Negotiations Update – Dec 7, 2018
Hello,
This update focuses on the counselors/instructional specialists and librarians sections of the assignment article as the District’s recent update seemed to imply that we are misrepresenting the situation to you, our colleagues. Luckily, we know that the counselors, instructional specialists, and librarians know what’s really going on since over 25 of them have been involved at the negotiations table, or in drafting language for the articles and deciding how they want to respond in counters. But we feel it is important that the rest of our colleagues understand that the District’s proposals will effectively increase counselors, librarians, and instructional specialists’ workloads by 7 hours/week without pay, which is bad enough, but now it appears they are trying to blame the Union for this change.
I hope this email addresses any questions you may have after reading the District’s update yesterday. We will send another update after we actually meet with the District on Monday, December 10.
It would be great to hear that we misinterpreted the intent of their last update at that time.
Counselors & Librarians
It is true that over a year ago we submitted a proposal with the following language:
Counselors :
5.7.2 Workweek: Each unit member who is a full-time counselor will have 33 basic assignment hours and 7 professional activity hours for a total of 40 hours per week. Counselors can opt to work a 4 or 5 days week and counselors may elect to have a variable schedule each week, as long as the schedule is approved by the areamanager.
Librarians:
5.8.2 Workweek: Each unit member who is a full-time librarian will have 33 basic assignment hours and 7 professional activity hours for a total of 40 hours per week. Librarians can opt to work a 4 or 5 days week and librarians may elect to have a variable schedule each week, as long as the schedule is approved by the department chair.
However, what the District failed to provide in their update, and subsequently removed from their counter, was the following language in 5.7.4 (Counselors) and 5.8.4 (Librarians) that qualified the above sections:
5.7.4 Other provisions for counselors: If a counselor is assigned to serve on a specific committee or perform other professional activities as part of the counselor’s work assignment or assigned responsibilities, and the activity occurs during the counselor’s regularly-scheduled basic assignment hours, that time shall be included as part of the basic assignment hours. If these activities occur outside the counselor’s regularly-scheduled basic assignment hours, then this time shall be included as professional activity hours. These hours are exclusive of overload or extra pay assignments.
5.8.4 Other provisions for librarians: If a librarian is assigned to serve on a specific committee or perform other professional activities as part of the librarian’s work assignment or assigned responsibilities, and the activity occurs during the librarian’s regularly-scheduled basic assignment hours, that time shall be included as part of the basic assignment hours. If these activities occur outside the librarian’s regularly-scheduled basic assignment hours, then this time shall be included as professional activity hours. These hours are exclusive of overload or extra pay assignments
Our intent is, and has been, to codify our existing practice. So this language means that, if faculty are required to attend a meeting in order to do our work, that meeting happens during our scheduled time–what is called “basic assignment hours” here. Librarians, counselors, and instructional specialists are currently scheduled 33 hours a week. The 7 additional hours are not scheduled on a calendar. Activities dictated by the division fall into the 33 hours–for example, counseling meetings with students, librarian’s work on the desk, outreach at high schools, managing the library collection, taking a webinar to learn how the proxy server works, etc. Activities chosen by the counselor, instructional specialist, or librarian fall into the 7. Shared governance and college committees fall into the 33 because we are assigned to those. The work we do for the committee generally goes into the 7 because we decide what we will do as participants on those committees.
In March, the District inserted the following proviso, emphasized below, into the same section in their counter:
5.7.4 Other provisions for counselors: If a counselor is assigned to serve on a specific committee or perform other professional activities as part of the counselor’s work assignment or assigned responsibilities, and those duties exceed the seven (7) professional activities hours per week, that time shall be included as part of the basic assignment hours. If these activities occur outside the counselor’s regularly-scheduled basic assignment hours, then this time shall be included as professional activity hours. These hours are exclusive of overload or extra pay assignments.
We find this unacceptable. No other faculty group on campus has to account for their unscheduled time and no one else is required to have the activities done during that time approved.
We also realized that even though we had already met with the District’s team at least four times about assignment, bringing counselors from areas across campus to answer their questions, that they were having a hard time understanding how the same activities could be done during our scheduled time and our unscheduled time based on whether we were assigned to do them or not. So we revised our language one more time in an attempt to make it easier for them to understand. We tried to more closely mirror the language we’d used to describe the workweek for full-time faculty with classroom assignments, which they seemed to have no problem understanding. We presented this language on March 14, 2018 and have not changed it since, because we think it best represents status quo. This is what faculty working in these areas want. (Emphasis added.)
5.7 Counseling Faculty (Including DSPS instructional specialists)
5.7.1 Work year: Counseling Faculty work a 12-month year as described in section 5.1.2.
5.7.2 Workweek: Each unit member who is a full-time counselor will have 33 basic assignment hours. With the approval of the dean or area manager, counselors may work a 4 or 5 day week.
Basic Assignment Hours: Each counselor will be scheduled in consultation with the appropriate department chair and approval by the immediate manager. The 33 hours of the basic assignment include activities such as counseling appointments or online counseling; drop-in or stand-by sessions; counseling-related workshops or presentations, and other counseling-related tasks as directed by the area manager. At least 5 hours of non-student contact time shall be included within the scheduled basic assignment hours. Counselors in DSPS shall have an additional 3 non-student contact hours included within the scheduled basic assignment hours. The dean or area manager shall have final approval of all Counselors’ schedules.
5.7.3 Teaching Assignments for Counselors: The assignment of full-time counselors will include teaching assignments based on the District needs and with management approval.
Full-time counselors may include lecture and preparation time for their teaching assignments within their 33 basic assignment hours or may choose to teach outside of these hours as overload with management approval. If a teaching assignment is designated as overload, the counselor will not be paid for preparation time.
5.7.4 Other Provisions for Counselors: If a counselor is assigned by the District to serve on a specific committee or perform other professional activities as part of the counselor’s work assignment or assigned responsibilities, that time shall be included as part of the basic assignment hours. These hours will not be counted toward overload or extra pay assignments.
5.8 Library Faculty
5.8.1 Work Year: Librarian Faculty work an 11-month year as described in 5.1.2.
5.8.2 Workweek: Each unit member who is a full-time librarian will have 33 basic assignment hours. With the approval of the dean or area manager, librarians may work a 4 or 5 day week and librarians may elect to have a variable schedule each week.
Basic Assignment Hours: These hours will be scheduled in consultation with the department chair and approval by the immediate manager. Activities to be completed during these hours to include but not limited to coordinating and performing library services such as instructional services, reference services, circulation services, and technical services; program development; and liaison work with departments, instructional divisions, and other college groups; professional development and compliance related training; advisory committees and shared governance committees; division and department meetings; Other library-related tasks approved by the area administrator may be included in these hours.
5.8.3 Librarians with Teaching Assignments: Full-time librarians have the option of teaching with management approval. Insofar as possible, hours assigned to teaching responsibilities within the department shall be distributed equitably among department members.
Full-time librarians may include lecture and preparation time for their teaching assignments within their 33 basic assignment hours or may choose to teach outside of these hours as overload with management approval. If a teaching assignment is designated as overload, the librarian will not be paid for preparation time.
5.8.4 Other Provisions for Librarians: If a librarian is assigned by the District to serve on a specific committee or perform other professional activities as part of the librarian’s work assignment or assigned responsibilities, that time should be included as part of the basic assignment hours. These hours will not be counted toward overload or extra pay assignments.
I hope this email answers your questions, but if it doesn’t you can call or email me or other members of your negotiations team: Kimberly Rosenfeld (lead), Bobbi-Lee Smart, George Jarrett, and Jay Elarcosa.
In Unity,
Stephanie