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This is a page where items no longer timely, but possibly still useful, are retired from the home page.
To see a copy of the current bylaws, click here.
The newest issue of HCAFA's newsletter, the Harper Adjunct Advocate, has an important update about professional development pay.
There's also news about how personal paid leave for part-time librarians and counselors will be handled by the College.
It has been distributed to mailboxes at Harper College and is also available here for download as a PDF.
Elections will be held at our March 14 HCAFA meeting from 3-5pm (at the IEA Palatine office).
Nominations are still being taken via email for the election of HCAFA's delegate to the Illinois R.A. in March - send your nomination to Arlene Bublick at arlenebub@sbcglobal.net.
The official voting will take place at the Palatine IEA office (553 N. North Ct., Suite 210). Please call the IEA office for
directions: 847 359 0300 Nominations for those wanting to go to the IEA RA in March are being taken until December 5. It’s being held
For more information go to the IEA website http://www.ieanea.org/
Please submit your name or anyone else’s that you have asked and has said would like to go.
The attendee at the Illinois RA usually goes to the NEA RA, which is always held over the July 4 weekend.
This year the NEA RA will be in Washington D.C. Send Nominations to Arlene Bublick via e-mail.
arlenebub@sbcglobal.net
Follow this link (or the one in
the header) to download a PDF copy of the 2006-10 part-time Librarian/Counselor
contract. Just a reminder - the contract for adjunct faculty is also online here. On Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, the IEA's Higher Education
Council hosted a statewide higher education conference, featuring workshops on
topics like grievances and filing for unemployment, as well as a keynote speech
by Scott Jaschik of the website Inside Higher Ed. There were many
opportunities to network as well - HCAFA sent Ilona Sala, our president, and J.J.
Pionke, division rep in Liberal Arts. Frank Brooks also attended,
representing HCAFA as well as RAFO (the Roosevelt University adjunct
union). You can view a slideshow of pictures of some of the attendees on
the IEA
website - both Ilona and J.J. are included! For those of you unable to make the meeting on September 19, follow the link
below for our summary of the presentations on Social Security and SURS.
These minutes of the highlights of the meetings were taken by members of the audience for the purpose of informing those
unable to attend. As none of the note takers is an expert in either SURS or Social Security, please be advised that some
of the information may not be presented correctly or completely. It is our suggestion that you use these notes as a starting
point.
:More information is available by contacting either SURS or SS. (Contact information is included in the notes.)
Notes
on the SURS and Social Security Presentations
We are happy to inform you that the demand to bargain the impact of the change in working
conditions for faculty in the ESL Department has been successfully resolved. Although HCAFA
cannot determine the college policy, it can work with the College to mitigate the impact of the
change in policy. Our concern was regarding the College's adding an additional finals week to
the semester as of spring 2007. We are satisfied that with this settlement, those adjuncts who
were working at Harper and other places before the change in policy went into effect will be able
to meet their commitments in the future.
Nominations for IEA R.A. delegate
ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
March 8 - 10, 2007
Hyatt Regency O'Hare
Rosemont, Illinois
Librarian/Counselor Contract Now Online
HCAFA Represented at IEA Higher Education Conference
Notes on the SURS/Social Security Presentation (Sept. 19)
Update on extension of semester in ESL
Dear ESL Faculty:
Anyone who is interested in these positions please either nominate him/herself or anyone else who has expressed an interest. Please e-mail the nominations to Arlene Bublick, who will place the names on a ballot. Please do this by October 12, 2007.
Voting will be held on Friday, October 26 from 3:15 to 5:30 at the IEA office during the scheduled HCAFA executive meeting.
At the 2004 NEA Representative Assembly, a "new business item" was passed, calling on the NEA to develop an action plan to deal with organizing and serving contingent workers in higher education. Research for the report was conducted between 2006 and 2007 and the report was drafted in the spring of 2007 and discussed at the Higher Education conference in San Diego in March (several Chicago-area activists were involved in that discussion). The NEA Executive Committee presented the report to the 2007 Representative Assembly in Philadelphia (Ilona Sala was our delegate) and the report was approved and will now go into an implementation phase. To read the report for yourself, click here or follow the link to NEA's website:
http://www2.nea.org/he/leaders/images/contingentplan.pdf
The NEA Higher Ed website also has a page on Contingent Faculty Resources, with links to NEA publications: http://www2.nea.org/he/contingent.html
In a web survey done of HCAFA members, 76% of those responding were in favor of HB 1434, the bill in the Illinois General Assembly that would fund Harper College’s baccalaureate initiative.
The winner of the drawing at the April 30 membership meeting is Paul Casbarian. His dues will be picked up by HCAFA for the fall semester. Congratulations!
President: Ilona Sala Vice President and Grievance Chair: Anna Lewis Treasurer: Janice Cutler Secretary Arlene Bublick
These people have been elected as division representatives for the term of August 2007 to August 2008:
TMS: Dale Hugo (CHM/PHS), Krish Revuluri (MATH.) HCPS: Beth Nudelman (NUR) LIBARTS: Larry Price (ART), Charmian Tashjian (MUS), JJ Pionke (ENG) AE/LS: Rob Alexander (ESL), Julie Ponce (AED), Taimi Wilk (AED), Jackie Leo (DAS) BUS/SS: Megan Peterson (SOC)
Please join us for our first get-together of the semester!
Food, Fun, Fellowship, and information!
Thursday August 23rd:
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. , in Z 102
Learn about what the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association (your union) does for you! Come and meet your adjunct colleagues and join them for great goodies, group greetings, and gobs of information!
All adjuncts are welcome!
If possible, please RSVP by 9/14/07 to Arlene Bublick at abublick@harpercollege.edu.
We hope to see you there!
To download the flyer for this event, click here.
It has come to the Association’s attention that Harper College has been disputing our rights under the contract during the summer term. As a result, some college divisions refused to pay our members a $50 stipend for cancelled classes (as per Article 9.6 of the contract) stating that our contractual rights did not extend to the summer term.
In response to Harper’s denial of the stipend and its claims that the summer term was not covered under the contract, HCAFA has filed a Memorandum of Understanding with Harper College to clearly state the Association’s position with respect to contract coverage in the summer term.
In addition, last week representatives of the Grievance Committee met with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Director of Human Resources to discuss the issue of the summer term in general and the college’s refusal to pay the $50 stipend in particular.
As a result of this meeting, the college has agreed to reimburse those members whose summer classes had been cancelled and who had not been paid the stipend.
If you are one of the affected adjuncts, you should be receiving the payment soon. In case you have not received the payment by the end of the semester, please contact the Grievance Committee at: grievance@harperadjuncts.org.
Also, if you believe that your rights under the contract have been misinterpreted or violated with regard to the summer term, please immediately contact the Grievance Committee or one of the HCAFA officers.
In order to fully understand the Association’s position and your rights in the summer term, please read the Memorandum of Understanding.
The struggle for fair share started with the College’s refusal to acknowledge HCAFA membership certification, which equaled their denial of our right to fair share and constituted a violation of Article 3.4 B of our contract.
For months HCAFA had tried to resolve this issue without resorting to the grievance procedure, and only when those attempts had failed, did we file a formal grievance with the Vice President of Academic Affairs. In the complaint we presented what we believed were strong and reasonable arguments to support our claims of a contract violation. Unfortunately, the College refused to reconsider its stance on this important issue and yet again denied us the right to fair share. Faced with such unrelenting opposition, we had no choice but to refer the grievance to the College President.
The Level 3 formal grievance filed with President Breuder has been resolved in our favor.
From now on HCAFA has the right to assess a fair share fee on those adjuncts that are eligible to join the union but refuse to pay membership dues as per stipulations in our contract. (The Fair Share fee is only slightly less than full membership dues and does not ensure all the benefits afforded to dues paying members.)
It is a huge step towards making our Association even stronger than before.
The Grievance Committee would like to thank those of you who supported us during this difficult fight: the members of the Executive Committee, the division reps, and all those members who expressed their support for the Grievance Committee in numerous emails to HCAFA officers and IEA.
It is because of your involvement, encouragement and assistance that HCAFA was able to resolve yet another crucial issue to the benefit of its members.
Sincerely,
HCAFA Grievance Committee
Action Taken by HCAFA to Protect the Rights of Its Members
June 22, 2007
The Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association has been notified recently that some of its members teaching this summer still have not received payment, even though they have been teaching since the beginning of May.
This late payment was unacceptable to HCAFA. The Executive Committee of the Association decided that an immediate action had to be taken on behalf of the affected members.
On June 14, President Arlene Bublick met with Mia Igyarto, the College’s Director of Human Resources to discuss the matter and find a solution acceptable to HCAFA and its members.
As a result of their discussion, the following has been decided:
Please notify the Association if the problem you faced has not been resolved in this manner.
Sincerely,
HCAFA Executive Committee
Here's a copy of the contract (now cleaned up): 2006-2010 adjunct contract.
If you are absent after you have exhausted all your days off, you will be docked the amount equivalent to the effective time of instruction you have missed.
You have to notify the College about your absence in accordance with instructions in Article 4.5.
You ARE NOT responsible for finding your own sub.
"Days" mean Monday to Friday when credit classes are in session.
Any disciplinary action (other than suspension or discharge) has to be presented to you in writing and is subject to the grievance procedure. When a written notice of disciplinary action is presented to you, you will have to sign acknowledgement of receipt, but such acknowledgement will not signify anything other than receipt of the notice.
Starting in the 2008/2009 academic year, the Association will be able to participate in the development of the classroom observation form used to evaluate our members. (See Side Letter to the Contract)
The College has to assign at least a three-credit-hour class that is most likely to run to our members before providing assignments to other adjunct faculty.
The Dean has the right to decide which class you can teach based on your qualifications, but he can’t arbitrarily not make any assignment at all.
If the College decides that your teaching qualifications have ceased to meet its academic credential requirements, you will have the right to have your academic credentials and performance evaluations reviewed by the committee consisting of the College’s Chief Academic Officer, your Dean, the HCAFA President and the Grievance Chair. (See Side Letter to the Contract)
The amounts shown on the schedule will be paid for each contact hour of instruction that is consistent with the number of credit hours assigned to a course. One credit hour equals 50 minutes of instruction.
You are to be compensated according to the negotiated rate of pay regardless of how many students are enrolled in your class (except large size classes).
Our members will receive a $250 stipend if the class cancellation will result in the member not receiving any assignment for the semester.
The funds (up to $320 per member per fiscal year) will be available to those members who provide at least 3 credit hours of instruction in the semester in which the expenses occur.
Download the flyer here.
Ken Swanson, president of the Illinois Education Association has recently sent an email to IEA members urging them to contact Illinois state senators to urge support for Governor Blagojevich's "Tax Fairness Plan." This bill, also supported by Senate President Emil Jones, is likely to come up for a vote the week of March 26. Here are some excerpts from Swanson's message and links to more information on the IEA's website:
The Tax Fairness Plan would invest 10.5 billion dollars into preschool, elementary, secondary and higher education over four years.
This plan, more than any other, addresses the key needs of public education and it is the only plan that has the support needed to become law.
We have to get behind this plan.
Please, contact your state senator, today and tell him or her they MUST vote for the Tax Fairness Plan. Make it clear that you are a member of IEA and that you expect your senator to support public education by voting for the Tax Fairness Plan.
Attached to this document are links to additional information that also can be found on the IEA Website (www.ieanea.org). Materials include a Q and A about the tax fairness plan and talking points about the plan and how it compares to other plans.
Friends, a great public school is a basic right for every child. Let's give the students and communities of Illinois the future they deserve.
Call your senator today. Let's make history!
Not sure who your state senator is? Go to Project Vote Smart and enter your 9-digit zip code in the box in the upper left of the page and you'll get a listing of all the elected officials representing you. Clicking on your state senator's name will bring up contact and other information.
The I.E.A. has a similar (though not quite as easy-to-use) search box on its legislative page (click on the "View" button next to "My Elected Officials"). They do have more specific information on the officials' education-related positions, however
The Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association/IEA and the Harper Custodial Maintenance Association/IEA are pleased to announce their recommendation for election to the Harper College Board of Trustees.
On April 17, 2007, please be sure to vote for:
Shirley Forpe
When you vote, you are voting to support high quality teaching and learning conditions for students and your colleagues at Harper College.
If you want to maximize her chances of winning, "bullet vote" for her (that is, vote ONLY for her).
Maine Township High School District 207
Palatine District 15
Mt Prospect District 57
Barrington District 220
Free Parking
All adjuncts Welcome
Saturday, April 21
A conference to ask and answer questions.
8:00-4:00
Speakers
Discussion groups
Strategizing
The cost is $10 (which will be refunded to union members with proof of attendance) and includes lunch and lunchtime entertainment.
Pay at the door. Make checks out to IEA.
Advanced registration preferred by April 12
Email pam.yeager@ieanea.org or meredith.byers@ieanea.org
Fax 217-698-4711
Become involved in making the changes happen. Don’t keep your knowledge and experience hidden. Share it.
The election will be held Friday, March 16, 2007, 3:30 - 5:30 at the IEA Office, 553 N. North Court. If you would like your name on the ballot, you must apply by sending a resume that is no longer than 50 words. The deadline for your nomination is Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at 4:00 p.m.
Please submit your name and resume explaining the extent of involvement in this educational association to Arlene Bublick, at president@harperadjuncts.org NO LATER THAN 4:00 P.M. Wednesday, March 7.
Arlene Bublick
HCAFA President
Did you get your copy at Harper? At home? If not, download it here.
Remember! Your compensation is based exclusively on the number of credit hours you teach and not on the number of students enrolled in your class (with the exception of larger enrollment classes; see Article 9.5 of the contract). Please refer to Article 9.1 of the Contract.
If you have reasons to believe that you have not been paid according to the negotiated rate of pay as specified in Article 9.1 of the Adjunct Faculty Contract, immediately contact the Grievance Committee via email: grievance@harperadjuncts.org or call Amy Kunz, our IEA UniServ Director at: 847-359-0300.
This letter confirms receipt of the College’s written denial of the grievance claiming a misinterpretation and violation of Article 9.4 Non-Instructional Meeting and Duties in regard to the mandatory ethics training.
In our written complaint as well as at the November 10, 2006 grievance meeting, we submitted that since the ethics training was mandatory in that its successful completion constituted a condition of future employment with Harper, it fell within the scope of Article 9.4 of the Adjunct Faculty Agreement.
We further contended that since in his letter President Breuder encouraged all Harper employees to complete the ethics training during work hours, and since adjunct faculty’s work hours equaled the actual teaching time, adjunct faculty should either be allowed an hour’s release time to complete the training, or be paid $25 - an equivalent of one hour of mandatory meeting “or other non-teaching duties” as set forth in Article 9.4.
We believed that such a resolution of the issue was not only fair but necessary if the College were to prove it stood by its repeated public declarations that it treated all its employees equally.
Before filing the grievance, HCAFA had had numerous conversations with the College Administration in the hope of resolving that issue in an amicable and reasonable way. When those attempts failed, we filed a formal complaint.
Filing a grievance was the only effective way for HCAFA to convey to the College the level of frustration and disappointment felt by adjunct faculty at being treated as “lesser” employees, employees that one day receive a written communication from their President only to find out later that his words are not meant for them.
We also hoped that through the grievance process, we would be able to persuade the College to act in good faith and compensate those Harper faculty members who, unlike full-time Harper employees, had no choice but to complete the mandatory training on their own time.
It would have been a great gesture and a meaningful way for the College to show it had listened to its employees and cared about their concerns.
It is very unfortunate it did not happen.
HCAFA has hereby acknowledged the College’s denial of the grievance and decided not to appeal it at this time. However, HCAFA reserves the right to re-file this grievance in the future based on the same grounds.
The National Education Association has recently instituted a campaign for "Professional Pay." This is focused especially on the inequities faced by education support professionals (ESPs) and contingent faculty (us). This is one of the responses to an "action plan" for contingent faculty mandated at the NEA's Representative Assembly in 2004.
The NEA website includes a page on contingent faculty issues with links to some of its online resources for us. Follow this link: http://www.nea.org/pay/contingent.html. More general information about "professional pay" for higher education is at http://www.nea.org/pay/hepay.html.
| Thursday, January 18, 2007 | OR | Friday, January 19, 2007 |
| 3:00 to 7:00 | 4:00 to 6:00 |
The proposed contract is now available as a PDF download. NOTE: Text that is "struck through" is language from the 2005-06 contract that has been eliminated or replaced. Underlined text is new or revised language.
For further information, contact Amy at the IEA Office: (847) 359-0300.
Here's how to get to the IEA office (from Harper College): Go north on Roselle Rd. 3 miles to Baldwin Rd. Turn right onto Baldwin Rd. and go 2/10ths of a mile to US 14 (W. Northwest Highway). Bear right onto US 14 and 1.9 miles. Turn left onto N. North Ct. and go 1/10 of a mile to 553. Parking in back.
Candidates for Chair:
Candidate for Vice Chair
Write-in Candidates Are Welcomed for All Positions
To vote, Please come to the IEA Office, 553 N. North Court, Suite 210, Palatine, IL
Mon., Dec. 11, 3:00 - 5:00
847 359-0300
Thank you.
HCAFA Executive Committee
Adjunct faculty and their supporters filled seats and stood at the back of a very crowded meeting of the Harper College Board of Trustees on Tuesday, November 14. Anna Lewis, our chief negotiator, urged the Board to work with HCAFA in negotiating a fair and equitable contract as we begin meetings with the federal mediator on Thursday, November 16. She was preceded at the podium by Tom Dowd, Vice President of the full-time faculty union who also urged a fair resolution to the contract negotiations.
HCAFA would like to thank everyone who came out, wore red, held signs and made sure that the Board knew that adjunct faculty, the largest employee group on campus, deserve a contract that treats them equitably.
Here are a few of the pictures taken by Bob Ray. To see a slide show with more, click here (this is a large Windows Movie file (wmv) and may take a little while to download).
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Good evening Madam Chair, Respected Members of the Board, President Breuder, Colleagues and Friends. My name is Anna Lewis and I represent Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association.
We are here tonight to impress upon the Board how crucial it is that adjunct faculty be treated with equity and have a fair contract. For five months now we’ve been negotiating with the college and although we have worked through a number of difficult issues, many are still unresolved. We remain hopeful that through your efforts and ours we will be able to settle our differences and reach an agreement that is beneficial to the entire Harper community.
In order for you to better understand the importance of equity for adjuncts, we have created a comparison of benefits between the adjunct faculty and other contractual groups at Harper. This information is truly revealing. Insurance, Leaves, Professional Development Fund, Fair Share, Salary are the areas where no equity exists for adjunct faculty.
Adjuncts are the largest employee group on campus. They teach more than half the classes at Harper, face the same requirements to provide quality of education as their full-time colleagues, and yet, they are treated as employees of lesser value, ones that do not deserve an equitable salary or benefits that are standard for other Harper employees.
Harper College is committed to providing excellence in education. We fully support this commitment. But, in reality, you can’t run a quality higher education institution in today’s world without having excellent faculty. And you can’t have excellent faculty without providing excellent working conditions. So far two-thirds of Harper’s faculty – adjunct faculty – have been denied the kind of working conditions and benefits commonly provided to professionals.
Other community colleges in the area have already realized the significance of their adjuncts and acted accordingly.
College of DuPage, Oakton Community College, Elgin Community College and some of the city colleges offer salary rates to their adjuncts that have placed Harper far behind them. In addition, these colleges provide professional development funds and other financial incentives to help adjuncts continually increase their qualifications. Harper does not.
College of Lake County, College of DuPage and many city colleges offer their adjunct faculty either full access to their health insurance, or at least some insurance benefits. Harper refuses.
All these colleges respect the fact that unions are obligated by law to represent all their eligible members and, by doing so, incur expenses for which they have to be reimbursed. That’s why they have made Fair Share part of their contracts. Harper rejects this concept.
These are just a few examples of inequities Harper directs toward its adjunct faculty.
We hope this situation will change. We hope that Harper will acknowledge the fact that adjunct faculty are valuable contributors to its success as an educational institution and give them the recognition that they deserve.
In a couple of days we will begin federal mediation. It is our belief that the fresh eyes and expertise of a mediator will help us narrow the divide that has so far prevented a settlement. We promise to work very hard through the mediation process to resolve the outstanding issues. The only thing we are asking for is the equity the college has extended to the other employee groups – the fairness for our adjunct teachers, your adjunct teachers, that is so long overdue.
Thank you.
[This is also available in PDF format]
| FULL-TIME | PROTECH | HCMA | ADJUNCTS | |
|
Health Insurance |
Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Life Insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Short Term Disability | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Long Term Disability | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Dental Insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Sick Leave | Yes, cumulative | Yes, cumulative | Yes | NO |
| Short Term Leave | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Jury Duty Leave | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Bereavement Leave | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Reserve Duty Leave | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Religious Leave | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Time off for Voting | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Long Term Leave/Sabbaticals | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Parental Leave | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Seniority | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Union Activities Released Time | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Professional Development | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Fair Share | Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
| Salary: "6.09% average increase over 11 years"
* Breuder 9/2006 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | NO |
[This is also available in PDF format]
There was a good turnout for the fall semester general membership meeting at Harper on Monday, November 6. Here are the highlights
In a formal letter to all Harper’s employees dated September 6, 2006, Harper’s President advised that the ethics training should be completed during regular work hours and that overtime would not be paid if the training was completed outside of normal work hours. Since unlike other employee groups, adjunct faculty members’ regular work hours equal their actual teaching time, they have to complete the training on their own free time or be afforded one hour of release time. In numerous conversations with the college, HCAFA had contended that if adjunct faculty members were not allowed release time to complete the training, they should be paid $25 upon completion of the training the same way they would be compensated for any mandatory meeting or other non-teaching duties as guaranteed by our contract. The college refused.
Harper’s decision to allow other employee groups to complete the mandatory ethics training on their paid work time while denying adjunct faculty members the same right underscores Harper’s unfair treatment of adjunct faculty members in relation to its other employee groups.
By filing the grievance we have demanded the college’s recognition that all Harper’s employees are equal and deserve the same rights.
The pending grievance does not release you from your obligation to complete the mandatory ethics training as its successful completion is a condition of your employment with Harper.
If you have any questions regarding the grievance, please contact the Grievance Committee.
HCAFA Grievance Committee
As the underpayment of our adjunct members constitutes a violation of the Contract, HCAFA has filed a formal class action grievance demanding that such practice be rescinded effective immediately and that all affected adjunct members receive back pay.
If you have reasons to believe that you have not been paid appropriately, as per the compensation schedule in Article 9.1 of the Contract, please contact the Grievance Committee via email: grievance@harperadjuncts.org or call Amy Kunz, our IEA UniServ Director at 847-359-0300.
HCAFA Grievance Committee
Meet your fellow adjuncts. Come whenever you can. (Because we recognize that adjuncts have such busy lives, we are scheduling our meeting for 2 hours even though the meeting will only last about an hour. By doing that, we hope you will be able to attend a portion of the meeting if not the entire meeting.)
On the agenda for now (more will likely be added later):
We hope to see you there.
Bargaining between Harper College and the full-time faculty union on Saturday, October 7 has resulted in a tentative settlement. The faculty will vote on it Monday, but the word now is that classes that were cancelled for Monday will NOT be held, but that classes WILL resume on Tuesday, October 10.
For more information, see Saturday's Daily Herald story: http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=236201
The meeting for all adjunct faculty members at the IEA Palatine office on Monday the 9th from 4:00pm to 5:00pm is still on.
The IEA Palatine office is at 533 N. North Court, Suite 210 in Palatine, just off Northwest Highway east of Plum Grove Road (near the Palatine library). Consult the map below. The phone number there is 847 359-0300.
Although HCAFA strongly supports full-time faculty’s right to a fair contract, HCAFA, IEA/NEA is prohibited by Illinois labor laws from encouraging its members to participate in any sympathy strike or action that might disrupt the college.
Since the part-time faculty contract has expired (just before the fall semester began), HCAFA can go on strike once mediation has been used with no success and a ten day notice of intent to strike has been filed with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board.
We have not yet engaged in unsuccessful mediation, and we haven’t filed a 10 day strike notice. Therefore, we cannot go on strike…not even a sympathy strike.
In short, here are the steps that must be taken before the part-time faculty may legally go on strike:
For more information as the strike develops, consider checking the following:
If adjuncts are locked out by the College during a full-time faculty strike (i.e. told to stay home and not paid), we are eligible for an interest-free loan from the IEA for net pay.
However, you must take two actions ASAP (before October 9):
For more information on this (especially to get a member form), send an email to treasurer@harperadjuncts.org.
Here are a few more details:
Check your mailboxes at Harper for the second edition of the Harper Adjunct Advocate. If you don't have a mailbox at Harper or can't wait, click here.
HCAFA members joined members of four other unions at Harper for a Unity Rally on Friday, August 18. Despite the rain, more than two hundred people showed up to send the administration a message that Harper is a "union town." See below for pictures and for a copy of the speech given by our president, Arlene Bublick.
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My name is Arlene Bublick. I am an adjunct faculty member and the president of the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association. I am extremely proud to be here today to represent our very hard working and mostly under-appreciated adjunct faculty. On behalf of all of us, I want to welcome you--especially our distinguished guests.
Today is very gratifying day for me and for many others who have worked hard to elevate the recognition, pay and working conditions of employees at Harper College. How exciting it is to be here with fellow Harper employees—employees of 5 Harper unions--adjunct teachers, full-time teachers, custodial maintenance and pro tech employees, and Harper police! We are not here merely as 5 individual unions; we are here to affirm our unity – a unity that has been earned on the basis of trust and respect.
And though we cherish our independence, at the same time we crave solidarity with other unions
and Harper employees. Why? There are many possible answers, but chief among them is the fact that
the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Through these connections, we experience a spiritual
boost. To strengthen these links, we need to gain a better understanding of each other.
GAINING UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY.
For me, as an adjunct, unity at Harper means working in harmony. It means uniting with all
groups to reach the same goal—cooperating so that all benefit—the students, the community, and all
the employee groups.
COOPERATING IS WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY.
Unity means treating each other as equals. It means putting ourselves in other people’s shoes.
Unity allows us to hear, to understand, what we otherwise would be incapable of hearing or
understanding. To have true unity, there must be a willingness to cooperate.
OUR WILLINGNESS IS WHAT WE ARE AFFIRMING TODAY.
Unity means instead of making unilateral decisions and effectively distancing ourselves and
separating ourselves from others, we are working hard to work together. Simply put, in unity,
the emphasis is on we. We are continuously working together to find that common denominator that
brings all of us in sync, so that we can all maintain our dignity and interact effectively together.
WORKING TOGETHER IS WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY.
As Harper College employees and as citizens, we are fortunate; we have the right of choice. Today we are making the right choice. We choose unity.
It is my hope that the administration at Harper will recognize the value of unity and make the right choice too. The Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association pledges its unified support to that end. Thank you.
Many questions have been raised about how adjunct faculty at Harper College would be affected if the full-time faculty go on strike. HCAFA has sent a letter out to bargaining unit members dated September 26. Follow the link below to see that letter:
HCAFA letter on faculty strike
Copies of HCAFA's Adjunct Advocate went out through campus mail late in the week of Labor Day. For your convenience, it's also available online here as a PDF. Click on the link below. Bonus: with this electronic version, all the hyperlinks work - just click and go.
Because of this, the spousal or survivor benefits you qualify for under Social Security will be reduced by 2/3 of the amount you receive from SURS. This is known as the Government Pension Offset (GPO). For example, if you qualify for $600 per month in Social Security spousal benefits, but would also receive $600 per month from SURS, your Social Security benefit would be reduced by $400 per month. Across the country, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the GPO affects 300,000 individuals by more than $3600 per year.
If you work for Harper and also for another employer (now, in the past, or in the future) where Social Security is withheld, you could also be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). This one is more complicated. As the NEA explains it, the WEP “reduces the factor by which average earnings are multiplied to determine Social Security benefits. How much the factor is reduced depends on when the individual becomes eligible to retire and how many years of earnings he or she has accumulated.” The upshot is that you can reduce your own Social Security benefits by working at Harper (or other public sector jobs with government pensions instead of Social Security).
But, all is not lost! The NEA and a broad coalition of other groups have been lobbying Congress to repeal the GPO and the WEP. There is currently legislation in both the House (H.R. 147) and in the Senate (S. 619) to repeal these provisions. There is strong bipartisan support – the House bill has 316 cosponsors, including all but two of Illinois’s delegation. The Senate bill has 26 cosponsors, including both Illinois Senators.
In both houses of Congress, the bills are still in committee, so pressure is needed to get Congress to bring these issues to the floor and to a vote. The NEA conducted a Nationwide Call to Action on the GPO/WEP Repeal in April, but it’s not too late to contact your own Congressperson. Explain why you think these provisions are unfair and how they would affect you. Thank the person for their support and urge Congress to take action.
The NEA has a webpage where you can easily send an email to the appropriate person in Congress and/or sign an online petition: http://www.nea.org/lac/socsec/offsets.html
Here are some useful links from the NEA website if you want more information:
HCAFA members should have received health care surveys. We need your responses to these so that we can effectively advocate your concerns in contract negotiations with the College. Please take a few minutes to fill out and return the surveys to HCAFA.
Come join the officers, division representatives, and other members of HCAFA for our spring membership meeting. There will be reports from the officers, an update on negotiations and other important information and discussion.
| Hurray! The Fall Semester is Almost Over! | Hurray! We've Got Our 1st-Ever Adjunct Contract! |
| Let's Celebrate! | Let's Celebrate! |
Join Us
Monday, December 5 in Room A242
Or
Thursday, December 6 in Room A243
from 4 to 6pm
For Delicious Food, Door Prizes and a Celebration Gift for All
Meet Your Adjunct Colleagues
Meet Your Union Officers
Meet Your IEA/NEA Representatives
Learn More About Your Union and Contract and Find Out How You can Get Involved!
It took 15 years of organizing, an Illinois Supreme Court decision, an act of the state legislature, and over a year of bargaining, but perseverance paid off August 24 when members of the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association IEA/NEA (HCAFA) ratified their first contract with Harper College.
According to Arlene Bublick, President of HCAFA, the union membership overwhelmingly voted to ratify the agreement reached with the College. "We weren’t certain before the vote that the agreement would pass," stated Bublick. "So when the membership supported it so strongly, we were heartened to know that our hard work had paid off."
Bublick explained that the chief reason the agreement passed was recognition that the union had worked to benefit the members and would continue to do so. "The proposed contract convinced them that union action pays", said Bublick. "We didn’t achieve all of our goals," she added. "But when we compared our results to what we would have had without a union, we felt successful. In compensation alone, we will be receiving considerably more than the $25 per credit hour increase that we have received every year for so many years."
There are a number of other issues addressed in the contract that the adjuncts felt were very important. Bublick stated that the adjunct faculty had achieved success in obtaining some job security and a grievance procedure, among other things. "More than anything," she said, "before we started we were the invisible contributors to Harper’s success. Now adjuncts are very visible and recognized as major contributors to the College."
Bublick declined to give the specifics of the agreement because the contract still needs to be ratified by the Harper Board of Trustees. That is scheduled to happen on August 30th.
"Although the first contract is settled, this is just a start," Bublick told the membership at the ratification meeting. "We still have a number of goals to achieve including salary equity, health insurance, seniority, and fair share. The contract is only for one year. We’ll be back at the negotiating table in just a couple of months."
HCAFA still has to finish negotiating an agreement for a smaller unit of part-time librarians and counselors. Bublick hopes to see that contract completed in a couple of weeks.
Follow the links below for more information:
On Thursday, June 23, HCAFA's President, Vice President, and Treasurer gave presentations to the Harper College Board of Trustees on the two big issues remaining in contract negotiations: the pay scale and fair share. This was covered by the Daily Herald (http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=66391) in a generally-good article. However, readers may be confused by the comparison between full-time salary (averaging $2000 per credit hour) and part-time pay (between $1800 and $2200 per three-credit hour course). Of course, that means that the average full-time faculty member gets about $6000 per course, roughly three times as much as an adjunct. Also, the article stated that fair share might be collected from all 500 adjuncts at Harper. This is incorrect - if it becomes part of the contract, it would apply only to the 300 or so unit members. Below are the statements given by HCAFA officers. If you'd like to see them all together as a PDF file, click here.
Good evening. My name is Janice Cutler. I am a resident of Palatine, a tax payer, a voter in Harper College elections, and a member of the adjunct faculty bargaining unit and bargaining team. I have been employed as an adjunct faculty member in the mathematics department for six years. For the last 5 years, I have taught 3 courses every fall semester and 2 or 3 courses every spring semester.
I am here with my colleagues tonight because, after a year of negotiations, we are on the verge of reaching an agreement. But now we feel we must urge you to act by providing your negotiation team with the flexibility needed to finalize the agreement this month. If you take such action, we will reach an agreement which would be fair to both sides and which would build community pride in this college and its faculty.
Our negotiating team came to the bargaining table on June 29, 2004 with high hopes. We had seen the changes in working conditions achieved by other local adjunct unions which improved both their lives and the quality of their institutions. We were eager to work to achieve similar improvements at Harper. Most of us had little idea of what to expect. So the last year has been a learning experience.
Maybe to their credit, the same can’t be said about the College’s negotiating team. In yesterday’s negotiating session, the college told us that they came to the table last summer with definite ideas of what is appropriate for the contract, and over the course of a year at the negotiating table, they have felt that they successfully had not changed their position. They have negotiated well on your behalf by listening to our interests. They changed very little, and only after we proposed changes incorporating your interests or by our applying pressure on the team through our public presentations to you.
In almost all areas where we have reached tentative agreements, it has been because our team has agreed to accept the College’s version of various clauses. This includes Academic Freedom, Non-Discrimination – where the college even rejected standard language protecting the rights of minorities, Discipline, Seniority, and Access to Personnel Records. If you would like to see how unbalanced this process has been, please review our initial proposals, together with the final agreed-on versions, which are all available on our web site.
After yesterday’s session two major issues remain to be resolved, along with two minor sections. The minor issues demonstrate how inflexible the College has been. One of the minor issues is our request to provide adjuncts with the same rights for tuition reimbursement for family members, as is given to all other employees. The other is to increase the rate for substitute pay by only five dollars as a good faith effort to try to settle the contract.
Considering how far we have come in negotiations, we ask only that, in order for the contract to be settled, the College act in good faith by at least moving beyond their positions on the two important items to the Association – fair share and compensation. The next two speakers will explain why we feel it is the right thing for this board to do at this time.
Thank you.
Good evening. I’m Paul Casbarian, Vice President of the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association. I’m here tonight to talk about the first of the two critical remaining issues blocking our ability to settle our first contract with the college. That issue is called Fair Share.
The Association has asked that the contract include a fair share provision. Fair share was established by the Illinois legislature to allow education unions to collect a fee from non-union members. The fee pays for the services that the union is required to provide them by virtue of the union assignment as the sole bargaining unit representative.
Let me explain the nature of fair share with a comparable metaphor. By virtue of moving into the Harper College District, by law I become eligible to receive services from the College. I may or may not choose to use those services. Regardless of whether I use the services, I still must pay taxes to the college.
Fair share is exactly the same principle. When an employer covered under the state labor act recognizes a union to represent members of that bargaining unit, the union must provide services to all the members of the unit. In fact the college is prohibited from negotiating individually with any member of that bargaining unit. However, the employee doesn’t really choose to use the union’s services, because at a minimum, the union represents that employee’s interests during negotiations. And if other problems arise, such as ones requiring a grievance, the union must be available to provide representation. Fair share is the tax that pays for the cost of these services.
In response to our request for fair share, your negotiators have responded that the elections leading to representation were poorly attended. In fact, they were much better attended than those resulting in your elections and even resulting in increasing taxes for the district. Well over 50 percent of the 3 hour adjuncts voted in the initial representation election. HCAFA won by over 70 percent. It is true that our other elections had lower turnouts. But there are a number of reasons this happened other than a claim that the union was unwanted. For instance, the last election to unify the units was conducted with only about 3 days notice. However, just as in a tax referendum, if people do not show up to vote, it is a tacit statement that they are willing to accept the decision of those who do – including the decision to be represented.
We know that this college is not actually against fair share. There are 4 other unions on campus. All but one, the smallest with about 10 members, have fair share. We don’t know why the Police do not have fair share, but, not counting the adjuncts, 90% of eligible Harper employees are covered by fair share agreements.
Contrary to some of the prevailing notions, fair share is a good deal for the College. It helps with the college’s competitiveness, management, the professional stature of its faculty, and promotion of much of its agenda.
Consider the issue of competitiveness. At this point, all of the area colleges where adjuncts are organized have fair share – and that’s just about all of them. Fair share is no longer a competitive loss when recruiting adjuncts. Instead, since adjuncts work at multiple colleges, unionization and including fare share helps them feel confident that their rights and needs will be protected. By the way, if an adjunct teaches in more than one college represented by the IEA, they only pay the state and national fee once, covering all of their locations.
Fair share also helps the administration with problems that are particular to adjunct conditions. Your negotiators have told us on multiple occasions about the problems they have tracking adjuncts. They are unable to even determine the actual start dates and number of hours taught by some of our adjuncts. Fair share allows us to also track these individuals. And since money is involved, we know we’ll do a good job.
The Administration also has recognized the problems that they have communicating with all adjuncts. Without fair share, we only have the obligation to communicate information to union members on most issues. But with fair share we become a second and dedicated communication channel for the College.
Union membership without fair share sometimes serves to divide the faculty. Fair share enhances faculty relations by unifying the group. It also leads to additional professional development opportunities for all as HCAFA works with adjunct unions from other community colleges to gain resources for its members and fee payers.
Finally, fair share gives us strength in working with the College on promoting the College’s public agenda. HCAFA is part of the Illinois Education Association and National Education Association. We, the adjunct faculty, and by extension, Harper College, have the backing of not only the largest teachers union in the country and state, but also one of the largest unions, in general. Through our vast resources, we can be heard loudly in Springfield and in Washington D.C. This Spring, we stood side by side in Springfield with representatives from your state association of trustees to fight to defend the SURS pension system and demand improved funding for community colleges. In fact, because our representatives were in the room when the recent SURS changes were negotiated we were instrumental in saving SURS from deep cuts. We were also able to instruct our Higher Ed leadership on the changes the week after the law changed.
Some of you may have heard this week from one of the members of your trustee association who supports Fair Share. She offered and attempted to contact some of you because she has seen its value at her college. She hopes that you do not wait until a future contract to experience the benefits that she and your peers experience elsewhere.
No sooner will we enter into this contract, then we will begin negotiations for the new contract. In my talk about fair share, I hope that I have demonstrated to you that Harper College will benefit from agreeing to Fair Share in this contract. I urge you to help us settle this contract by instructing your negotiating team to agree to the Fair Share provisions that we have offered for the contract.
My name is Arlene Bublick. I am here again to speak with you as the President of the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association. I am here to urge you to give the College bargaining team the flexibility to reach a quick end to our drawn-out negotiations. Your actions will recognize the fact that our negotiating team has come a long way in taking concrete and responsible action to reach an agreement with the College.
We believe that the two remaining issues represent a difference in the understanding of the concept of fairness. Paul has already spoken about fairness as it relates to the concept of fair share. I will discuss the term as it relates to the compensation proposals.
It has been made clear to us at the negotiating table that the issue of compensation is not an issue of money. The audited fund balance for Harper College has been increasing annually be it because of the great job increasing enrollment, or the great job of the Foundation, or the fact that we have a growing tax base. You and I have heard at previous meetings the stellar status of the College’s finances.
Our estimated cost of the College’s proposal is about $145 thousand dollars for 300 people – that’s less than the salaries of some individuals at Harper. The cost of our proposal is only about $465 thousand dollars over a period of two years. That is less than 3 tenths of one percent of Harper’s $168 million dollar budget in 2004. So we agree with what we’ve been told that the issue is not that of money.
What we have been told at the bargaining table is that the Board sees the compensation issue as one of fairness, and that the Board has defined fairness as giving all bargaining units the same percent increase for the coming year. This position has limited what the College’s bargaining team has been able to negotiate. So my goal is to encourage you to recognize a different understanding of fairness.
One way to look at fairness would be to say that since adjuncts do the same work as full-time faculty, we should receive the same pay on a per credit hour basis. This was our original proposal and will remain our long term goal.
Another way to define fairness could be to pay lower-paid employees the same dollar increase as the higher-paid employees. That is because when everyone gets the same percent increase, the group at the lowest end actually receives a minimal increase in terms of real dollars compared with those at the upper end of the system. For example, five percent of $8,000 is $400, while 5% of $60,000 is $3000. As time goes on, this difference multiplies. That is what has happened at Harper over the years. We would be happy to agree on this definition of fairness, but because there are so many adjuncts, this, too would begin to cause financial problems for the College.
We have offered a middle road at the negotiating table. To define fairness, we have looked for a benchmark rate for a realistic comparison to the full-time rate--one that was competitive, affordable, and justifiable. We have found an answer by reviewing other schools and considering their adjunct rates as a function of their full-time rates. At the same time, we considered affordability in terms of the tax base of the institution. What we found was Oakton Community College.
Oakton’s tax base in terms of equalized assessed valuation is actually a little less than, but comparable, to Harper’s. And it turns out that the salary schedule for Oakton’s full-time faculty is virtually the same as that for Harper’s. It makes sense to us that having an adjunct salary comparable to Oakton’s represents both a fair and affordable solution to our negotiations.
Based on our discussions with the College, we expect that later you will hear that Oakton’s adjunct faculty compensation rate is the highest in the state. But the administration’s information is based on comparing apples to oranges. Their source, the ICCB (Illinois Community College Board) just gives a comparison of average rates and does not consider other benefits or the distribution of salaries on the schedules. Oakton’s benefits are similar to what we have on the table. But other schools with lower pay rates have higher benefits. For instance, Elgin’s adjuncts receive health insurance. We would very much like health insurance, but we gave up that important demand in our negotiations in order to reach a settlement. When both salaries and benefits are considered, Elgin’s is much greater than Oakton’s.
Finally, there is another way to consider fairness that takes into consideration how much the Board and College values adjuncts. This spring we met with three of you and heard how strongly you value the contribution of our members to the college’s success. We are now asking that you demonstrate your feelings.
If Harper’s full-time faculty are paid on the same scale as Oakton’s, shouldn’t that be the same for the adjuncts as well. Ask yourselves, “Do our adjuncts contribute any less to this college then Oakton’s? Is the quality of of our adjuncts any less than the quality of adjuncts teaching at Oakton?”
You will have an opportunity to demonstrate your pride and the pride of our community in our college during your closed session. We ask that you accept a new understanding of fairness and open up the parameters for your bargaining team so that we can reach a fair settlement in the next few days.
Thank you again for your time and support.
The election results are in from the consolidation election of May 16-17. With only two dissenting votes and two challenged ballots, the vast majority of voters chose to consolidate the units of six-hour and three-hour adjunct faculty. In effect, this means that there is one "three-hour unit," which now consists of over 300 adjunct faculty at Harper College. To qualify for that unit, adjuncts must have taught at least three credit hours over the last three regular semesters (i.e. not including summer) and be teaching at least three hours in the current semester.
HCAFA thanks all those who voted on such short notice and hopes that this will move along the process of contract negotiations.
| Arlene Bublick, ESL (Chair) | Barbara Kraemer, Counselors |
| Frank Brooks, Political Science | Anna Lewis, ESL |
| Paul Casbarian, Paralegal Studies | Larry Price, Art |
| Janice Cutler, Math |
HCAFA recently filed a petition with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board to consolidate its three bargaining units and has reached an agreement with Harper College to hold an election to consolidate the three-hour and six-hour bargaining units. That election will be held on the Monday and Tuesday of finals week. Here are the details:
Dates: May 16 & May 17
Times: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location Harper College Library
Building F, Room 164
We have been seeking consolidated bargaining and consolidated units for many months now and this will begin to address some of the concerns we have with maintenance of inclusion in the bargaining unit.
HCAFA urges you to vote yes (i.e. the first box) if you are currently in either of those bargaining units. If you are unsure whether you're eligible, send an email through the contact button below.
Here's what the ballots will look like (you need to supply the X on the real ballot). If you want to see bigger versions of the ballots, simply click on the images.
| 6-hour ballot | 3-hour ballot |
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For more information on this, consult the newest HCAFA News, a mailing just sent out to eligible voters.
On Tuesday, April 26, 2005, Arlene Bublick made the following statement to the monthly meeting of the Harper College Board of Trustees. As at the March meeting, she was backed up by adjunct faculty taking time out of their busy schedules to attend the meeting.
Today is definitely a Harper day. I began my day this morning having breakfast with Dr. Breuder and the presidents of the 4 other unions at Harper College. The breakfast was very symbolic to me. In my family, the concept of breaking bread together has always been a very important and binding one. That one simple breakfast reinforced my belief that all at Harper College can sit down and work together for a common good. For that gesture of inclusion, I’d particularly like to thank Dr. Breuder.My name is Arlene Bublick. As president of the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association, the largest union at Harper College, I want to speak with you about the need for consolidating bargaining units for all adjunct faculty. Adjunct Faculty are part-time faculty. Today, we represent over 300 adjuncts. But today, these adjuncts have to deal with three separate bargaining units, which is not only a hassle to them but is also a huge unnecessary expense to you and the community.
I am confident that we have found a solution to this problem which will have a positive outcome for everyone involved. It is a solution which I believe you will support. Let me tell you a little more about it. This week, our Association submitted a petition with the Labor Board to consolidate the three adjunct bargaining units into one. I’m sure it has become very apparent to you that the members of the three adjunct bargaining units consider themselves one. Several times now, you have heard adjuncts talk of their moving in and out of the three units with the change of a semester.
As it stands now, the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association is negotiating for 162 adjuncts who have taught at least 3 credit hours for each of the last 4 semesters; we are also negotiating for 133 adjuncts who have taught at least 6 credit hours for each of the last 4 semesters, and we are negotiating for 12 adjuncts who are either librarians or counselors. In all, we are negotiating for over 300 adjuncts.
It is our goal to negotiate a unified contract for all adjunct staff at the College. Members of the three bargaining units must have the opportunity to vote for consolidation, and if a majority of those voting approve, then the Labor Board will certify us as a single bargaining unit for all future relations with Harper College.
The Harper College Board has the option of objecting to the Association’s request before a vote is taken. It is my opinion, that an objection to our request will benefit no one. My appeal is that the Board take the position not to oppose the Association’s action. Up to the point of our forming a union, all adjuncts were treated uniformly. That should not change.
Consolidating bargaining units would be beneficial to both the adjuncts and Harper College for many reasons.
First, money would be saved. Here is how that would happen. Negotiations could move more quickly. Fewer contracts would have to be managed. A parallel structure between the full-time and part-time academic staff would be established. The number of administrative staff involved in the process would be reduced.
Second, there would be a unified cost structure for part-time academic staff. The structure would reflect simplicity and uniformity rather than complexity and inconsistency.
Third, expensive litigation would be avoided.
Fourth, publicity about cooperation with us would be better for Harper’s image than publicity about the total lack of cooperation. And adjuncts would have a greater feeling of being respected by the College.
We know that Harper College needs us. Adjuncts teach half of the classes at Harper College and are in large part responsible for Harper College’s reputation for quality education. Show us that the words that are spoken by the board and the administration about our importance to Harper College are backed by thoughtful action. Support consolidation.
Thank you.
To see statements made by Bublick and other members of the HCAFA negotiating team at prior Board meetings, consult our Resources page. The above statement is available on a separate web page and as a PDF.
The Daily Herald ran a story on April 28 about Arlene's appearance at the Board meeting and HCAFA's filing for a consolidated bargaining unit. Try following the link below - it may not work indefinitely:
http://www.dailyherald.com/search/searchstory.asp?id=42361
Four members of the HCAFA negotiation team made statements at the Harper College Board of Trustees meeting on March 29, 2005. They focused on the issue of job security and were joined by a large number of supporters in the audience wearing HCAFA buttons. To view their statements, click on the names below:
These statements are also available:
At the November meeting of the Harper College Board (on Tuesday, November 30), our chief negotiator Arlene Bublick gave a statement urging the Board to push for quicker negotiations and consolidation of negotiations for the three bargaining units represented by HCAFA. To read what ought to be a convincing argument to accelerate the process, click on the link below.
This story has been covered in both the Daily Herald and the Chicago Tribune. The links below are likely to work for only a few days, so take a look soon. For the Chicago Tribune, you have to establish a (free) user account.
Michael Puente, Union urges consolidation of Harper contract talks, Daily Herald, December 2, 2004.
Tim Kane, Part-time workers seek 1st contract, Chicago Tribune, December 3, 2004.
HCAFA sent out a press release to the Daily Herald, Pioneer Press and the Harper Harbinger on November 16 regarding Harper College's refusal to consolidate negotiations on the three units now represented by HCAFA. To read the press release, follow the link below:
On October 19th and 20th the eligible members of the Harper adjunct faculty voted for IEA representation garnering 83% of votes cast. We welcome the 3-hr. faculty, counselors, and librarians as a result of this vote and look forward to a future together as one.
We want to take this time to invite you to the next general membership meeting of the HCAFA. Please take the time to meet those members of the 6-hour faculty that have invested their time and energy towards negotiating the first collective bargaining agreement for the HCAFA.
We look forward to seeing you there and welcoming you to the HCAFA and IEA-NEA.
Arlene Bublick, our chief negotiator, will be speaking during the "faculty comment" section of the Harper College Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, November 30. The meeting will be at 7:00 pm in the Board Room on the second floor of the Wojcik Conference Center (W 215).
HCAFA is urging members and supporters to show up for the meeting and support Arlene. Contact Mary Azawi of our support committee at 847-925-6752 for ideas on what to do.
All Harper College Adjunct Faculty Members are urged to attend the First General Membership Meeting of the Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association (HCAFA). The meeting will be highlighted by a vote to approve the Association’s Constitution and By-laws, updates on contract negotiations for 6-hour Adjuncts and the representation election for 3-hour Adjuncts. Those in attendance will also receive written information on participating in the College’s 403(B) tax-deferred retirement investment program.
A light meal will be served.
Please RSVP to Mary Azawi at 847-781-5276.
553 N. North Court
Palatine, IL 60067
847-359-0300
Jack.Janezic@ieanea.org
At the end of the spring semester, we filed a petition to represent adjunct faculty teaching at least 3 or more credit hours. We also petitioned to represent part-time librarians and part-time counselors. We are happy to report that there will be a union representation election in October for those of you who were excluded from the election last spring. To be eligible to vote in the election, you must have worked at least four consecutive semesters excluding the summer term.
The election will be:
October 19 and 20, 2004
10:00am to 1:00pm and 4:00pm to 7:00pm
William Rainey Harper College Library, Building F, Room 164
The election results for the runoff election between the Triton College Adjunct Faculty Association, IEA/NEA and Cook County College Teachers Union (Local 1600, IFT/AFT) are in. In voting on April 26 and 27, 89 voted for TCAFA-IEA/NEA and 68 voted for CCCTU-IFT. Fifteen ballots were challenged. Since the challenged ballots could not change the outcome of the election, they will not be counted.
Congratulations to our newest colleagues in the growing part-time faculty movement in the Chicago area. Both credit and non-credit part-time faculty at Triton College now have union representation with IEA/NEA!
The Harper College Adjunct Faculty Association, IEA/NEA won the representation election on March 16 and 17. This result has now been certified by the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board.
Actually, we won the election big time. Of the 136 eligible voters, IEA received 75 votes; only 16 voted for No Representation. If you did not hear the news, Local 1600 IFT-AFT asked that its name be removed from the ballot on the eve of the election . The Labor Board compiled with this request.
This was a great turnout and a lopsided victory. We received 83% of the votes that were cast and a clear majority of the total eligible voters. The turnout was the highest percentage in a Community College adjunct election in the Chicago area that we are aware of.
Congratulations - all of your hard work paid off. Our next step is to solicit volunteers to help us prepare proposals for negotiations. We also need to work on a constitution and bylaws for the union. If you are willing to help out, please email me. If you volunteer, we will meet at times that are convenient. We will probably have some meetings on the campus.
Our next meeting will be Tuesday at 12Noon in the Palatine Office.
March 9th and 10th
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Building A 241B
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Building A 242B
| College/University | Year of Union Vote | Pay Before Union | Pay in 1st Contract | Today's Pay ('03-'04) |
| Oakton Community College | 1984 | $900-$1050 | n/a | $1950-$2520 |
| Columbia College | 1998 | $1485 | $2000-$3000 | $2600-3900 |
| College of DuPage | 2001 | $1956 flat rate | $2192 flat rate | |
| Roosevelt University | 2000 | $1750-$2000 | $2300-$2700 | $2575-$3575 |
| City Colleges of Chicago | 2003 | $1371-$2112 | $1665-$2220 (Jan '04) | $1665-$2220 |
| Harper College |
2004 |
$1680-$2040 | ??? | $1680-$2040 No Union |
Local 1600 IFT/AFt represents only one adjunct faculty union. It just settled a contract in January, 2004. Here is a comparison with the above IEA-NEA locals.
| Moraine Valley CC | 2003 | $1425-1680 | $1500-$1755 | $1500-$1755 |
Consider also this more detailed comparison of the IEA contract at City Colleges of Chicago with the Local 1600 contract at Moraine Valley Community College: contract comparison
Local 1600 is using the argument that you will be better off being part of the same union that represents the full-time faculty than joining IEA-NEA. Unity! On the surface, this seems to be a reasonable argument. But is it?
Please consider these facts:
We have no reason to encourage a rivalry between the full-time and part-time faculty. The question is which union can best represent us. IEA has a proven record of accomplishment bargaining adjunct contracts throughout the Chicago area. Vote for experience. Vote: HCAFA, IEA-NEA