By Nick Pernisco

As I began working with the FA just over a year ago, I looked forward to the opportunity to make a contribution that would benefit all faculty. As a part-timer, I was especially sensitive to the plight of so-called contingent, hourly, and (gulp!) temporary faculty. But I was also very committed to working through full-time faculty issues, not in the least because I hope to be a full-time instructor one day.

As I learned about the sometimes contentious, sometimes collegial relationship between faculty and the administration, I noticed another tenuous relationship. The more I talked with faculty at all levels of seniority (both real seniority, and implied seniority), I noticed a rift amongst our own ranks. From the comments I’ve heard, it seems that people think the FA is more concerned with part-time issues, rather than with full-time issues.

The more I thought about this, the more I had to explore this question. Is the Faculty Association more concerned with part-timers than with full-timers? I decided to investigate further.

To find out what the FA is really all about, I would mostly ignore mythology and heresy by faculty either too upset or too happy to be objective. Instead, I would look at the facts. Being the FA’s new webmaster, I had spent months copying over years of documents, publications, and contracts; all of which I’d use in my research. Here is what I found.

Compensation

One of the biggest visible gains faculty have seen in recent years has been in compensation.  Here are some highlights that chiefly benefit full-timers:

In the 2001-04 agreement the FA negotiated a three-year process that they called “decompression of steps 14 and above”. This has resulted in major gains, especially for more senior faculty.

In the 2007-10 agreement, the FA negotiated another three-year process of adjusting the full-time faculty salary schedule, steps eight and higher, which hasin major gains for many FT faculty, even during the current budget crisis.
Contract Article 22 recognizes the work put in by department chairs.  Two contracts ago the FA negotiated an increase in department chair stipends and reassigned time.

Contract Article 24 provides team teaching compensation. When full-timers work together to teach a class, there are specific compensation formulas that benefit and protect them.

Contract Article 6 allows for additional load for over-sized classes. The FA has spelled out the maximum head count for each course in Appendix H. Faculty teaching over-sized classes are eligible for additional load.

Contract Article 20 provides for reassigned time or a stipend for developing a new distance education course. This makes it easier for faculty to work on these new projects that will likely be a key source of revenue for the college in the coming years.

Health benefits

SMC faculty members have some of the best benefits coverage of any community college in the state. While longer term part-time faculty get a choice of Kaiser medical, dental, or vision for themselves, the FA has negotiated fully paid health, dental and vision for full-time faculty. These benefits are spelled out in Article 10 of our contract.

Although these benefits have been threatened with derailment over the years, the  FA  has fought hard to maintain them.

Working conditions

We know that not every issue is about salary or benefits; our working conditions are just as important. Our FA has made many gains in this area as well, benefiting both full and part-time faculty. Here are some examples.

Contract Article 21 addresses banking assignments. Full-timers benefit when they teach more than their regular load by being able to teach a smaller load in a future semester. The FA has fought vigorously to maintain this benefit in our working conditions.

Contract Article 15 provides money for professional development. The FA has negotiated a $20,000 per year professional development fund for faculty to increase their knowledge and improve their skill set.

Let’s not forget part-timers!

Although I’ve pointed out many gains that have benefited full-time faculty over the years, I still haven’t pointed out the huge gains part-timers have made thanks to the FA’s efforts. The largest, most publicized gain our FA has negotiated for part-time faculty has been the associate faculty status (in Article 6 of our contract).

Associate faculty status helps protect part-time faculty by helping to professionalize the non-tenured faculty at SMC. It gives longer-term part-timers more of the rights and privileges granted to full time faculty. In addition, our leaders have fought for part-time parity, making their pay more on par compared to full-timers.

Although part-time faculty rights have a long way to go, the associate faculty status and parity pay are huge gains for all faculty, not just part-timers. This is because, as thefor part-time faculty increases,full-time faculty with-time faculty becomes less attractive., in essence, even the part-time faculty’s largest gains are gains for full timers as well!

Our part-timers are probably the most protected part-time faculty workforce in the entire state of California (including the community colleges, the UC, and the CSU).  At the same time, full-timers have seen impressive gains in salary, benefits, and working conditions over the past years.  When  any  faculty  member  has an issue  that  needs  intervention,  the  FA  is  blind to class or rank, treating all faculty equally.

After my investigation, it’s clear to me that the Faculty Association is working for all faculty. Although some of their efforts for part-timers get more publicity, their efforts for full-timers are also extraordinary. I’m certain that no faculty can deny that their lives are better today because of the work of our FA leaders.  So, it seems that the answer to my initial question is quite clear.