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Massachusetts Community College Council |
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NEWSLETTER |
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Volume X |
May, 1993 |
Number Ten |
In This Issue:
The Ninth Annual Jon G. Butler Memorial Award for outstanding chapter president was awarded at the MCCC Delegate Assembly on April 17, 1993, to Phil Mahler from Middlesex Community College. This award was established in the Fall of 1984 in honor of Jon Butler, former chapter president at No. Shore Community College, former MCCC Research Coordinator, and an outspoken and active proponent of unit members' rights.
Phil Mahler, a Professor of Math and Computer Science, received his B.A. in Modern Languages from Assumption College and an M.A.T. in Math from the University of Florida. In 1982 he was hired at Middlesex.
"Prior to coming to Middlesex, I taught at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan. When I reported to work on my first day, I was handed a picket sign and joined a strike. That was also my first encounter with a union "I returned to Massachusetts and after I started working at Middlesex, I became curious about the union. I felt that it had a great deal to do with my conditions of employment, and I wanted to know who was running it.
The MCCC director was retiring and the chapter president at the time, Mike Peregon, assured me that the job entailed only going to Worcester once a month and reporting back." Mahler became director in 1985.
Over the years he became more involved with the union and was elected chapter president from 1987 to 1989. "Being chapter president was good at that time. We had a contract with decent increases. Most issues which needed resolving were at the chapter level." Mahler went on sabbatical, returned in 1990 and was elected MCCC Director again.
In 1992 Mahler was elected chapter president, only this time the job was different. "Rick Doud was my predecessor. He was an excellent chapter president and left me a very good chapter. This past year, however, I felt that my priorities had to be focused on a statewide agenda and my chapter supported that. We went on work to rule in spring 1992 and did informational picketing prior to and at graduation." The chapter was gearing up for political action. Regina Goodwin was appointed chair of the newly created chapter political action committee and by September, 1992, the chapter had a good political organization in place.
By that time Mahler had been appointed chair of the MCCC's statewide CPR campaign (and later appointed chair of the promotion funding campaign). "I saw my job as implementing the plans from the MCCC, MTA, and Higher Education Leadership Council," stated Mahler. "I tried to keep the chapters updated, articulated the things they needed to do, and provided them with the mechanisms for getting things done."
According to Mahler, these two campaigns gave him a different perspective on politics and its impact on our work. "I now realize how important political action is to our economic well being and how strong we can be. Last Fall we had tremendous political momentum, but I think it has withered and I regret that. I hope that the membership is ready to go back to battle if needed. Our bad salary situation needs to be addressed through a compacted salary scheduled with automatic steps. The membership must understand that this might be a fight from a funding point since the presidents would not give us this compacted salary schedule this year even when it would not have cost them one red cent."
Though Mahler is actively involved in the union, he is accomplished in his academic area as well. In addition to being Math Department Chair for two years when the department was established, he served as this past year's president of New England Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (NEMATYC) and is Local Arrangements Chair for the national 1993 meeting in Boston of the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC). By the end of this summer, Phil will have three math textbooks in print.
Mahler has been reelected chapter president and MCCC director. He
will also be a member of the 1993 - 1996 contract negotiating team.
"I devote more time to the union these days primarily because of the
wage freeze since 1988. I am more involved statewide because of this
issue; I feel that our wage situation is scandalous. Rick Doud,
former chapter president and also a member of the 1993-1996
negotiating team, says of his friend, "Phil has brought people
together, He has increased the awareness in the membership of the
importance of political action. He works hard and keeps everyone
informed. I enjoy working with Phil and believe we have made a good
team over the years. This award is well deserved."
The MCCC has available at least 30 grants for full funding for MTA's Summer Leadership Conference at Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. from August 9-13, 1993. If unit members decide to attend only the higher education mini-track which runs Wednesday through Friday morning rather than the whole week, more grants will be available since it is nearly half the cost.
Though the higher education track does not officially begin until the Higher Education Luncheon on Wednesday, August II, participants may want to arrive early to attend the Health Care Reform Panel which will be held Wednesday morning, 10 a.m. to noon.
The tentative program consists of workshops on:
If you are interested in applying for a grant, you must 1) get an
application from your chapter president and 2) return it to your
chapter president prior to June 15. The chapter president must have
all applications in to MCCC President Tom Parsons by June 15 as he
will make the necessary arrangements with the MTA on behalf of the
MCCC. Do not send the application directly to the MTA.
A unit member at Greenfield Community College was hired to teach part time at the college after being laid off from a full-time public school teaching job. At the end of the last academic year, she was given a tentative assignment for the Fall 1992 semester. She filed for unemployment which was denied based on the employer's claim that she had a reasonable assurance of employment for the Fall term. She then requested assistance from the MCCC, and the decision was appealed. The appeal also was denied, and the MCCC then appealed to the State Board of Review (A board within the Mass. Department of Employment and Training.). The Board found for the unit member noting that sufficient enrollment, for example, was tentative in nature, and, therefore, the unit member could collect unemployment.
If any DCE unit members needs assistance or has any questions, he
or she should contact DCE Grievance Coordinator Joe Rizzo.
The Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission (MLRC) has issued a complaint against Massasoit Community College for failing to provide the MCCC with information relative to the processing of a grievance. When the college did not respond to repeated requests for information concerning DCE assignments and the grievance was close to arbitration, the MCCC's attorney filed a subpoena for the information. Although the college finally responded, critical documents were missing. Upon further investigation, the college said the information had been destroyed. When the union asked for information relating to current and upcoming semester assignments, the college forwarded certain material, but did not send the critical information needed for the processing of the arbitration.
Under the law, colleges are bound to respond with information to
the association in order for it to fulfill its obligation of
representing its members. When Massasoit refused to forward critical
information to the union, the MCCC went to the MLRC and charged that
the college was interfering with the union's ability to represent its
members and attempting to obscure the practice used in the assignment
of courses at the college.
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All fifteen community college presidents have agreed to fund the
outstanding promotions retroactive to November, 1992. Congratulations
to all promotees and a thanks to all unit members on the campuses who
stood with the promotees to help get these promotions funded. A
special congratulations to Bristol Community College. President
Farley has agreed to fund the promotions retroactive to
1989.
 HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 303 HOMESTEAD AVENUE HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS 01040 May 10, 1993 Mr. Thomas Parsons Dear Mr. Parsons: Since your election as President of MCCC I have heard from you as well as the officers of the local chapter about the dawn of a new era in the relationship between management and the union which would be characterized by a better understanding of the roles and concerns of all parties. Regretfully the tone, style, and content of the lead article in the April MCCC newsletter, "It's the Rage" is not consistent with the new era you have described. The article is based on inaccurate assumptions and flawed logic. You were correct when you stated: "Administrators don't volunteer their time. The faculty do." During the fiscal crisis administrators at Holyoke Community College did not have the option of volunteering for additional duties. Rather those duties were assigned to them when a lack of resources required us to leave positions vacant or prohibited us from adding positions in high growth areas. Administrators worked harder and smarter, nights and weekends as well as during the normal work week in order to keep the college functioning during a difficult period. Even before the fiscal crisis, Holyoke Community College had fewer administrators than other colleges of comparable size. In the depths of the fiscal crisis (September 1990), 24.04% of all administrative support positions were vacant as compared to 9.93% faculty positions. Annual savings in administrative costs totaled '$195,066. The annual cost of these adjustments for equity, promotions, and additional responsibilities is $139,000. As for these overpaid administrators, one-third of the individuals who received an adjustment earned less than $27,000 per year and half earned $35,000 or less. All hold highly responsible positions and all have experienced a significant change in the nature and scope of their work. Several have assumed responsibilities for functions that are considered full-time or half-time positions at other colleges. Others have been impacted by the growth in enrollment and now serve many more students than they did four years ago. Every division chair (now dean) supervises more individuals today than they did four years ago as a result of the growth in enrollment that the college has experienced in the last three years. They have also been assigned responsibilities for additional functions that in other institutions are carried out by an assistant or associate dean. However, at Holyoke we eliminated all of those positions before the fiscal crisis. Each of the deans (now vice presidents) also assumed additional responsibilities over the last four years but even more important, it is because of their effective management that this college was able to weather the fiscal crisis and lead the campaign for additional state support. The change in title from dean to vice president or from division chair to dean, as well as the equity adjustments and compensation for additional responsibilities, are well justified by the performance of these individuals over the last four years. These administrators serve at will. Nearly all of these administrators are I2-month professionals and on the basis of required work days the average 12-month dean (after the salary adjustment) earns $12 per day less than the average faculty members. During my 17 years a President of Holyoke Community College every administrator in the system that I have talked with has consistently expressed the opinion that any salary increases awarded the faculty and professional staff were well deserved. More than a few unit members at Holyoke and other colleges across the system have taken a similar position in support of these increases for our administrators. I would hope that you and other MCCC leaders would be supportive of salary increases for all personnel. A new era of understanding implies new insights and awareness. Unfortunately, the lead article in the April issue of the newsletter would not lead any rational person to believe that the MCCC leadership is aware of the real issues. Sincerely, Dr. David M. Bartley DMB/gs
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 Editor's ResponseThe lead article in the April edition of the Newsletter, It's The Rage, was the third article concerning administrative salary increases. This most recent article, regarding raises for 29 administrators and nonunit employees at Holyoke Community College, which is printed here, elicited a response from the college's president David Bartley. The point of the article was not that administrative salary increases per se are unwarranted or that the MCCC is opposed to administrative increases, but rather that the amount and percentage of recent administrative and nonunit clerical raises, when placed within the context of other employees' raises, are an egregious injustice. Bartley does not mention that the administrative increases, which range from 60//0 to 29%, are over and above the 13f% raises scheduled for all employees. The total percentage of the raise administrators received, when calculated with the 13+9/0, ranges from 209/0 to 42%. The faculty and professional staff have just received a portion of their promised raises but with no retroactivity. Moreover, retroactive promotion monies remain an outstanding bargaining item as do the erosion of full-time appointments and the explosion of part-time appointments. Large inequities affecting men and women across the system remain unaddressed. These administrative increases contribute to the
perception that a caste system exists within some colleges.
Administrators are deemed more valuable and paid more than
the employees who are most actively involved in the
education of the students. Administrative raises of up to 42
percent devastate morale. We are all working in the same
system during the same difficult times, but we are not all
treated equally when it comes to fiinancial
remuneration. |
There is a strong possibility that an early retirement bill will
be attached to the budget released by House Ways and Means.
Apparently the bill which came from the Public Service Committee was
unacceptable to Rep. Tom Finneran, Chair of House Ways and Means.
Though he was willing to support an early retirement bill similar to
the one passed last year for state employees, neither the college
presidents nor the unions could support it since it allowed for only
a 15 percent backfill and the college lost the remainder of the
savings from any early retirements. This limited backfill and loss of
money could result in a depletion of departments and loss of
accreditation.
The MTA and other unions representing higher education as well as the college presidents have been working the House leadership to come up with an acceptable early retirement bill.
As soon as an early retirement bill is released, all chapter
leaders will be notified with directions for lobbying. Be ready to
respond.
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May 20 |
Tenure Decisions |
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May 28 |
Professional staff submit E4 & E5 forms |
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June 1 |
Professional staff work assignment submitted |
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June 1 |
Professional staff work performance evaluation |
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June 5 |
Fall leave of absence decision by president |
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June 6 |
Fall sabbaticals awarded |
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June 10 |
Professional staff evaluations due on E4 & E5's |
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June 15 |
Professional staff post evaluation conference |
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June 15 |
Professional staff summary evaluation (E9) due |
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Editor: MCCC/MTA Newsletter |
The MCCC Newsletter is a publication of the Massachusetts Community College Council. The Newsletter is intended to be an information source for the members of the MCCC and for other interested parties. The material in this publication may be reprinted with the acknowledgment of its source. For further information on issues discussed in this publication, contact Catherine Boudreau, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA 02402. |
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