To:    All College Faculty

   

It only took a mere 16 months to complete, but I am finally pleased to announce the successful conclusion of our contract negotiations for the period July 1, 2005 through December 31, 2008.

This is quite a complex package containing many different components.  We will be sending this same letter, along with the actual new contract language via US mail to your home address along with a ratification ballot sometime this week.  I am sending you an advance copy on email now so that you will have more time to study the package and ask questions.  Please take the time to read through the entire package you receive in the mail and ask any questions you might have before mailing back your ratification vote.

From a combination of the Hay market study and our contractual resource allocation, we were able to ensure that all unit members, both contract and adjunct faculty, will realize an across the board increase of just over 4.7%.  For those eligible for step movements this next calendar year the cumulative increase in earnings you will realize in calendar year 2007 will be over 7.6% .  The new salary schedules, effective January 1, 2007, are attached.

Recall that last year we transitioned from a fiscal year to a calendar year basis as our contract year.  We have now come to agreement with the District on a permanent annual bonus as compensation for this transition .  (Yes, you heard that right, permanent , as in it's not going to go away.)

For contract faculty , the amount of this annual bonus will equal your October base salary earnings, times five (for ten month faculty), five and one-half (for eleven month faculty), six (for twelve month faculty), times 5.71% for this year.  This amount will be reflected in your November 30th, 2006 paycheck.  ( Example :  If your current monthly base salary is $5,000 and you are a ten month faculty member, your bonus for this year will be $5,000 X 5 months X 5.71% = $1,427.50)  In future years, the bonus will equal 5, 5.5, or 6 months of your base salary earnings (using October as the base), times that year's resource allocation formula percentage increase.

For adjunct and overload faculty , the amount of this annual bonus will equal your gross adjunct/overload earnings for the period July 1 through December 31, times 5.71% for this year.  This amount will be reflected in your February 10th, 2007 paycheck.  ( Example :  If your gross earnings as an adjunct/overload faculty member are $12,000 for the period July 1, ­ December 31, 2006, your bonus will equal $12,000 X 5.71% = $685.20)  In future years, your bonus will equal your gross adjunct/overload earnings for the period July 1 through December 31, times that year's resource allocation formula percentage increase.

As a result of the Hay market study , the recommendation from the Hay analyst was to add one step at the top end of the contract salary schedule A (new step Z1) in classes 5 & 6 effective January 1, 2007, one additional step at the top end of the contract salary schedule A (new step Z2) in classes 5 & 6 effective January 1, 2008, and to discontinue the use of Steps A-C in all classes by moving all unit members currently on Steps A-C to Step D effective January 1, 2007.  The Hay market study did not recommend any changes to the adjunct/overload salary schedules B/C as we were judged by them to already be 9-13% ahead of the market average in adjunct/overload salaries.

All contract faculty members on Steps A-C on January 1, 2007 will move to Step D with no change in their anniversary date.  All contract faculty members in class 5 or 6 who have been on the current step Z for one year or more will move to the new Step Z1 on January 1, 2007 with no change in their anniversary date.  No unit member will be placed on Steps A-C after January 1, 2007.

Upon inspection of the attached contract salary schedule A, you will note that the percentage between steps A-T is now 2.75% (previously only A-R).  The percentage between steps T-Z1 remains at 1.00%.  It is our intention in future bargaining rounds to continue to increase the percentage between steps until all steps are at 2.75%.

As a result of our previous negotiations regarding expenditure of the equalization resources, there again will be ample resources to fully cover Dental and Vision for all enrolled employees, and the full medical premium costs for everyone who is enrolled in the Kaiser medical plan.  PacifiCare enrollees will continue to have an out of pocket contribution effective January 1, 2007.  Details on these plans and rates will be mailed out from the District benefits office to all unit members shortly.  The open enrollment period is scheduled for November 1-15th.

And that's not all!  Highlights of the other economic improvements of this package include:

Effective January 1, 2007:

• $300,000 yearly allocation for a permanent paid adjunct office hours program;
  

• Continued full funding of the adjunct faculty family medical (Kaiser only), dental, and vision benefit program for qualifying adjunct faculty (0.50 average FTEF assignment for two consecutive semesters);
  

• Inclusion of summer FTEF figures in the calculation of department chair release time;
  

• Reduction in non-classroom contract faculty assigned workweek from 35 to 34 hours;
  

• Establishment of a District-wide cap of 25 students for all English 101 courses;
  

• Child development center director monthly stipend of $93 replaced with three ESU's per semester;
  

• $150,000 yearly allocation for the establishment of a pool to help defray the costs of retiree medical benefits, and mandatory licensure/certificate expenses;
  

• 0.50 FTEF in AFT release time;
  

• Establishment of interest free computer loan program (20 loans per year);
  

• Three additional sabbaticals funded for the 2006-07 academic year.
  

• Reduction in non-classroom contract faculty assigned workweek from 34 to 33 hours.
  

• Establishment of a cap of 25 students for all English 105 & 205 courses.
  

• Increase in the number of extended service units for all coaches.  Establishment of a formula of one Assistant Coach per every ten athletes, plus one additional Assistant Coach per sport.
  

• Joint District/AFT committee to review Article XV, evaluation procedures.  Parties agree to delete "weighting" and "domain summaries" on evaluation form.  Section 15.3.7 change "30 working days" to "10 working days."  Section 15.10.1 add at end of sentence "within five (5) working days notice from College President."
  

• Establishment of evaluation procedures for faculty teaching online classes.
  

• Implementation of Intellectual Property Rights Article previously ratified by the faculty but held up by the District.
  

• Faculty shall not be assigned online teaching assignments in excess of 0.67 FTEF unless exception approved by VPI.
  

• Addition of October 1st and May 1st as effective dates (in addition to existing November 1st, March 1st) for salary schedule movement as a result of completion of professional development plans.
  

• Additional lower division courses allowed for salary schedule movement (6 additional units or two additional courses, must be in foreign language or computer related technologies).
  

• Clarification that adjunct faulty will not be barred from an assignment of counseling hours and instructing personal growth courses.
  

• Non-classroom faculty may take sick leave in one hour increments.
  

• Adjunct work space to be provided in new or renovation building construction projects.
  

• Agreement runs through December, 2008.  Yearly re-opener on salary and benefits funded from resource allocation formula.