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By Martin Goldstein The Part-Timer Summit in Santa Ana on February 3 was evidence of a new stage in the part-time faculty equity struggle in the California community colleges, a clear sign of the maturing of a movement. It was an elegant evening, not in the sense of wasteful opulence, but rather in the more formal sense of economy, efficiency, clarity, and style, along with intelligence, gracefulness, even artfulness. Everything worked and worked well. A good time was had by all, and an excellent time by the vast majority. Even the losers went home smiling, and you can’t argue with that no matter what you want to call it. Think about it, those who were there -- would you change anything that happened? Seriously, was there anything that happened that you didn’t want to have happen, and anything you wanted to have happen not happen? It was perfect, or as perfect as such things can get. It was classy. It was cool. It was elegant. It was an evening of both historical reflection and forward propulsion, a chance to revisit and remember what we’ve been fighting against, as well as to look forward to what we’re fighting for. It was the first moment that I, the self-appointed Poet Laureate of the Part-time Movement, a dubious honor indeed, really sensed that we were all getting on the same page, under the same larger tent, and were actually going to do something, because we would not be denied. There was a lot power in that room, brain-power and muscle-power, as well as enormous amount of heart. You can't defeat all that, and hopefully you don't even want to try. David Milroy, Chair of CPFA, opened the meeting, quickly turning it over to Honorary Summit Chair Lantz Simpson, President of the Santa Monica College Faculty Association, and former FACCC Part-timer of the Year. Lantz did a superlative job from beginning to end, some five hours later, keeping it focused, informative, and fair. Opening statements of five minutes each from Kathleen O'Brien, Sam Russo, Lantz, Craig Flannery, David Milroy, Stacey Burks, Deborah Dahl-Shanks and Howard Ryan, introduced the participating organizations and their current part-time activities, which included work on the 60-80% change, the Community College Initiative, part-time categoricals, office hours, 75/25, etc. Deborah Dahl-Shanks filled in admirably for Jennifer Baker and gave us the update from FACCC on some of these issues, including current legislation in Sacramento and efforts to finalize the wording on the Initiative, and before you knew it, dinner was served.
Joe Berry
Over dinner, guest speaker Joe Berry, author of the recently published Reclaiming the Ivory Tower -- Organizing Adjuncts to Change Higher Education, began with an astute observation of California faculty politics, from the vantage point of a someone who has taught and organized here in California, but now does so in Chicago. |
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An Elegant Evening |
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“You just won a big one,” he told us, “So now is when you should keep on pushing for more. You have the momentum -- use it!” Well said. He expanded the discussion to the national and even international sphere, in the global use of contingent labor, and reminded us once again -- but never too often -- that there is no such thing as academic freedom for teachers who do not have job security. After dinner, the formal agenda began with as discussion of Senate Bill 847, the 60-80% Law change. The discussion and debate was limited to one minute statements by everyone who wanted to speak -- a stroke of organizational genius on the part of Lantz and David. Everyone got to say his piece, and pretty much everyone did. There were at least thirty separate speakers, virtually all for the change, and the range of perspectives and unanimity of support were both impressive and heartening.
FA Vice President Dennis Frisch with faculty Board candidate Andrew Walzer
Marty Hittleman, head of the Community College Council of CFT, was a known opponent of the change, and he was there to speak his piece, which he did. This was a gutsy move by a savvy political veteran, and it paid off, not by winning this point, but by proving he's a good labor man, which he most certainly is. His presence in the debate was much appreciated. He came to speak, but he also came to listen, and you have to respect that.
And while he did speak against it, he noted clearly that his position is not CFT's position -- that will be decided at the March CFT plenary, with the CFT Part-time Committee already having voted 10-2 for the change. There were a few other voices against it, but when the debate closed, it was clear that the overwhelming majority of faculty reps, speaking freely from their hearts and minds, supported the change, and supported it actively and enthusiastically.
FA Hourly Co-chair Becky Curtis FA Hourly Co-Chair Becky Curtis
“Listen to the part-timers, don't patronize them by thinking you know better than they do what's good for them,” pleaded Becky Curtis of Santa Monica College, and in sum that's what the whole part-time movement is about, including the current push to change the 60% law. It is about a lot more than changing a number. It's about changing the status of part-timers within the CCC system, about the professionalization and regularization of faculty work in that system. It's about the end of the two-tier system, the “First Class and Third Class” system, as David Milroy so aptly describes it. We're not looking for a second class, either. We're looking for full pay, full benefits, full job security -- with full-time commitment to our students, and to the college or colleges in which we work. We're not attacking tenure -- we're trying to get it for all of us, the 38,000 as well as the 18,000. Without it, without job security, which is all tenure means in the end, we cannot, as Joe Berry emphasized, have academic freedom. And if the part-timers don't have it, how much longer will the full-timers be able to keep it? Just about on schedule the group moved on to discuss the CCC categorical programs, the part-time equity fund, the office hour program, and the health care program, all of which are in need of fuller funding, as the 75/25 legislation is in need of enforcement.
The evening ended with four resolutions, one to make 75/25 a reality by 2010, one to support the CC Initiative, and one to support the re-creation of the Chancellor's Part-Time Issues Task Force, all of which passed unanimously by voice vote, and the resolution to support SB 847, the 60-80% law change, which passed overwhelmingly. Over the course of the long and cordial evening, Joe Berry sold out every single copy he'd brought of his book, and even sold one to Lantz but was going have to send it to him since he was out of copies. Later on, however, he found a copy in his luggage, inscribed it to Lantz, and gave it to me to give to him. I read the inscription -- one of the few perks of the Poet Laureate gig is you're allowed to be nosy -- and I had to pass it on, for the sake of history. It said: “Lantz, Thanks for your years in the struggle, and for our shared memories of Jim. In Solidarity, Joe Berry.” For those who knew Jim Prickett (see photo), I thought you'd like to share this memory of him, too. I never knew him, but I know my life is better right now because of him, and I'm happy to honor his work. He made people like Lantz and myself possible, and now, look what he started... |
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FA President Lantz Simpson chaired the summit |
