Federalist 1983.9 - SCFT Local 1533

-~-----------=.---------------------------~---------A NMLETTER PUBUSHED I3YTHE STATE CENTER FEDEPATION OF TFACHERSFRESNO CITY COLLEGE • KINGS RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE - VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTERVOLUME XXI NUMBER 1 SEPTEMBER/19B3BRINKSMANSHIP ------or the fine art of alienating practically everyone~A minority of Board members has managed to establisha policy of offending and aggravating at one time oranother and often recurringly nearly every segmentof the public and of the staff. Racial groups havebeen blatantly insulted, the teachers have beenalternately harrassed and ignored, administratorshave been manipulated and misinformed, the desiresof student groups have been ignored, taxpayers haveseen their money squandered on non-academic projects,classified staff members have suffered from bullying and insecurity,citizens- living in the neighborhoods near the school have been alienated,whole communities in the District have raised continuing protests againstprecipitous actions by the Board.If you don't believe all this, review past issues of The Fresno Bee andother publications -- including the New Yorker!If you don't believe the press -- read the Board minutes!What is to be done?How can this catastrophic mismanagement be stopped? What can be done toalleviate the brinksmanship, the constant high-tension, crisis-oriented,siege mentality of the Board?At least part of the answer is in political action. By financialcontribution, by communication, and by voting, you can help replacethose Board members who have created such acrimoniousness with citizenswho are calm, reasonable, well prepared and who come to the Board not toalienate and dominate, not to contribute to the budgets of an endlessstream of consultants, but to enhance education.Our Board is not typical!There is nothing inevitable about the kind of conduct demonstrated bysome members of the Board. It doesn't happen that way in other Districtsaround the state. We are remarkable, unique, spectacularly notorious.Other Boards have not found it necessary to demoralize staff and offend

the public. Collective Bargaining and financially difficult times do notinvariably result in panic and deception.Where political act ion worksIn Districts around the state teachers have made concerted effortsto remove Board members who have not served well the cause of education.In alliance with other groups of varied political and social interests,teachers have effected educational reform. In a District such asours, where a few members hold inordinate power over the policiesand practices, it is vital that a group of citizens unify to realignand reconstitute the Board. Such a coalition would by nomeans be dominated by teachers or by those of one policiticalpersuasion. The idea is not just to get Board members whowill give teachers big raises. It is to get Board memberswho will repair the damage in public and staff relationsperpetrated by some former members, to elect members who arenot emeshed in the former hierarchical Board structure.What results can you expect?We can't expect that any new Board members we help elect willtake our side on every issue. All we ask is a fair hearing, anequitable distribution of District funds, better relations withthe staff and public, and more support of academic programs.Perhaps that is a lot to expect, but as the Board is presentlyconstituted and without ~ew members, we are just going to getmore of the same old brinksmanship, rancor and insecurity.sePTExecutiveCouncilFEDERALISTTOM TYNER, P~~identED PERKINS, Vi~e-P~~ident/Student A66~MARY EASTON, Rep~e~entativeat LangeCALVIN BELL, Rep~~entative at LangeNORBERT LARSEN, Rep~e~entativeat LangeTANYA LISCANO, Vi~e-P~~ident/C.O.P.E.DONNA McKITTRICK, Rep~e~entativeat LangeJUNE POOL, Rep~e~entativeat LangeRICHARD HOFFMAN, Rep~e~entativeat LcuLgeVIC OKKERSE, Labo~ Retatio~DERL KEEN, Rep~~entative at LangeJIM PHILLIPS, Se~~etany/T~e~~~RICHARD VALENCIA, G~evan~eCHARLES LYNES, A~ademi~ A66~THE FEDERALIST IS PUBLISHEDMONTHLY BY THE STATE CENTERFEDERATION OF TEACHERSJLOCAL 1533. LETTERSJ COMMENTSJAND SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYSWELCOMED. ANY ARTICLES FORPUBLICATION MUST BE SUBMITTEDTO ANY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBEROR TO THE EDITORJ PAUL KASERJ(KRCC). LETTERS MUST BE SIGNED.JOIN UP TODAY'

~-~~~~~--,=.=~~~---- ..~~-.-------------------------l------------------------------------'t'""omtynerWelcome back to school. I hope you had a prosperous and totally relaxing summer.Let me bring you up to date regarding Federation activity this summer that willcarry into the semester and affect us all.A political action committee met regularly during the summer to search out andinterview prospective candidates for the upcoming Board of Trustees election inNovember. We wanted to have candidates ready to present to the Executive Councilfor endorsement consideration as early as possible. I feel the committee wassuccessful in coming up with the best available candidates in three out of thefour areas based on their qualities and electability. We did not find a goodcandidate to run against Hiroaka in Area "3.We are starting campaigning early this time in order to have a measurable impacton the voters. We are forming a larger coalition of educators and other citizenscalled "Citizens for Better Education." This committee will be endorsing candidatesand will be involved in fund raising activities. We have contacted a campaignconsultant in Los Angeles who has been successful with school board elections,and we are going to use the money raised in the most effective ways possible.For the first time in recent history, we have a chance to change the makeupof the Board for the better. We have a chance to elect some people who are notagainst collective bargaining, who care about education and students, and whocare about employees. The only way we can be successful is to raise the kind ofmoney necessary to win a community college campaign. That is why the "CenturyClub" campaign was started, and that is why we need help from every employee inthe district. If we as educators are not willing to pay the price to do somethingabout the Board of Trustees and the problems its leadership has caused thisdistrict, then we deserve the Board members that we get. We must be willingto help ourselves.We began negotiating reopeners for this school year in June. The issuesare basically wages and benefits. We accomplished little since thefunding situation from the State has been so up in the air. We are waiting nowto see what the legislature is going to do to fund SB 851, the bill which givescommunity colleges a cost of living increase. We are committed to a full twelvemonth retroactive raise for all faculty when we do resolve the issue, and weare committed to maintaining fully paid benefits. We have been listeningto a number of insurance pitches from companies presenting options to the traditionalhealth insurance program. Most of the programs are somewhat cheaper, maintainthe same benefits, but contain a restricted panel of doctors and hospitalsthe participants must use. We will be considering some of these plans asoptions to our current plan (not to replace it), and we will keep you informed.Rumors have been spreading about an "early retirement" program we have beennegotiating. We presented an "early retirement" proposal in July and receiveda counter two weeks ago. We are fairly close on a number of the particulars,but the program has not gone to the Board of Trustees nor the AFT Executive Council.If things work out as we hope they will, we could be presenting an interestingprogram to you for ratification some time in September. We'll keep you posted.I-------------------PRESIOENTJSL---------------------CORNER

\Jot ~ griev3ll.Ce?OI1e. on the. nUl1cUom on the. Fe.deJtaUol1 JA to mak.e. .6Wl.e. the. c..on.tJtac..tJA ptLopeJL.tye.l1nolLc..e.d. A c..on.tJtac..t.i6 0 n Ville. woJLth 1"6,il 1.6 allowe.d to be. v10.e.ca.e.d bye.,UheJt .61de..In you alLe.~nvolve.d ~n what may be. a c..ontJLac..tv~o~on by manageme.nt, you maywant to nile. a g~e.vanc..e.. To get mnOJLmaUon on the. gue.vabilay on YOWl.plLoble.m,you .6hould c..ontac..t one. on the. "6,OUOW~Vlg pe.ople.:Richard Valencia, Grievance Chairman, FCCJim Phillips, Grievance Chairman, KRCCTom Tyner, AFT/SCFT PresidentIn you have. a g~e.vable. c..a.6e. (and we. le.an he.av~y on OUlLe.xc..e.Ue.nt le.gal c..oume.lto advJAe. U.6), we. will be. wilh you all the. way thJwugh the. b~ndlng alLbillLationPlLOc..e..6.6 111 the. c..on.tJtac..t, OlL at le.a.6t to that po~nt that lLe..601~on JA lLe.ac..he.d.Thniline.M JA ,ljnpoJLtant ~11 lLe..601vmg a ~e.val1c..e..6atJA nac..to~y, .60 ple.a.6e. c..ontac..t.6ome.one.a.6 .60011 a.6 you aJLe.awalLe.on a pOM~ le. PlLOle.m.In yOWl..6iluatiol1 JA not g~e.vable., L e.., ~n a .6pe.uMc.. .6e.cUon 06 the. c..on.tJtac..tha.6 not be.e.n v~olate.d, we. will .6~ :tJty to do what we. c..an to help lLe..601ve. the..6auatiol1. We.will tak.e. the. plLoble.m tf'iJwugh :the. c..omuUatWn PlLOc..e.M ~11 the.c..on.tJtac..tthat aUOW.6 nOlL the. he.aJLA..l1g on plLoblem.6 thal alLe.n't te.c..hMc..aUy gJLJ..e.vable..We.will he.lp ~11 al1Y way we. c..al1to lLeme.dy a .6iluatiol1 :that hW1.t.6 you OlL yOUlL.6tude.nt.6.G'VEus A HAND!!-000-MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE OF YOURFELLOW FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED ONEHUNDRED DOLLARS OR MORE TO THE IICITIZENS FOR BETTER EDUCATION IIFUND FOR THE ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS --WON'T YOU HELP YOUR COLLEAGUES ELECT THE BESTYOU CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO!!!Make out checks to IICitizens for Better Education llGive your check to Don Wren/FCC or Jim Phillips/KRCCCANDIDATES FOR OUR BOARD?YOUR CANDIDATES CAN'T BE ELECTED WITHOUT GENEROUS FINANCIAL SUPPORTTHE UNION - LOCAL 1533 - CANNOT SPEND DUES MONEY FOR POLITICAL SUPPORT-- WE NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS --ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS OR MORE WOULD BE GREAT!BUT PLEASE G IV= ;j-jATEVERYOU CAN AFFORDTO ELIC( ;ETTER BOARD MEMBERS-000--000-"OINTHE CENTURY CLUB

YOUR CAIDIBIT_.THE CITIZENS FOR BETTER EDUCATION COALITION IS SUPPORTING THEFOLLOWING THREE CANDIDATES FOR S.C.C.C.D. BOARD. WON'T YOUPLEASE JOIN US IN HELPING ELECT THESE HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATESTO THE BOARD?-WARRENKESSLER(Running against David Creighton) Warren is a philosophy instructorfrom CSUF. Former President of the United Professors at CSUF andformer President of the United Professors for all Cal StateUniversities, he has negotiated co~tracts for librarians and counselorsand managed the million dollar State UPC budget. He has also beenGrievance Chairman for CSUF. Warren has a broad base of popularsupport thanks to his record of participation in community groups anddedication to academic standards.ALEXCORREA(Running for Coke Hallowell's vacant seat) Alex, an FCC graduate,has a solid reputation with a wide range of citizens' groups andas a labor commissioner in the Fresno Cdunty office. As a mediator,fact-finder, and hearing officer, he has dealt with many managementand labor disputes. He is an expert in the collective bargainingprocess and is considered by management and labor groups to be a fair,honest and reliable mediator. Having first-hand knowledge of theworkings and purposes of community colleges, he is dedicated to thepreservation of academic quality and responsible governance at thelocal level.WILLIESMITH(Running for Ed MosLey's vacant seat) A Fresno attorney, WillieSmith has the respect and support of many segments of the population.He is a graduate of UCLA, active in groups in the Black community, amember of the SCCCD Personnel Commission and has been a negotiatorfor both labor and management groups. He is noted for his expertisein collective bargaining and his understanding of the functions ofthe community college in relationship to the needs of the areas served.***********As you can see, none of these is strictly' a labor candidate; but allhave extensive experience with bargaining and a clear understandingof the laws involved. All are interested in maintaining the qualityof community college education. All are aware of the value of thecolleges to the communities served and are interested in honest andjudicious budget management for the District. Won't you help us electthem? Make your checks payable to "Citizens for Better Education" andgrve them to Don Wren at FCC or Jim Phil~ips at KRCC.

Let's Hear It For RATCLIFFEThere is no need to rehash all events surrounding the Ratcliffe scheme thathave unfolded since August, 1982, but to make sure that we have it right, we shouldreflect on a few items just one more time. Okay? What started out as a ratherstraightforward fund raising scheme seeking citizen donations to refurbish RatcliffeStadium has recently taken an exciting turn and that is that Fresno City Collegehas suddenly found its identity as the rock concert capital of central California.And for that we can be proud and pleased, particularly when the rock concert successand the fund raising pleas have gone so nicely hand-in-hand. Admittedly, we havenot been renowned for our educational mission but now we have found fame and fortunethrough a vehicle of major importance to young people and much more meaningfulthan our mundane classroom offerings. A combined rock concert and sports arenais what we are all about, so let's hear it for Ratcliffe.Now the only problem is that we need a million bucks in order to successfullyfulfill our mission of recreating the old stadium into RATCLIFFE ROCK CONCERT ANDSPORTS CENTER. Happily, rock concerts will show us the way, and luckily so, sincemost of us were less than generous when we were hit up for donations last fallto start the ball rolling for "Rally for Ratcliffe." Our generosity was a greatdisappointment to the planners and promoters of the Ratcliffe scheme. In themeantime the board of trustees in its deliberative wisdom spent $4,000 on asurvey, discovering that the public would generously donate even if we did not.This unchallenged discovery caused our fiscally prudent board to cough up $60,000to a crowd of professional fund raisers who, by the way, had done the survey andthen assured us that all they needed was seed money in order to raise nearly$1,000.000. The $60,000 was forked over last summer but by the end of the yearthere was little to show in the way of success, partly, no doubt, because thesurvey failed to point out that sports interest in Fresno is totally invested inthe Red Wave of Fresno State University -- new football stadium, new baseball stadium,seats in Selland Arena and membership in the Bulldog Foundation. Ticket salesfor Fresno City College football, basketball, and baseball would hardly keep afamily of four in groceries, but somehow there was supposed to be a lot of peoplearound ready to invest in Ratcliffe. To invigorate the slumping campaign the fundraiser's bungalow on campus was freshly painted on one side to look good ontelevision and in early February a super two-month fund drive got underway witha media event luncheon at the Hilton Hotel.Sadly, the money failed to flow in as predicted and by the end of June expenseshad reached an excess of $120,000 and income, mostly in pledges, was about $170,000.The fund raisers came back to the board on June 28 stating that the campaign momentumhad been "slow in maturing." They warned that stopping the campaign would createadverse publicity and all they needed was an additional $28,600 to see this thingthrough. The finance committee of the board had already decided on the same figure,so without discussion the fund raisers were handed the cash and ordered to reportback in four months, just time enough to sponsor four super rock concerts. As youknow, we are halfway there with two smashing successes so far, one on July 9 andthe other on July 31. September 11 is the next date for an earthshaking concert,this time featuring The Police. The fourth concert has not been set as yet butit all really boggles the mind when you think about it. The two concerts to datesucked up around $750,000 gross with the Ratcliffe scheme sharing in the net tothe tune of $50,000. Look at the potential: Here's where the big bucks are, notin donations from "Friends of Ratcliffe" who have been difficult to find, but inrock concerts. Of course the rock promoters are ecstatic in finding a great untappedgold mine of suckers willing to pay $15.00 to $20.00 a ticket to stand around inthe sun and listen to elevated noise. At a $25,000 share per concert, simplearithmetic shows that we need sponsor only 35 more concerts to reach our goal ofa million bucks, and if those people living near the stadium don't like all the

noise and crowds and trash and pissing in the streets, they can just move somewhereelse. Anyway, property values will climb because there are plenty of young peoplewho would like to enhance their education by living near Ratcliffe, and maybe evensome older folks who support rock concerts. We don't want unhappy neighbors aroundCity College; we just want to make friends in the community.So you see, with the fund raising crowd hard at work just as long as the Boardcontinues to write the checks for expenses and seed money and our administrationand board working closely with the rock concert promoters and the rest of us givingmoral support while doing the less important things like teaching, we will oneglorious day be dedicating the pride of Fresno City College -- RATCLIFFE ROCKCONCERT AND SPORTS CENTER.dave hendrickson:0ru~~]~~~~~~I~~i~Letters\' .' :",.,~~ .i.Scuttling community colleges~In regard to the state budget situation for community colleges, I believeit is very important for your readers to understand that the governor'scuts for community colleges amount to more than four ·times as much as 'the amount that could be collected this year if the governor's proposed.tuition were implemented.The arithmetic runs like this: The governor's budget proposed to collect$110 million from students for the whole 1983-84year, minus $10 million tobe put into financial aid. Net whole-year savings: $100 million. However,because some colleges have already begun their terms, it is too late inpracticality and fairness to institute a tuition for the fall term. If thegovernor's proposed level of fees were instituted in the spring, the statewould net only $50million.But the governor slashed $232million from community colleges. This 20Ipercent blue-pencil reduction comes right after a $30 million cut last year,I and a five-year period since 1978 when community colleges' actualrevenue-per-student has shrunk by about one-fourth. This is not a questionof cutting "fat." This is a budget cut sufficiently drastic to alter the basicnature and scope of community college education in California., The issue is not simply tuition, yes or no. Community colleges in this~Istate have reached the end of the rope after five years of increasinglyIserious underfunding. Unless additional revenues are found, the >-3magnitude of the governor's cuts - even if tuition comes - could scuttle i" JAMES M. TATUM; forever California'S .claim to th~ .f~ne~t and !'"ost acc~ssible comm~nity. president, Board of Governors:. college system - built by l?cal ~mtJatlv~s.- III the nation. The real issue: California Community Colleges.t. is whether the people of Califorrua are willing to see that happen. :f.

The American Federation of Teachers and its many localsto watchdog educational standards and teachers' rights.are examples of the union's efforts in these regards.continueBelowBy STACY Eo PALMERWASHINGTONCollege teachers are not expectedto be significantly affected by a recentSupreme Court ruling that publicemployees who complain abouttheir working conditions are not protectedby the First Amendment'sguarantee of free speech.The 5-t0-4 decision came in a caseinvolving charges by a New Orleansassistant district attorney. SheilaMyers, that her constitutional rightswere violated when she was fired immediatelyafter distributing a questionnaireabout office practices to hercoworkers.Faculty-union leaders questionedby The Chronicle-last week said that,while they were disappointed by theIruling, they did not think it wouldcurtail teachers' rights to speak outon matters of public policy.Several labor groups, including theNational Education Association andthe American F,eda5tiop of Teachers(A.F.L.~.Q.), had asked theCourt to rule in Ms. Myers's favor.Arguing that internal office policiesinfluence an official's ability toserve the public, Ms. Myers said heruse of the questionnaire should havebeen viewed as an exercise of freespeech.But the Supreme Court held thather actions could properly be consideredinsubordinate and, as a result,they constituted a personnel matterthat should not be subject to judicialreview. Although public officialsshould "be receptive to constructiveFrce-:Speech Ruling Seen HavingLittle Effect on College Teacherscriticism," the Court said, "the FirstAmendment does not require a publieoffice to be run as a roundtable for'employee complaints over internaloffice affairs."Writing for the majority, JusticeByron R. White said public workerswould continue to be protected whenexpressing opinions on public policy.Robert F. Chanin, general counselfor the National Education Association,said the ruling "does not alterthe basiclegal principle" that publicemployees should be free to expressopinions about matters of public interest.Because most disputes over freespeech at colleges and universitiesare clearly related to public policy,Mr. Chanin said he doubted that thedecision would be applied to casesinvolving faculty members.But it does demonstrate a continuing"trend of conservatism" in thecourt's application of the FirstAmendment, according to WilliamW. Van Alstyne, professor of constitutionallawat Duke University.While there was "nothing shocking"in the outcome of the case, saidMr. Van Alstyne, who is also a memberof the American Association ofUniversity Professors' Committee Aon Academic Freedom and Tenure,court decisions that continue to"weaken" free-speech rights couldprompt greater interest in collectivebargaining at public institutions.Implicationsfor ContractsIf faculty members consider constitutionalprotections to be "lessTeachers group suesHISD6y EMILY GRO'l'l'A desegregation case since early 1979..rest Reporter 11FTPresident John O'Sullivan saidthe new evaluation procedure adopted by: The Houston Federation of I~ the board in October forces teachers towed tM Houston lDdepenaent liOOr use a single method of teaching -' aOistrict Monday, charging a new teacher method that forms the basis of theevaluation proce

"......,,=~------~~~--~-'~-..-.--.-~- ..-.;_ .._._----_ .._-----,,--_ ....._-----------------:Nation's schools, ," ,!flunked ·by reportI . - .I----~------------By PAULA BERNSTEINEdutallo" Editor ,harmed education and forced out the 'master-teacher program under whichbest teachers by insisting on equal pay 'selected top teachers would earnregardless of ability. $40,000 a year extra.Unions "have promoted the princi- Sandra Feldman, executivedir~ctorThe nation's schools are in trouble pie of equal pay, or at best, a differen- ;of the United Federation of Teacherson all fronts, a report from a research '. tial pay scale that primarily takes into here; 'Sftid" t!TE!"''T~rrt1rFs-CO,ncruslOnsgroup that studies policy issues said account educational background and 'about unions were wrong.yesterday. 'seniority, thereby limiting the financialincentives available for rewarding ; "Compare the quality of teaching in"By 'almost every -measure-the.commitment and competency of superior professional work." .New York City, where we have one ofteachers, student test scores, truancy , The report said collective bargain- ~he 'strongest teacher unions in the'and dropout rates, crimes of violence-. ing discouraged promising teachers !country, and throughout the South,the performance of our schools falls and forced many of the best to leave, iwhere they .do not have strong unions,far :short of expectations," said the ' classrooms for higher pay.jor no unions at all," she said. "Through'report from the Twentieth Century, "The result is that the quality of' icollective bargaining, we 'are able toFund.' teaching suffers," said the report by -.;getbetter salaries and fringe benefits."It urged the federal government "to , seven _e,ducators headed by RObert": She said the UFT opposed merit-payassume leadership for' the publicWood, d.lrector of urban studies at t~: ,lprograms when supervisors c;leCided,on,schools" by funding English literacy University of Massachusetts I .jmaster teachers. But she said the-union'projects and emphasizing science andAmherst. " ,ihad an open mind about "fair, objectunathprograms.THE TASK FORCE recommended 'ive and educationally sound designathatthe federal government create a"_:!!ons" of master .teachers. I THE REPORT said unions. had,_From the New York Daily News