculty can be charged an agency fee and offered the option of full membership (for considerably less dues than full-timers pay). Part-timers would get more benefits becoming members than being agency fee payers. A bylaws change of the GCFA would have to follow a decision to include more part-timers in the union.

Why might we consider changing the current arrangement? Part-time faculty at other colleges who are full union members enjoy higher salaries. They have a seat at the table and can be heard. They develop stronger partnerships and alliances with full-time faculty. They get working condition and benefits improvements. All this means better instruction and helps attract and retain excellent part-time faculty. And the fees they pay strengthen unions-many unions use the funding to pay part-time and full-time faculty to allow reassigned time for union work.

What would be disadvantages of changing? Depending on what changed and how, some people fear that part-time faculty would be competing for the same pieces of pie as full-time faculty and retirees. It may be hard to get part-time faculty to participate very fully in the union. Some part-timers in our conservative area might oppose joining and cause problems. There are also fears, not realized according to CTA statewide staff, that part-time faculty would participate a great deal and "take over" the union.

What would be the benefits? Potentially stronger bargaining position for GCFA as it would cover all faculty, funds for union work, funds for other projects, a sense of collegiality and equity, more integrated and committed part-time staff, new blood for the union, a more integrated faculty community, a voice and improvements for relatively disadvantaged part-timers, and an ability to address long-standing needs of part-time faculty so they more likely to work and to stay here.

Would part-time faculty even want to join the GCFA? A survey taken last year indicates that many would. If the full-time faculty is supportive, part-time leaders at Gavilan who have been self-organizing this year would get signatures or authorizations from a majority of part-timers.

Would part-time faculty try to take over and outvote full-timers in the union? Although this has happened at the K-12 level, it has not occurred at a community college in California. Part-time faculty are notoriously difficult to organize, so while a take over is remotely possible, it not likely. In addition, bylaws can be structured to define part-time involvement in leadership and to require that part-timers and full-timers vote separately on contract issues, like a bicameral legislature requiring approval from both houses.

Would part-time faculty membership cut into full-time faculty pay or benefits? Each year the GCFA members are consulted by the executive board, which then decides what the emphasis should be in its negotiations with the district. Members direct the leadership and negotiators on these matters and members okay any contract agreements.

Are part-time and full-time faculty interests identical, or even similar enough? Many, even most, interests are-working conditions, fair compensation and benefits to develop a stable instructional pool within departments, etc. There are some interests that are specific to the different groups which could be handled separately.

Could part-time faculty join the union with a prorated, less-than-one, vote each? No. The NEA-CTA would not allow it, and it would be unconstitutional to not allow one person-one vote.

What do CTA and GFCA leaders recommend? CTA:Full membership for part-time faculty with appropriate representation on union leadership boards and negotiating teams. GCFA: Executive board wishes to know the faculty's feelings, though individuals have opinions.

Why is this coming up now? The GCFA's survey last year surfaced some deep discontent among part-time faculty, especially those who have been at Gavilan for many years. The GCFA leadership has also documented for the college how relatively low our part-time pay scale is given that we are competing with colleges where part-timers are compensated much more generously. Union membership could address many of the problems discussed. In addition, an increase in complaints and grievances from part-time faculty have attracted attention from the college and union to these issues. Finally, the district appears interested in part-time issues because the union has been bringing them up.