CCFF Constitution & Bylaws
CONSTITUTION FOR THE CERRITOS COLLEGE FACULTY FEDERATION-AFT LOCAL 6215
ARTICLE I NAME
This organization shall be known as the Cerritos College Faculty Federation-AFT (CCFF), Local 6215.
ARTICLE II OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this organization shall be
Section 1. to advance the economic, social, medical and political well-being of Cerritos College faculty.
Section 2. to encourage mutual understanding and cooperation among the faculty: full-time and part-time, teaching and non-teaching, career-technical and academic.
Section 3. to cultivate an environment of student success and learning, including well-equipped and well-maintained classrooms, lecture halls, laboratories, workshops, training rooms, athletic venues and research facilities.
Section 4. to interact cooperatively with all campus constituencies for the mutual self-interest of students, classified employees, the district and faculty.
Section 5. to advance fairness, equity, democracy, transparency and the development of a well-informed citizenry within the Cerritos College community and in society at large.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. All persons are eligible for membership who are employed as faculty, including temporary, part-time, probationary and tenured faculty, except those precluded in Article III, Section 2.
Section 2. No person is eligible for membership who is employed by Cerritos College as a manager, director, administrator, confidential employee, student-hourly employee, or teaching assistant.
Section 3. No person shall be denied membership on the basis of sex, race, national origin, religious or political belief, sexual orientation or social status.
ARTICLE IV EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. The Executive Board shall meet monthly or at the call of the President, or at the call of two (2) or more of its members.
a. Executive Board meetings shall be open to all members of the CCFF in good standing.
b. The Executive Board shall meet in executive session only for the purpose of discussing,
i. issues directly concerning negotiations with the district;
ii. the endorsements of candidates to public office including the Board of Trustees of the Cerritos College Community College District;
iii. Grievance reports involving the disclosure of personal information.
c. As the union represents all faculty regardless of membership, the union shall hold a monthly Public Executive Board Meeting open to all faculty during each regular semester.
Section 2. The Executive Board shall prepare, and present to the general membership, the annual budget at the first public Executive Board meeting of the academic year.
Section 3. The Executive Board shall employ all professional, technical, clerical, and support staff of the organization.
Section 4. The Executive Board shall establish the salary, benefits, and expense guidelines of any general officer who is employed by the organization.
Section 5. As it deems best, the Executive Board shall distribute among its officers and committee chairpersons release time hours as are negotiated with the district.
Section 6. The Executive Board shall be empowered to make contracts and incur liabilities including the purchase of service, equipment, and real property, to borrow money, to secure such obligations by mortgage or other instrument, and to otherwise engage in financial transactions.
Section 7. Except for the Financial Committee and the Committee on Political Education, the Executive Board shall approve the chairperson and membership of all standing and special committees of the organization.
Section 8. The Executive Board shall receive regular reports from all standing and special committees of the organization.
ARTICLE V COMMITTEES
The Executive Board shall establish and supervise standing and special committee in the manner indicated in Article IV of the bylaws.
ARTICLE VI RULES OF ORDER
Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall govern this organization and all of its subordinate bodies in all matters not covered by this constitution or the by-laws of the CCFF.
ARTICLE VII AMENDMENT
Section 1. Two-thirds (2/3) of those members voting shall be required for passage of an amendment to the Constitution.
Section 2. A simple majority of those members voting shall be required for passage of an amendment to the By-laws.
ARTICLE VIII AVAILABILITY OF CONSTITUTION
Section 1. Three copies of this Constitution and all subsequent amendments shall be submitted to the office of the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers.
Section 2. One copy shall be sent to the similar officer of each organization with which the CCFF is affiliated.
Section 3. The Secretary shall make available upon request a copy to any member of the CCFF.
BYLAWS FOR THE CERRITOS COLLEGE FACULTY FEDERATION-AFT LOCAL 6215
ARTICLE I ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS
Section 1. Executive Board
Every two years the organization shall elect the following officers:
a. President
b. Vice-President/Full-time Faculty
c. Vice-President/Part-time Faculty
d. Member-at-Large/Full-time Faculty
e. Member-at-Large/Part-time Faculty
f. Member-at-Large/Non-instructional Faculty
g. Secretary
h. Treasurer
i. Communications Chair
j. Committee on Political Education Chair
Section 2. Eligibility for Office
a. Any member in good standing in the CCFF for a period of forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the election shall be eligible for office.
b. Eligibility exceptions:
i. Only probationary or tenured full-time faculty are eligible for the office of Vice-President/Full-time Faculty and Member-at-Large (Full-time).
ii. Only part-time faculty are eligible for the office of Vice-President/Part-time Faculty and Member-at-Large (Part-time).
iii. Only non-instructional faculty who are scheduled by hours instead of LHE or TU, such as counselors, librarians, and instructional specialists, are eligible for Member-at-Large (Non-instructional).
Section 3. The Election Committee shall conduct all general and special elections of the CCFF.
Section 4. Forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the election, the Election Committee shall notify all members of the opening of nominations for office.
Section 5. Nominations will be accepted up to ten (10) days after the notification of nominations. The Election Committee shall contact each nominee to confirm acceptance of nomination.
Section 6. Approximately thirty (30) days prior to the date of the election, the Election Committee shall meet with Executive Board candidates to discuss election procedures, inspection of CCFF membership list, distribution of campaign literature, observers, and other campaign rules. At this meeting, a drawing will be held to determine candidate position on the ballot. If a candidate is absent and does not have a representative at the meeting, an election official will represent the candidate in the drawing.
Section 7. Each candidate may receive a list of CCFF members within 30 days of the election.
Section 8. The CCFF will honor any reasonable request by a candidate to distribute campaign literature to members at the candidate’s expense. Requests will be honored in the order received.
a. Campaign literature to be mailed must be provided to the Election Committee in sealed, stamped envelopes which are ready for mailing.
b. Candidates must pay for the cost of address labels at a rate determined by the Election Committee.
c. Candidates must pay the CCFF for the cost of putting address labels on the envelopes containing campaign literature at a rate to be determined by the Election Committee.
d. Candidates may place their own campaign literature in campus mailboxes.
Section 9. Candidates may not use CCFF or Cerritos College district email systems from which to send electronic campaign literature. Candidates may, however, send electronic campaign literature from their private email providers to users of the CCFF or Cerritos College district email systems.
Section 10. Elections may be held using paper or electronic ballots utilizing a secure thirdparty electronic system.
a. One week before the voting deadline, the Election Committee shall prepare the ballot. Each candidate will be listed on the ballot by office they are running for, and in the order drawn at the initial Candidate meeting that was facilitated by the Elections Committee. The Elections Committee shall email all full-time and part-time union members to notify them that the ballot is available. Members will be emailed at their official Cerritos College email address.
b. No ballot will be accepted after 7:00 p.m. of the last day of election.
c. Ballots will be counted by the Election Committee beginning at 8:00 p.m. on the last day of the election.
Section 11. Candidates are entitled to have observers present at tally of votes.
a. Observers must be members of the CCFF.
b. Candidates are prohibited from serving as observers
c. Candidates shall provide the names of their observers in writing to the Election Committee prior to election day.
Section 12. A majority of the ballots cast shall determine election. In the absence of a majority, the Election Committee shall conduct a run-off election among the two candidates who have receive the most votes for the office in question using the procedure specified in Sections 7-12.
Section 13. Successful candidates shall assume office the day following the last day of the academic year. In the case of a special election, successful candidates shall assume office within ten (10) days of the conclusion of the election.
Section 14. Any member may challenge a CCFF election by filing a protest in writing with the Election Committee within ten (10) days after election results are posted.
Section 15. With the exception of the President, or in case of a recall, all vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section 16. A petition signed by thirty percent (30%) of the membership and stating specific grounds, shall be sufficient to require the Election Committee to conduct a recall election of any officer specified in the petition. If an officer is recalled, the Elections Committee shall hold a special election following the procedures outlined in Sections 7-12.
ARTICLE II DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1.
All officers are expected to regularly attend executive board meetings, membership meetings, the annual meeting, the strategic planning retreat, and CFT training related to their union work, and to represent CCFF on appropriate college committees. Officers are also expected to be available to attend 3-4 Cerritos College Board of Trustees meetings each year. Compensation for all officers’ positions shall be published on the Union website each semester.
Section 2. The President shall
a. be the presiding officer at all meetings of the membership, and the Executive Board,
b. be an ex-officio member of all standing committees except the Elections Committee,
c. appoint, with the approval of the Executive Board, the chairs of all standing and special committees except the Elections Committee,
d. be responsible for the ongoing administration of the organization,
e. receive, report and respond to correspondence of the organization,
f. supervise all employees of the organization,
g. be one of the responsible financial officers of the organization and shall be authorized to co-sign financial instruments and make regular and usual disbursements of funds,
h. represent the organization before bodies of the district, executive and legislative officials,
i. represent the organization before the public, community organizations, and the news media,
j. be ex-officio, a delegate of to the Los Angeles County Central Labor Council,
k. be ex-officio, a delegate to the convention of the American Federation of Teachers and meetings or conventions of its affiliated subordinate bodies,
l. make an annual report to the membership of the organization,
m. be able to delegate the responsibilities of the office except where otherwise specified by the constitution.
Section 3. The Vice-President, Full-time Faculty, shall
a. be eligible to assume the duties of the President in the event of his or her absence, illness or death,
b. with the Vice-President/Part-time Faculty, oversee the work of and receive regular reports from the Membership Chair,
c. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board,
d. co-sign financial instruments in the absence of the President or Treasurer.
Section 4. The Vice-President, Part-time Faculty, shall
a. be eligible to assume the duties of the President in the event of his or her absence, illness, or death,
b. with the Vice-President/Full-time Faculty, oversee the work of and receive regular reports from the Membership Chair,
c. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board,
d. co-sign financial instruments in the absence of the President or Treasurer.
Section 5. The Secretary shall
a. maintain the non-financial files and records of the organization,
b. be custodian of the seal and charter of the organization,
c. shall record and keep accurate minutes of meetings of the membership and the Executive Board,
d. assist the President in the correspondence of the CCFF-AFT,
e. oversee the work of, receive and certify the reports of the Elections Committee,
f. perform other duties as delegated by the President, or assigned by the Executive Board,
g. perform duties of the office as required by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall
a. receive, record, and deposit all dues monies and other income in the name of the organization,
b. issue notices of delinquency,
c. be one of the responsible financial officers of the organization and be authorized to co-sign financial instruments and make regular and usual disbursements of funds,
d. maintain all financial records of the organization,
e. arrange for an internal financial review of the CCFF annually and make available the same to the Executive Board, and membership,
f. provide a monthly financial report at an Executive Board meeting,
g. transmit per capita payments on a regular basis to the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers and similar officers of all other bodies with which the organization is affiliated,
h. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board,
i. perform duties of the office as required by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act.
Section 7. The Communications Chair shall
a. send out emails to faculty,
b. serve as editor-in-chief for newsletters and other publications,
c. serve as liaison to the press and advertising media personnel,
d. act as webmaster for the CCFF website and social media sites,
e. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board.
Section 8. Chair of the Committee of Political Education shall
coordinate political actions that are relevant to the professional well-being of Cerritos College faculty. Such political actions include, but are not limited to, the elections of Board of Trustees members and State of California office holders, identifying state-wide political actions that affect the funding of the community colleges, and organizing faculty to participate in political actions.
Section 9. The Members-at-Large (Full-time Faculty, Part-time Faculty, Non-instructional Faculty) shall
a. serve as liaisons to divisions and/or division representatives,
b. communicate regularly with their constituencies by holding meetings, open forums, workshops, and conducting one-on-one conversations with bargaining unit members,
c. serve as members of the Membership Committee,
d. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE III PROCEDURES FOR THE ELECTION OF DIVISION REPRESENTATIVES
Section 1. Each division shall be entitled to two division representatives.
a. One shall be a full-time faculty member, selected by full-time faculty.
b. One shall be a part-time faculty member, selected by part-time faculty.
c. Only members of the CCFF may serve as Division Representatives.
d. Within each division, CCFF members will determine the method by which Division representatives are selected.
ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES
Section 1. The standing committees of the organization shall be
a. Contract Development
b. Elections
c. Finance
d. Grievance
e. Leadership Development
f. Membership
g. Political Education
h. Communications
Section 2. The Executive Board may establish special committees.
Section 3. a. The Chair and the members of the Elections Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Board.
b. Should a member of the Elections Committee seek general office, he or she shall resign from the Committee and be replaced promptly by the Executive Board.
Section 4. The Contract Development Committee shall conduct research, surveys, hearings, and other activities which shall assist the organization in its collective bargaining.
Section 5. The Elections Committee shall conduct and supervise all elections and referenda of the organization.
Section 6. The Finance Committee shall assist the Executive Board in the preparation of the annual budget, and shall identify, with the approval of the Executive Board, pursue activities to generate revenues for the good and welfare of the organization.
Section 7. The Grievance Committee shall work with the Division Representatives in the resolution of contractual and non-contractual disputes in the workplace; shall maintain records of grievances and their disposition; shall be responsible for the processing of grievances and disputes beyond the immediate work location; and shall make decisions regarding disputes to be taken to arbitration or civil remedy. The grievant may appeal these last decisions to the Executive Board.
Section 8. The Leadership Development Committee shall identify the training needs of the organization’s officers, division representatives, members of the part-time faculty caucus, and staff, and shall develop or locate the resources needed to meet those needs.
Section 9. The Membership Committee shall consist of the members-at-large and other interested executive board or regular members. It shall maintain accurate membership records and issue membership cards, create membership materials in coordination with the Communications Chair, develop programming for members, including orientations for new faculty members and training for union officers, monitor email and voice mail messages and forward them to the appropriate officers and/or committees. This committee is also responsible for organizing membership drives and other outreach work.
Section 10. The Committee for Political Education shall consist of union members who voluntarily contribute to the COPE fund. The committee may secure voluntary contributions to support the political work of the organization; screen and recommend candidates to endorse for local and state office and develop programs to promote the political education and action of union members. The Executive Board will make a recommendation to the union members. Candidate endorsements will be determined by a majority vote open to all union members. The vote shall be conducted by an electronic platform.
Members of the local union may make contributions to COPE directly or through payroll deduction. In addition, the Board may earmark a portion of member dues for COPE. The amount may be changed from time to time by majority vote of the board not to exceed $2.00 per member per month. COPE may accept contributions from persons who are not members subject to the approval of the Executive Board.
Section 11. The Publications Committee shall design, produce and distribute a regular printed communication to the membership; a regular bulletin for officers, caucus members and committee chairs, and other printed material for the organization, as necessary. The Publications Committee shall also maintain an email list and distribute electronic versions of printed communications to the membership.
Section 12. The Public Relations Committee shall present the view of the organization on both a regular and special basis to the print and electronic media, other labor and community organizations, and to the general public.
ARTICLE V CONTRACT RATIFICATION
Section 1. The negotiating team chair and members shall be appointed from the membership of the Collective Bargaining Committee by the President, with the approval of the Executive Board.
Section 2. The negotiating team shall bargain with the District in the best interest of all Cerritos College faculty. Those interests include compensation, health insurance, retirement benefits, workplace conditions, and other areas.
Section 3. The negotiated contract shall require the approval and recommendation of the Executive Board for ratification by the CCFF membership.
Section 4. The contract shall be ratified with a majority vote of those cast by eligible members of the CCFF.
ARTICLE VI REVENUES
Section 1. The rate of dues shall be as set forward in Article IV of the CCFF bylaws.
Section 2. Dues shall not be collected for Summer Sessions.
Section 3. Due shall be collected only from regular pay received during Fall and Spring semesters; dues are not assessed to members if/when they receive no pay for employment from the District (for example, because of leave, lack of assignment, or retirement).
Section 4. Dues shall not be assessed for full-time overload teaching.
Section 5. Dues shall not be assessed for stipends or other monies outside of regular base salary. Dues shall not be assessed for stipends received by full- or part-time faculty.
Section 6. Mandated increases in required affiliation fees and insurance premiums, should they occur, shall be passed on to both full-time and part-time faculty. Such increases in dues will be automatic.
Section 7. Changes in the rate of dues may be enacted by a majority vote of those cast by CCFF members in good standing.
a. Said vote shall be conducted by the Elections Committee.
b. The Elections Committee shall notify the membership of the vote thirty (30) days prior to the date of the vote.
c. Proposed changes in the rate of dues may be made by the Executive Board or by a petition signed by thirty-three percent (33%) of the general membership.
Section 8. Cerritos College faculty who are not members of the CCFF shall be assessed an agency fee if allowable by law, and at the highest amount allowable by law.
ARTICLE VII DUES
Section 1. The dues for full-time faculty shall be $115.18 per regular paycheck, based on a ten pay-period year. In all cases, dues for full-time faculty will equal $1,151.80 per year.
Section 2. The dues for part-time faculty shall be $28.18 per regular paycheck.
Section 3. This article may be changed to reflect changes in dues as needed.
ARTICLE VIII AFFILIATIONS
The CCFF shall maintain affiliation with the following organizations:
a. The American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO,
b. The California Federation of Teachers: A Union of Educators and Classified Professionals, AFT
c. California Federation of Labor
d. The Los Angeles Federation of Labor
ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Any member of the organization may present a proposed amendment to the bylaws at any regular meeting of the Representatives Council, which shall notify the membership of the proposed amendment no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the next annual membership meeting.
Section 2. A simple majority of those members voting within seven days of the annual membership meeting shall be required for passage of the amendment. Voting shall be done using paper or electronic ballots utilizing a secure third-party electronic system.