Newsroom
Berkeley classified employee dodges eviction, buys home, thanks to new law
Housing for families not corporations — social justice is served
Jocelyn Foreman is a take-charge problem solver who has helped hundreds of Berkeley families keep their kids in school during medical, economic or other emergencies. Foreman is legendary and beloved. Only a handful of people knew she was also homeless.
Two sponsored bills seek parity for classified staff
Align layoff notice process with teachers, probation at community colleges
A CFT-sponsored bill would standardize the layoff notice and hearing process in an equitable way for all school employees. Assembly Bill 438 by Majority Leader Eloise Reyes (D-San Bernardino) would make the layoff process for classified staff the same as it is for teachers.
CFT launches new identity to reflect diverse membership
Classified employees gain more recognition
This spring, CFT launched a new identity in recognition of its diverse membership. A primary goal of the rebrand was to integrate the tagline A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals to acknowledge that CFT represents more than teachers and faculty members.
Our diverse union also represents dozens of job classifications for classified employees and support staff, paraprofessionals, as well as certificated librarians, psychologists, speech pathologists, and many others, all of whom contribute to the success of our students’ education.
How Peralta won the first pay parity in CA community colleges
San Mateo Federation campaign makes big strides toward parity
Equal pay for equal work. It’s a simple idea, but one that has remained all but elusive for part-time faculty, so much so that some have decried the quest for it as a Sisyphean effort. However, the recent gains made by the Peralta Federation of Teachers shows that parity is possible.
Now, Peralta pays its adjuncts at the same hourly rate for teaching and office hours as its full-time faculty — a first in the California Community College system.
Adjuncts and their unions fight on in the face of COVID
Enrollment decline, lost classes, adjunct relief fund
While the number of COVID cases are shrinking, and the vaccination rate increasing, the effects of the pandemic continue, with adjuncts having been hit particularly hard, as despite the heroic efforts of faculty to provide remote and online instruction, California community college enrollment has dropped systemwide by 11 to 12% since last fall, according to Edsource.
CFT seeks 85% adjunct teaching load, statewide path to pay parity
Union-sponsored legislation tackles long-standing adjunct issues
After last year’s heavily pandemic-impacted legislative session reduced the number of bills signed to its lowest number since 1967, the CFT is again taking up the adjunct cause on bills directed towards raising the part-time percentage cap on teaching in a single district, and in developing a path towards part-time/full-time pay parity.
Healthcare, transferable training top adjunct priorities at CFT Convention
Delegates resolve to address timely adjunct issues
At this year’s virtual CFT Convention held March 26-27, the Part-Time Faculty Committee sponsored two resolutions reflective of both the longstanding and new problems beginning to emerge in the wake of the pandemic which has impacted adjunct health and training.
Adjuncts at the table to win a New Deal for Higher Education
National campaign calls for sea change in higher ed
While the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified longstanding societal inequities in America, public higher education was already in a state of crisis, from the staggering costs of college, to the lack of access and support for lower income students, Black, indigenous, and people of color, the deteriorating, or clear lack of infrastructure, the reciprocal increase in highly paid administrative positions, and last but not least, decrease in full-time tenure track positions.
Jeff Freitas reelected CFT President, Luukia Smith Secretary Treasurer
Union Election Results
Results of the CFT officer elections were announced on May 1 after mail ballots were tabulated. The biennial election was held by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a Virtual Convention. All newly elected leaders will take office on May 26, 2021.
President
Jeffery Freitas
Secretary Treasurer
Luukia Smith
Pass the PRO Act: Empower workers to organize and bargain
Call your senators now!
Union members have been standing up for dignity and a voice on the job. Please join the AFL-CIO to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Reach out to your U.S. senators and urge them to pass this crucial worker empowerment legislation. You can call your senators at 866-832-1560 or by using this link.
CFT introduces significant bills in the new legislative session
Legislative Update
The CFT is sponsoring or co-sponsoring numerous bills in the new legislative session. You can find them below with links to the bill language.
MOVING BILLS
Community college part-time faculty reemployment
Assembly Bill 375 (Medina, D, Riverside)
requires that negotiation on reemployment preference for
part-time, temporary faculty assignments be based on the minimum
standards not exceeding 80% to 85% of a full-time equivalent
load, and would prohibit the community college district from
restricting the terms of the negotiated agreement to less than
that range, unless explicitly agreed upon by an individual
part-time, temporary faculty member and the
district. Sponsor
Why California needs a New Deal for Higher Education
Value of national campaign brought home in CFT training
During the pandemic, issues in higher education — like underpaid adjuncts teaching the majority of classes, often without benefits; chronic underfunding; crushing student debt; and the focus narrowing to be only on job training rather than the public good — have come into greater relief.