Retrenchments Loom Chuck Lombardo, right, retrenched Northern Essex CC unit professional staff member, protests Gov. Mitt Romney's appearance at an August 14 Economic Summit in Haverhill. He is flanked by MTA consultants Stan Smith and Katie D'Urso, who participated in the latest Romney Watch event along with more than 50 NECCPA and AFCSME members. (Don Williams photo) The continuing state budget crisis is now having an adverse effect on the employment of MCCC members across the state. With next year's budget looking equally dire, this may be the beginning of more actions in the future. Some colleges have considered retrenchments and found alternatives. But layoffs or reductions in hours have happened at three colleges in the system: Berkshire, Mass Bay and Northern Essex Community Colleges. The situation is most serious for MCCC members at Mass Bay. Three unit members were outright laid off. Two were faculty from programs with low enrollment, one from occupational therapy and one from telecommunications. One professional staff member, who is a learning specialist in the Academic Achievement Center, was also given notice. On top of the layoffs, ten professional staff members were cut back to 11-month contracts. This group included both reference librarians, both computer help desk technicians, both disabilities counselors, all three full-time learning specialists and the one full-time nurse. Among these individuals are three members of the chapter executive committee. Ned McGuire, the Mass Bay Chapter President, is one of the affected learning specialists. He reports that the college president, Dr. Lindsey Norman, initially wanted to impose unpaid furloughs over the winter semester break. Both the MCCC and AFSCME units rejected this proposal. Dr. Norman then proposed the idea of 11-month contracts. Employees in other categories were also affected, but to a lesser degree. According to the college, the expected savings from laying off one part-time administrator and reducing three others to 11 month contracts would be $45,000 per year. One AFSCME job being eliminated and two or three reduced will save $40,000. The 12 MCCC jobs eliminated or reduced will save $170,000. McGuire said, "the college has a history of union bashing," and that this is the latest in a long list of anti-union actions at Mass Bay. He noted that the college has 55 administrators to approximately 100 full-time faculty and staff. The veteran faculty are worn down from years of internal conflict and declining numbers. McGuire is trying to rebuild the chapter and hoping to get younger faculty and staff to become engaged and take action to make the college more livable. Under Article XIX of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the colleges can implement retrenchments, but they must follow proscribed steps, and must do so in consultation with the Union. Accordingly, MCCC President Rick Doud, Grievance Coordinator Dennis Fitzgerald, MTA Higher Education Director Priscilla Lyons and Consultant Stan Smith met with the college administration in late June. They were not able to prevent the actions, but did ensure that members on reduced work years would retain their benefits for 12 months. The Union has filed grievances citing that Mass Bay violated contractual provisions in conducting these retrenchments. The Step One hearing is at the college level and holds little promise of resolution. Step Two is Mediation, and Step Three is Arbitration where the Union has more hope of prevailing. At Northern Essex Community College two professional staff unit members were among a total of 12 employees retrenched. Despite the layoffs, Northern Essex is hiring new faculty. Chapter President Peter Flynn reports a disturbing trend of hiring half-time faculty under the day contract without apparently using the classification system to determine their salaries. Berkshire Community College gave notice to 24 employees with two of those being MCCC members. Other segments of Higher Education in the state report no retrenchments with the exception of University Staff Associates (USA). These are people who fill a variety of support positions at U Mass, similar to community college classified staff. They are among the lowest paid employees in the system, and not only were their contracts rejected, but they have had 54 members retrenched.

Blackwell to Speak at Leadership Meeting Joel Blackwell, Keynote Speaker MCCC September 8, 2003 Fall Leadership Meeting Joel Blackwell was an award-winning editor at the Miami Herald and Charlotte Observer for 10 years before starting the Issue Management Co., a media relations and grass roots lobbying firm. He designed original research to find out why people are reluctant to be engaged in grass roots advocacy, political campaigns and political action committees. From that research, he developed training seminars and keynote presentations that motivate volunteers to get involved in political activities. He also produces custom audio and video products to recruit and activate people to be engaged in the political process. He frequently conducts training seminars in Washington and elsewhere and has worked for associations and corporations in 34 states, helping them get out their message to the public, politicians and the press. He brings a message of hope and optimism that ordinary people can have powerful impact when they make phone calls and write letters to politicians. MCCC Fall Leadership Event Agenda September 8, 2003 Best Western Royal Plaza, Marlboro, MA 4:00 - 4:15 Registration 4:15 - 4:30 Introduction Rick Doud, MCCC President 4:30 - 5:15 Keynote Address Joel Blackwell How Ordinary People Can Get What They Want From Government 5:15 - 6:15 Dinner 6:30 - 7:30 Break-out Sessions: MCCC Chapter Revitalization Rick Doud, MCCC President Michelle Gallagher, MTA Consultant This session will assist participants who are interested in submitting the new Chapter Revitalization Grant. Participants will get ideas of successful revitalization programs to implement at their own chapter. Partimization - Its Impact Upon the Community Colleges Joe Rizzo, MCCC/DCE Grievance Coordinator Katie D'Urso, MTA Consultant The latest state fiscal crisis has exacerbated what was already a major shift from full-time to part-time employment in the Community Colleges. This session will provide you with the latest information and explore ways for the MCCC to respond Personal Political Power Joel Blackwell, Sandy Cutler and Joe LeBlanc, SAC co-chairs This session will explore ways to help your members adopt positive attitudes toward politics, politicians and lobbying. Participants in this breakout will learn to overcome fears of failure. They will learn how to communicate issues to elected officials. They will understand the difference between persuasion and pressure and when to use - and not use - each. Every person can make a difference and have a powerful impact at the State House. 7:40 - 8:00 Plenary Session Rick Doud, President An all-participant session will be held for general discussion and ending remarks. 8:00 - 9:00 Cocktails/Book signing Participants are invited to join Blackwell and the MCCC leadership for a cash bar and informal discussion in the lounge. Directions to Best Western Royal Plaza 181 Boston Post Road West Marlboro, MA 01752 Telephone: (508) 460-0700 From Boston & Route 128: Mass Pike West (I-90) to Route 495 North. Take Exit 24B onto Route 20 West. The Royal Plaza is one mile on the right. From Worcester: Route 290 East to Route 495 South. Take Exit 24B onto Route 20 West. The Royal Plaza is one mile on the right. From Springfield & the West: Mass Pike East to Route 495 North. Take Exit 24B onto Route 20 West. The Royal Plaza is one mile on the right. Cape Cod & the South: Route 495 North. Take Exit 24B onto Route 20 West. The Royal Plaza is one mile on the right.

Appeals Committees Push Ahead PS payments issued in June; faculty monies to follow soon By Joe LeBlanc, MCCC Vice President Joe LeBlanc MCCC Vice President Forty-nine professional staff members received payments ranging from $170.80 to $38,534.93 as the MCCC is pushing to end the first round of the classification appeals process. Colleges paid out $555,530 by the June 28 payroll. Cases have now been settled for appeals determined to be the fault of the employer/consultant with retroactive pay ments*** due from July 1, 1999. At press time, 16 additional cases are awaiting payment from August 25, 2002. MCCC members of the Professional Staff Review Board have crosschecked letters sent to members on May 19 by Peter Tsaffaras, BHE Associate Director of Human Resources. Minor questions raised in this analysis will be addressed when the Review Board meets in early fall. Jim Battigaglia of the Human Resource Management Consulting Department at Maximus, Inc., the company which designed the classification system, will visit at the same meeting. Battigaglia will discuss the Job Audit process and address Global Issues such as the creation of a new librarian position at a higher grade. He will also address other questions and loose ends. Earlier this summer, Battigaglia visited Springfield Technical Community College to gather data and analyze appeals from IT department members. The results are expected in early August with payroll adjustments to be made expeditiously. The Professional Staff Review Board will begin the second round of the Appeals process in early fall. Phase II will include Job Audits and the processing of all remaining unclassified professional staff and faculty. The Faculty Appeals Review Board completed its work on July 16. Tsaffaras said letters would be drafted by early August and mailed in a timely manner so payments can be issued by early in the fall semester. Highlights of the faculty appeals process follow: An MFA and MSW will be the equivalent to a master's plus 30. The grid will be marked with an asterisk to indicate this change. Outside employment while also teaching full-time will not count. No double dipping will be allowed. One year equals one year. For a faculty member with a bachelor's degree and all class hours completed toward a doctorate except the dissertation and NO master's degree, the faculty member should approach the university and request a master's degree. Teaching in a hospital nursing program will be given credit for other teaching experience prior to full-time MCCS employment. This is equal to 4 points per year for a maximum of 32 points. Questions about prior related experience were considered for each individual appeal. This issue was not handled globally. Administrators returning to teaching receive credit for non-teaching experience and no credit for seniority. For those faculty who were department chairs prior to the MCCC, each individual case was reviewed in the context of their responsibilities at the time they were hired. Graduate assistant teaching is the equivalent to teaching as an adjunct. At that same meeting members pushed to transfer most of the consultant's responsibilities to college human resource offices by June, 2004. To achieve this goal, Maximus, Inc. must provide training for college HR personnel and distribute the Job Classification and Salary Systems software. It is expected that Maximus will continue to play an advisory role and help in tweaking the system as necessary.

 

Don Williams, new MCCC Communications Coordinator Williams Appointed Communications Coordinator Donald Williams was appointed MCCC Communications Coordinator at the June meeting of the union's board of directors. Williams replaces Peter Flynn who resigned the position in order to spend more time with his family. Flynn had served in the position for five years, taking over the position from Cathy Boudreau when she was elected MTA Vice President. He made significant changes in the newsletter by redesigning the layout, adding regular features like the President's and SAC columns, improving distribution by mailing issues to all members' homes and most recently with the first full-color issue. Although he is leaving this state-wide position, Flynn will continue his union involvement by returning to his former position of Chapter President at Northern Essex Community College. Don Williams has been Chapter President for ten years at North Shore Community College where he teaches literature, composition and technical writing. In accordance with MCCC policy, Williams has been given a two-year initial appointment. At the end of that time the position will be reposted, and other interested members will have the opportunity to apply.

Bargaining Update: Parties Agree On Use Of New Student Evaluation Forms By Joe LeBlanc, MCCC Vice President The new faculty evaluation forms will be implemented - for real this time- in the fall 2003 semester. After a successful trial run last spring, the MCCC's Day Negotiations Team and Management agreed to the following terms at a July 30 meeting in Worcester: 1. The employer will draft a memo explaining the context and circumstances surrounding the implementation of the new form, including mention of the new scoring system and the fact that summary evaluation scores will drop as a result. This memo will be placed in the personnel folders of all MCCC faculty using the new form. 2. Forms A, E, H, and J will be used. Faculty may request any of the forms so long as his or her supervisor agrees. If the form cannot be mutually agreed upon, the default will be Form A. Copies of the forms are available at the OEA's web site: http://www.washington.edu/oea/ias1.htm 3. One form will be used per student per course except for courses (labs in some but not all cases) where they are separate. For example, faculty teaching a lecture and lab section would only use one form, normally Form A for the lecture course. 4. The employer agrees to continue to use the student signature requirement as required in the collective bargaining agreement. Details of this process will be shared with the MCCC before the beginning of the fall semester. The new forms do not have a tear off sheet. The MCCC suggested the inclusion of a coded instructions sheet with a signature required on this page. The code would then be copied/printed on each student's evaluation form. Each student would be given an instruction page and valuation form with unique numbers. 5. The forms are produced and initially tabulated by the Office of Educational Assessment at the University of Washington. OEW provides the colleges with median scores for questions 1-4, as the "reliability of items 1-4 is very high, ranging between .84 and .90." (Source: OEA) The employer will then calculate a median score for each course for questions 1-22. Median scores will then be averaged for use in the summary evaluation. MCCC Treasurer and Team member Phil Mahler has written an analysis of the University of Washington's method of arriving at the median. This analysis has been shared with the employer. 6. Both parties agree to meet again in Summer, 2004 to assess the success of the implementation of the new forms. One possible topic for future discussions is a new form for ESL faculty, a project under development by the OEA. Under a Memorandum of Agreement (page 113) in the 1999-2002 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MCCC and employer agreed to "establish a committee to recommend to the Board of Higher Education a new, nationally validated student evaluation form." The employer also agreed to bargain the impact of the implementation of the form after its approval by the Committee, the Chancellor and the BHE. Thanks to the following Day Team members who assisted with the negotiations: LeBlanc, Rick Doud, Phyllis Barrett, Mahler, and Gail Stuart. MTA consultant Stan Smith and Don Williams, a member of the Joint Labor Management Committee which decided to use the University of Washington system, also participated.

 

President's Message

September 2003... During the past year I've spent some time at most of our 15 community colleges. I have had the opportunity to talk with many individual unit members about their issues and concerns. One cause of concern and confusion seems to be the point structure that is the basis for our classification system. Our entire salary schedule is based on a point system that resulted from the Classification Study. Exactly how the point system changes your pay is detailed in our collective bargaining Agreement (page 111 for faculty, page 112 for professional staff). Each additional point earned results in an increase to your base pay. The point structure is designed to do three things: First, it was established as an attempt to provide external equity. The dollar value assigned to each point was calculated to pay MCCC unit members at the 75th percentile of the 10 comparable states used in the Classification Study. Each year of service should result in additional compensation, so that we keep up with our colleagues in other states. Second, the point system should provide internal equity. On a yearly basis all full-time unit members should receive a minimum of 16 additional points. For faculty and professional staff in each grade, this reduces the effect of relying solely on percentage base increases that widen pay inequities among us. Third, the point system provides for upward mobility in salaries based on years of MCCC service and seniority. These yearly increases are analogous to step increases found in many collective bargaining agreements, including AFSCME. For less senior members these yearly increases will avoid what most of us have experienced in the past, seeing our salaries frozen year after year. Both the BHE and the college presidents recognize the importance of maintaining the point structure. On April 1, 2003, all full-time unit members should have received pay increases calculated on a minimum of 16 additional points. Because of various political and budgetary reasons that payment did not occur. However, both the presidents and the BHE have pledged that any successor collective bargaining Agreement must contain language stipulating that payments for these points will be paid retroactive to April 1, 2003. The agreement to pay points retroactively underscores the fact that all parties are committed to the preservation of the point system. If this commitment is compromised in any way, the MCCC will take whatever actions necessary to ensure that the payment of points on an annual basis will continue to occur indefinitely. Lastly, I am well aware that the Classification Study has had a negative impact on many professional staff unit members. This is especially true when it comes to the dollar value assigned to the points. It has always been my belief that the dollar value of the points should be equal for all unit members. I am pleased that the joint labor/management committee on the classification process as applied to professional staff will begin to meet this fall. Hopefully they will make some recommendations that allow the system to be more equitable for all unit members. In Solidarity, Rick

Strategic Action Committee Report

Stopping The Nonsense By Joe LeBlanc, MCCC Vice President Things were looking pretty good earlier this summer. Gov. Mitt Romney was smarting from legislative defeats and seemed increasingly irrelevant as the legislature adopted its budget on time in late June. The Senate killed his higher education reorganization proposal, and the House led the way in overriding a record 232 vetoes. It looked like we were back to the old Weld-Celucci-Swift days of the Republican Governor tinkering around the edges of state government while the legislature dominated the action on Beacon Hill. Even the economy was stabilizing. July tax receipts increased by $35 million or 3.5 percent from July, 2002. Fiscal Year 2003 ended with $133 million surplus, and Beacon Hill sources said the budget crisis was not getting any worse. But happy days aren't here just yet. A $2 billion structural state budget deficit isn't going away until the state deals with its revenue shortfall. An early retirement incentive will cost our public colleges and U.Mass hundreds of faculty and staff positions with a 20 percent back fill restriction in effect until June, 2005. Colleges are certain to be using (and abusing) more adjuncts as they are pressured to serve more students in a state which is making headlines for the largest cuts in the nation to both public higher education and student aid. At press time, Romney has won a Pyrrhic victory over U.Mass. President William Bulger, forcing the former Senate President to resign while leaving the system weaker politically than it has been in years. The governor, who reminds me more and more of the Wilde aphorism - "He knows the price of everything but the value of nothing" - is now reviving his reorganization proposals while holding closed door meetings with state managers to share his vision of how state government "can be improved." This is not good news for rank and file state workers, and threats to Chapter 150E and other union busting proposals are sure to follow. We are faced with many challenges on the political action front. Higher ed. contracts, including our own contract extension, are not funded. The 03 retirement buyback and part-time pension and health insurance bills won't move until the revenue picture improves. Another round of budget cuts is certain for FY '05 unless the legislature acts soon to increase taxes. Here's how you can help. First, volunteer at a State House Watch. Each Tuesday 10 or more MCCC volunteers will do informational picketing and lobby legislators about contract funding and taxes. Sign up sheets are available from your chapter officers. Next, join us at Romney Watch event. Each week Higher Education Unions United will picket the Governor's appearances at what are normally friendly press events and photo ops. Watch your email for details. It's time to take the battle to the Governor. It's time to ask why the state has broken its promise to fund our contracts. It's time to ask why the state allows corporations to shelter between $400 million and $503 million (a third or more of the corporate income taxes collected last year), in potential state revenues. It's time to ask why Massachusetts trails most of the nation in support for public higher education. In Romney's first budget year, the outrages go on and on. Our community colleges have been cut by 15.4 percent. Education and local aid accounts have been slashed. Tax increases are said to be off the table while fees have been increased by the millions. By participating in our political action activities, you'll be helping to stop the nonsense in a state that has lost its way. Justice is overdue and the road ahead of us is difficult, but together we can help bring Beacon Hill back to its senses.

  

Cape Cod Community College members demonstrate outside graduation Graduation Demonstrations MCCC members across the state used their college graduation ceremonies to educate the public about the effect of budget cuts on community colleges. They held posters and distributed union-prepared flyers that detailed the low levels of support Massachusetts contributes to public colleges (49th in the nation). The poster messages ranged from "Support Community Colleges" to "Stop the Cuts&endash;Raise Revenues." The activities were most intense at Cape Cod and North Shore Community Colleges where Lt. Governor Kerry Healy gave the commencement addresses. At Cape Cod members in academic robes stood along the college's entrance road holding posters. North Shore's graduation was held at Salem State College's athletic center. Members positioned their cars at the parking lot entrances with posters in the windows. Wearing MTA's "Stand Up for Public Education" buttons on their robes, they stood at the entrances handing out leaflets to attendees. Healy's speech was essentially the same at both colleges. She urged students to become engaged in public debate and to make an effort to listen to people with points of view different from their own. In both places she left immediately after her speech. When the speech ended North Shore members remained seated and did not applaud. Some MCCC members characterized the speech as "hug a Republican," but others hoped that it was a positive sign that the administration may be willing to work with the colleges before coming up with policies like their failed reorganization. At all the colleges the activities were dignified and not confrontational. Members recognized this is an opportunity to educate a larger body about the commitment we make to our students and the contribution we make to the Commonwealth despite the low support we receive. North Shore Community College members distribute leaflets to graduation attendees.

Christine Coolidge of Mt. Wachusett Community College speaks to the NEA Representative Assembly

Coolidge Shines at NEA By Peter Flynn Chris Coolidge of Mount Wachusett CC took the podium July 5th at the National Education Association Representative Assembly to move New Business Item #22, that the NEA Directors establish a committee to develop an ongoing structure to include NEA and its 2.7 million members in a union shareholder activity nationwide. The committee would push for greater shareholder rights and corporate reform in a large coordinated effort to get the attention of chief executive officers and Board of Directors of corporations in which NEA members and affiliates invest their pension funds. After some largely supportive discussion from the floor the recommendation was supported by a decisive voice vote of the assembly. Coolidge, who appears perennially on the MCCC leadership directory at MWCC, currently serves as their Strategic Action Coordinator. Write Us The MCCC News welcomes your letters and opinion pieces. We do reserve the right to edit them for space and appropriateness. Mail to Donald Williams, North Shore Community College, One Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923 or email Communications@mccc-union.org.

 

Visit The MCCC Online! www.mccc-union.org The MCCC website is the best and most up-to-date source for late breaking developments. Additional documents of interest and import to Day and DCE unit members have been added. The MCCC Webpage is a valuable resource for MCCC updates, job opportunities and linkage to the NEA and MTA resources available to MCCC unit members. Calendars of MCCC meetings, and committee assignments may be found there. The new Day Contract Extension is available in downloadable (Acrobat Reader) format. Other Agreements, including the Distance learning Agreement and the DCE Contract are also downloadable. Updates on the campaign to fund the day agreement will be posted as news breaks. Information about the local chapter leadership may be found on the page. Links to our healthcare insurance providers are also available. Additionally, MCCC events and news are available, as well as "old news" in the form of archived newsletters. Frequent updates on negotiations, links to other higher education sites, and contact information for MCCC officers is also available. Bookmark the site for frequent referral.

Abe Sherf, MCCC Representative to the MTA Board of Directors Report Your Dental Insurance Concerns Anyone having concerns about the Met Life dental plan should report them to: Abe Sherf 402 Paradise Road Swampscott, MA 01907 Fax or Phone 781-592-1330

Know Your Day Contract
September 2003
Aug. 31	Spring 2004 Sabbatical recommendations to Trustees (p.18)
Aug. 29	First day for professional day meetings (p.34)
Sept. 1	Labor Day
Sept. 2	Earliest classes may begin (p.34)
Sept. 15	Unit members receive notice of accumulated sick days (p 13)
October 2003
Oct. 1	Tenure eligibility list distributed (p.30)
Oct. 1	Sick leave bank open (p.12)
Oct. 2	Furnish employer with dues to be deducted per employee (p.10)
Course materials (Form XIII-E2) for Fall 2003 must be distributed to students and submitted to supervisor before end of drop add period. N.B. Dates may vary depending on the first day of classes. Most of these dates are "last date" standards. In many instances the action can be accomplished before the date indicated.