MCCC Home | Year Index | 1994 Index

In This Issue:

• Board Votes
• Final Budget
• Raises for Quinsigamond
• MCCC at NEA Assembly

Chapters to Vote on Work-to-Rule

At the MCCC Board meeting on August 26, 1994, the MCCC Directors unanimously voted the following motion:

The MCCC Board supports the concept of a statewide work-to-rule action to begin in September.
Each chapter will conduct a vote on implementation of work-to-rule on its campus.

Each chapter will receive information during the first week of September providing guidelines for work-to-rule activities.

Bargaining amongst higher education locals is in varying stages of flux, except for the university system.

On August 1, 1993, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth ratified a contract with a salary package of 15 percent.

On August 24 and 25, the Boston and Amherst campuses of U. Mass. ratified a contract with an overall salary increase of 15 percent as well.

The 15 percent increase in the contract, however, may be only on paper.

U.Mass President Michael Hooker and Trustee Chair Dan Taylor have emphatically stated that the college will not pay the difference between what the governor eventually puts on the table and the IS percent. The employer for the university system (U.Mass Board of Trustees) is different from the state and community colleges (HECC), in that one Board of Trustees is the employer of the university system.

The state colleges, the professional administrators group within the state colleges, U.Mass. at Lowell, community colleges, and the support staff at U.Mass. Amherst, remain at the table.

There has been no money offer put across the table, and language is still open on all these contracts.

The MCCC and management met on August 22, 1994. Since management has denied released time for Fall bargaining, and since management will not meet on evenings or weekends, finding times to bargain will slow the bargaining pace considerably.

The MCCC bargaining team offered ten bargaining sessions during the months of September and October, including evening and afternoon sessions.

All but two sessions were rejected. The next scheduled bargaining session is not until October 17.

In addition, on August 22, the bargaining team also offered to met on weekends during September and October. The presidents' bargaining team has not responded. The presidents have not made a monetary offer in 13 months of negotiations. The presidents hold firm to their positions on increases in workload, removal of workload standards, and diminishment of unit members' rights dealing with retrenchment and priority of consideration in vacancies. Among other management demands are the removal of the reasonable standard in management's rights, the diminishment of retirement benefits, a 30-day notice for nonreappointment for new hires, and the requirement for professional staff to work on the day after Thanksgiving. The teams have agreed on a number of articles, but without a financial offer, substantial progress has not been made.

The community colleges are working with other high education locals to put together a concerted, statewide action plan.

Final Budget and Political Activities for Fall

When the governor signed the fiscal 1994 budget, higher education realized an increase of 5.3 percent, the passage of the "Nun's Bill", and a seat for a public employee on the state retirement board. Higher education did not see an early retirement bill.

The governor vetoed the early retirement provision, and it was not put on the override list for this summer. Speaker Flaherty has assured Rep. Phil Travis (D-Rehoboth) that the bill would be put on the override list in the Fall or a new bill would be filed. Because of the constant disappointments over the past three years, it will take the efforts of all higher education members to get a bill passed. This bill not only benefits those interested in retiring, it benefits the colleges by freeing up slots and allowing the colleges to hire new people. We also need to work on some of our community college presidents, in particular the Legislative Subcommittee of the Presidents' Council, some of whom are actively working against this early retirement bill. Michael Muse, the lobbyist for the presidents has been working very hard on the presidents' behalf to get the early retirement bill killed. The governor does not want an early retirement bill in any form, so it seems. Therefore, one way move a bill through the legislature is to have the presidents join with the faculty and staff and work to get a bill passed before the end of the session in January. Ask your presidents to join with the chapters and jointly write a letter to the House and Senate leadership imploring them to pass an early retirement bill.

The "Nun's" Bill.

Higher education faculty and professional employees may now receive credit for teaching in a nonpublic institution. The conditions for receiving credit are employment in a nonpublic teaching institution prior to 1973 where no social security or retirement money was deducted.

State Employee on Investment Committee. Thanks to Senator Shannon O'Brien, the bill providing for a state employee to sit on the retirement investment boards was signed by the governor. the state teachers and state employees retirement boards were the only board which did not have an employee as a member. The state employees retirement monies are controlled by State Treasurer Joe Malone and comprise almost $15 billion of investment monitoring.

CHANGING TIMES: BE PREPARED

As a new academic year begins, more outside forces are affecting how we work. Now, returning to the classroom not only requires a new syllabus, but also a sense of professional and political vigilance. Not only has the scason changed, buttimeshavechangcd as well. In this high tech era of the new super highway of America On-Line, Internct, Gopher, Veronica, I',ric and numerous other acronyms, educators must interface with a changing environment for which not all are prepared. Faculty, professional staff, and even administrators are not just expected to participate in the changing education cnvironmcnt, they are expected to embracc it.

Our awareness and activities must turn to elections, political activism and organization, and a view toward our profession which is being transformed. Gonc are the days, the halcyon days, whcn September meant welcoming students and putting energy into the educational process alone. Instead, over the past few years, pleas of"You have to get politically involvedthe contract funding is on the line; the equity study needs funding; the legislature needs changing; the contract need funding" have becomc business as usual in the unit members' workplace. In addition, longdistancc learning and interactive media is creeping into the education realm at an alarming pace with broad implications on our academic freedom and contractual rights.

Added to the mix are an evcr-changing and more diverse, less traditional student profiles as well as a need to be aware of what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and if you should say it at all (Beware the Thought Police.).

So, as September is upon us, not only be aware, but also be prepared.

Be prepared to confront our critics who find it easier to attack than learn about what the community colleges give to this state.

Be prepared to participate in the K- 12 and higher education alliances because of School to Work Icgislation (blending oflast two years of high school and first two years of college combined with work) and education reform laws mandating recertification of all teachers.

Be prepared to call legislators to lobby against Senate 2 (Public Aid to Private Schools) and for early retirement and contract funding.

Be prepared to meet the challenges to your property rights as educators. Did you ever think that parts of your course materials could be owned by your cmployer? Who owns the property rights to the video of your math course being transmitted by satellite over cable TV (a.k.a Long-Distance Learning).

Be prepared for a call to work on a legislative campaign--work on phone banks, hold signs, lick envelopes, or attend receptions.

So, welcome back to the start of a new academic year and to the last year ofthe first half ofthe last decade of the twentieth century where being prepared is more than doing a good job in the classroom and in the counseling center.

If YOU Are Tenured and in a Non-evaluation Year

For faculty who are tenured and are not schedulcd for an evaluation this year, you are required to submit only your course syllabi and college service and student advisement forms to your immediate supervisor. He or she should prepare the Workload Materials form which acknowledges receipt ofthe above materials by the supervisor and that the materials have been rctumcd to the supervisor. The same procedures holds for the spring semester for all tenured faculty.

Do You Want Your Dentist Added to Your Dental Plan?

In a discussion with a representative from Blue Cross, MCCC president Tom Parsons conveyed the concerns of a numbcrofunit members whose dentist was not part of the PPO component of the dental plan.

Tom was informed by the labor representative that ifunit members would like to have their dentist on the PPO list, he would try to accomplish this. Any unit member who would like to have his or her dentist added must first ask the dentist if he or she would like to be added. Ifthe answer is yes, call Tom Parsons no later than September 30. He will then convey this request to Blue Cross through the labor representative.

MCCC Largest Higher Ed Local at NEA Representative Assembly

For the second year, the MCCC was the largest higher education local to attend the NEA Representative Assembly (RA) in New Orleans. Thirty-three unit members from thirteen campuses attended.

The 14,707 delegates considered rcsolutions, bylaw changes and more than ill new business items. The asscmbly voted to extend merger discussions between the NEA and thc American Federation of Teachcrs (AFT) for another year.

Dr. David Berliner from Arizona Statc University received the Friend of Education Award. He has been collccting evidence over the years documcnting the remarkable achievement of public schools and has co-authored a book titled, The Manufactured Crisis. His book puts forth the argument that the "crises of contemporary American education were manufactured by people with an agenda that includes the dcstruction of public education as wc know it."

Sandy McBrayer, the national tcachcr of the year and a teacher of homeless children in San Diego, gave one of the most moving spccchcs ever heard on the RA floor.

Hillary Clinton spoke to the asscmbly about health care reform, cducation, and the crime bill.

All speeches from the meeting arc available on video if anyone is interested.

From left to right, front row (wearing T-shirt bought to help the Brockton Teachers Association pay strike debt) Barbara Spence, QCC; Carol Giaquinto, STCC; Roberta Albano, STCC; Cindy Parentella, HCC; Chris Johnson; Sharron Lamoureux QCC; second row: Pam Donahue, NECC; Yolande Croteau, STCC; Gerri Curley, BHCC; Chris Coolidge, MWCC; Bob Nunes, MBCC; Rose Arruda, NECC; Dennis Fitzgerald, MCC; Ruth Westwater, BHCC; Faythe Turner, GCC; third row: Tom Parsons, MBCC; John Jacobs, MBCC; Alan Peck, STCC; Jim Rice, QCC; Roberta Passenant, BKCC; Wil Roberts, GCC; Susan Dole, BHCC; Joe Rizzo, NECC; Neal Nettler HCC; fourth row: Ernest Therrien, STCC; Cathy Boudreau, MCC; Rick Doud, MDCC; Rob Gillies, QCC; Margaret Ryckebusch, BCC; Virginius Thornton, MBCC; Dan Fitzgerald HCC

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Raises for Quinsigamond Administrators

Continuing his pattern of giving non-unit raises during the summer, Quinsigamond President Clifford Peterson has again awarded a group of his administrators a five percent increase. Assuming the pattern will continue as in the past, once the collective bargaining contract is funded, these same administrators will enjoy that increase which the union members worked to get funded. To add insult to injury, President Peterson refuses to implement the negotiated salary increases for the part-time professional staff. He refuses to implement negotiated salary increases for part-time day faculty. He refuses to make salary adjustments for individuals with serious inequities.

Overall, fourteen administrators rcccived afive percent increase. Adding five percent to the October 1993, payroll, the following six administrators received "reclassification" increases. Warren Fairbank 955,650, Mary Margaret Kerns $45,318, Patrice Masterson S43,680, and Faith Symmcs $40,425 became Assistant Dcans. Margaret Farrey $35,810 became thc Director/SABES, and Derry Stone $30,804, became a Staff Associate.

Eight administrators received salary equity adjustments. Donald Abare $3 8,220; James Brown $59,678; Tara Jenkins $48,48R Barbara Macaulay $61,206; Gcorge O'Rourke $65,247; Stanton Rome $75,348; George Smith $71,144; and Robert Smith $71,144.

These increases for reclassification and salary equity adjustments, in many cases, may be justified, but our understanding is that there were no commensurate changes injob descriptions. The message it sends represents an attitude that only promotes low morale and distrust of the administrative level of public higher education. And where will President Peterson be when we need to get our contract funded? Retired!

Know Your Contract

Aug. 23	Dean's recommendation for spring leave of absence
Aug. 23	Spring sabbatical recommendations due from president
Aug. 31	Earliest professional day can be assigned
Sep. 6	Earliest classes can begin
Sep. 6	Office hours submitted
Sep. 9	Full-time schedule changes due chapter
Sep. 9	Office hours posted
Sep. 15	Sick days accumulation list released
Sep. 16	Course materials submitted

N.B. Dates may vary depending on first day of classes. Also, most of these dates are "last date" standards. In many instances, the action can he accomplished before the date indicated.

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MCCC Newsletter Editor: Catherine A. Boudreau MCCC/MTA Newsletter 20 Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108

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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