The San Mateo County Community College District and its teacher’s union are moving on to the fact-finding process as contract negotiations continue, and a possible strike authorization vote is held this week, after a year without resolution.
The most recent proposal from the district with the American Federation of Teachers Local 1493 included three years of raises for full-time faculty, at 4% the first year and 3.5% the subsequent two. It also includes raises for part-time faculty to reach financial parity within three years.
“SMCCCD deeply values our faculty and the essential role they play in the classroom and in supporting student success,” Chancellor Melissa Moreno said in a press release. “This proposal reflects our bold effort to date to offer meaningful salary increases based on a new parity framework.”
The district boasted this fiscal proposal as contributing more than $31 million to its faculty as ‘fair compensation and recognition of the critical role faculty play in advancing student success,” the press release reads.
The union claims the district has historically underpaid instructional faculty, AFT 1493 President Rika Yonemura-Fabian said in a statement.
“This is a matter of misplaced priorities,” Yonemura-Fabian said.
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The union is also seeking a contractual agreement to allow for “academic freedom,” which has not been agreed upon by the district.
“We plan to address all other non-economic issues during the fact-finding process,” David McLain, director of Community and Government Relations, said in a statement.
The fact-finding process, which includes a neutral panel hearing both parties’ positions and providing a formal recommended settlement, may take months.
Meanwhile, the union is holding a strike authorization vote this week, until Thursday, March 12.
A strike authorization vote would allow the union’s bargaining team the authority to call a strike if these negotiations fail. A strike would only happen after negotiations continue to fail after fact-finding, and the authorization vote this week does not mean a strike will occur.
“Our demands are reasonable and just,” Yonemura-Fabian said. “Our strike vote this week will demonstrate that we are united in our fight for fairly paid and well-supported faculty who don’t have to worry about four-hour commutes or their next medical bill, and can instead focus on doing what we love to do: teaching and serving out students.”
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