By Lantz Simpson

    From an international conference in Montreal to statewide and local meetings here at SMC, contingent and part-time faculty continue to organize and work for better pay, benefits, working conditions and job security.  Through these activities, SMC part-timers have a great opportunity to help in organizing and to exert a greater influence over their professional future.

    Here at SMC, the Hourly Committee, co-chaired by Andrew Walzer (English) and Robin Briggs (Physical Education) are holding meetings on April 29 and 30 for SMC part-time faculty.  See Andrew's article in this issue of the Advocate for more details.

    The California Part-time Faculty Association (CPFA) will be holding its annual meeting at SMC May 31, June 1 and 2.  On Saturday morning June 1, a summit of community college leaders will discuss the future of part-time faculty.  Richard Hobbs, a trustee of the San Jose-Evergreen CC District will serve as moderator.  Representatives from CPFA, CFT, CTA, and FACCC will all participate.  The Chancellor of the CC system, Tom Nussbaum, has expressed an interest and as of press time we are still trying to confirm his participation.  Others leaders have also been invited and we are awaiting their confirmation.  One goal of the summit is to openly discuss the difficult issues and possible solutions surrounding the use and abuse of part-time faculty in the California community colleges.  Another goal would be to move toward a systemwide  consensus  on  what  needs  to  be done  to

improve part-time faculty conditions.  On Saturday afternoon, there will be a discussion of the definition of part-time faculty equity.  State law currently requires that a definition of part-time equity be locally bargained by February 2003.  Also on Saturday afternoon a workshop on part-time faculty retirement options will be presented by Carolyn Widener, Los Angeles CCD faculty and member of the STRS board.  All SMC part-time faculty are urged to attend the annual CPFA conference and to join CPFA!  The SMCFA will pay for conference registration for all FA members.  More information on the CPFA meeting is available in the latest CPFA News and on the CPFA website at www.cpfa.org.

    The COCAL V conference (Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor) will be held October 4 - 6, 2002, in Montreal, Quebec.  This conference will be building upon the highly successful COCAL IV conference held in San Jose in January 2001.  The COCAL V organizing committee has announced their intention to focus on concrete strategies for addressing the challenges facing contingent faculty, to hold workshops on key issues, and to plan future actions and events.

    Several websites contain links to numerous articles in newspapers and magazines around North America that are reporting on the efforts of contingent faculty to achieve a better quality of professional life.  Check out www.cewaction.org; www.cpfa.org; www.faccc.org.  And read your Hourly Advocate and CPFA News!

From Montreal to Santa Monica:

Part-timers Are Organizing