SANTA MONICA COLLEGE FACULTY ASSOCIATION

REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING

December 6, 2007

Members present : Diana Aghabegian, Maria Alvarado, Chuck Brinkman, Sandra Burnett, Rebecca Curtis, Gail Edinger, Tracey Ellis, Ron Fitzgerald, Dennis Frisch, Martin Goldstein, Toby Green, Veronica Herrera, Ben Jimenez, John Kennedy, Richard Lavallee, Ed Markarian, Suzanne McDonald, Colleen McGraw, Melissa Michelson, Mitra Moassessi, Dana Morgan, Brenda Ness, Jim Pacchioli, Tom Peters, Dave Phillips, John Quevedo, Elisha Shapiro, Tara Shima, Lantz Simpson, Eleanor Singleton, Michael Strathearn, Kathy Sucher, Nina Theiss, Esau Tovar, Odemaris Valdivia, Alicia Villapando. Edward Wilkinson, David Zehr.

Guests: Jackie Scott, Steve Contarsy, Lisa Saperston.

Excused : Fran Chandler, Jeff Gordon, Kym McBride, Howard Stahl.

Absent : Vini Angel, Jill Assadi, Rory Barnett, Vicki Blaho, Espy Bolivar-Owen, Tom Chen, Gwen Dophna, Lawrence Driscoll, Jolia Einstein, Don Emery, Donald Gantner, Richard Goldenson, Michael Gougis, Patricia Halliday, William Hogan, Peter Lee, Richard Mednick, April Mizuki, Fereshteh Mobasheri, Sue Moisin, Jeffrey O'Connell, Nick Pernisco, Pauli Peters, Franklyn Phillips, Guadalupe Ramos, Jenny Resnick, Elaine Roque, Jennifer Schofield, Mario Semere, Susan Sterr, Sumy Takesue, Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein, Gary Todd, Joy Tucker, Frank Turner, Sal Veas.

I. President's Report : The SMCFA's PAC required annual meeting will be held on December 6 at 1 pm in LA 205. PAC records will be available. There will be an election for the at-large member. The seat is currently held by Howard Stahl, and there is hope he may run again. Thank you, Howard.

The Faculty Association Holiday Party: will be held this Saturday, December 8, at the home of Suzanne McDonald. Great food, drink, and music and fun. Come and enjoy the end of the year with colleagues and friends. Thanks to Suzanne McDonald for opening up her home once again for the party.

Proposition 92: Local action on Proposition 92 depends on faculty. We want to reach likely voters in Santa Monica . Buttons and posters are available in the FA office and the mailroom. For more information members can go to the FA website: www.smcfa.org.

LAANE dinner : Members of the Faculty Association attended the Los Angeles Alliance for the New Economy, which emphasizes improving the wages and working conditions of those working for poverty wages. Senator Edward Kennedy (via the big screen) and Danny Glover were the featured speakers.

AR 4320: The Senate Executive Committee voted (14-5) to send the issue of AR 4320 (college drop policy) to the Student Affairs Committee. Senate President Richard Tahvildaran said he would like to see the AR changed, and stated that he thought the faculty should not be able to drop students who don't attend the first week of class. Assembly members argued that faculty should have the right to drop students. Faculty do not want to give up this right, without a sound reason. With the ESL and English departments requiring diagnostic exams, student no shows create problems. The FA leaders suggests that those interested should go to the Student Affairs Committee hearings and make their view known.

II. Approval of Minutes – November 15, 2007 : Alicia Villapando made a motion to approve the minutes of November 15, 2007 , and the motion was seconded by Michael Strathearn. The motion passed unanimously

III . Government Relations Report – Dennis Frisch : A report from Eric Skinner, Fiscal Affairs Vice –Chancellor reported that the governor wants all state agencies to cut their budgets by 10% -- except education.

IV. Negotiations Report – Mitra Moassessi : Before Thanksgiving the FA and the District got very close to a settlement. Mitra Moassessi asked the Administrator's chief negotiator to call for a special Board meeting to be held before the finals, which occurred on Monday, December 3. Another negotiations meeting is scheduled for next week.

JOB ACTIONS : With no contract settlement yet our chief negotiator suggests we take action. The job action task force will meet on Monday, December 10, and report back to the faculty.

Suggestions from the floor for job actions: To attend next Monday's Board meeting, and make public comments before the closed session begins. Pizza and drinks will be provided.

V. Motion from the Executive Committee to recommend to the Representative Assembly reassigned time for Winter/Spring 2008

A motion was made to recommend to the Representative Assembly the following reassigned time for approval: Winter -- President 20%; Vice President 10% (for arbitration); Chief Negotiator 20% (if needed).

Spring -- President 80%; Vice President 60%; Chief Negotiator 60%; Negotiating Team 40% (if needed); part-time Negotiating Council member 10% (if needed); Political Director 40%; Editor 20%; Governmental Relations Director 60%; Web site Committee Chair 20%; Part-time Committee Chair 20%; Benefits Committee Chair 20%. Motion passed unanimously.

VI. Motion from the Executive Committee to recommend to the Representative Assembly that the FA contribute $5000 to the Proposition 92 campaign for local organizing efforts:

Motion passed unanimously.

VII. Motion from the Executive Committee : Proposal for Adjustment to FA Funding of Academic Senate, November 29, 2007 .

Whereas: It is primarily and fundamentally the responsibility of the District to support the Academic Senate on campus, and

 

Whereas: The SMC Faculty Association's lawyer has concluded that it is improper to donate funds collected as agency fees to the college Academic Senate, and

 

Whereas: The Supreme Court has found that an employee organization that collects agency fees must limit the use of those funds to matters related to collective bargaining, and

 

Whereas: Due to these legal limitations, the overwhelming majority of Faculty Associations in the state of California do not provide monetary support to their Academic Senates, and

 

Whereas: The Senate budget includes expenses unrelated to the Faculty Association's primary mission, and

 

Whereas: It is important that the Senate be accountable to the faculty—not the Faculty Association Leadership—for its expenditures, and

 

Whereas: The Education Code recognizes the right of the Academic Senate to collect its own dues, and

Whereas: The Faculty Association does not wish to place an undue financial burden on faculty, and

 

Whereas: When the current Faculty Association dues structure was established, a promise was made to revisit the structure and re-evaluate dues, and

 

Whereas: The proper role of the Faculty Association is to bargain for reassigned time and stipends for the Academic Senate,

 

Therefore in the spring of 2008, the Faculty Association will seek a reduction in dues paid by faculty to the Association so that the Academic Senate may request its own dues of faculty without posing undue legal risk or financial burden on any person or organization. If the dues reduction passes, the Association will cease its financial support to the Senate.

Discussion on Motion : There was a question regarding the legal status of the FA financially supporting the Senate. The law states that the FA has a “Duty of Fair Representation.” Also, the Supreme Court has ruled that as an agency fee organization, the FA is required to be audited every year, and the auditor gives an opinion on what are chargeable and non-chargeable expenditures. The percentage of non-chargeable items can be reimbursed to agency fee payers upon their written request. The FA President sends a letter each semester to agency fee payers declaring what is chargeable and what is non-chargeable.

MOTION : Passed unanimously with 2 abstentions.

VIII. Collegewide Benefits Committee : An independent benefits audit is being conducted. The audit is looking at eligibility for dependent benefits.

Also, the Benefits Committee has recommended that the District accept CalSTRS as the designated vendor to manage a defined 457 Plan for eligible Santa Monica CCD employees and to place this on the December Board meeting agenda. Part-time faculty will have the option to purchase their own dental/vision when the contract is settled.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rebecca Curtis

FA Recording Secretary