The Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges

President’s Report: November 3, 2009

Steven E. Cohen

The following list highlights the primary issues that have arisen, and those important activities that have transpired, since our October 2009 Delegate Assembly meeting:

1. Distance Learning

A management proposal on DL retroactivity via AR credit has been received. It includes a rubric that involves diminishing credit for continued online teaching—exactly the kind of management formula we argued against in our arbitration. This is unacceptable, and we will have the arbitrator rule on this issue.

2. Labor Board-Part I

The 4C’s, in coalition with the AFT and AFSCME, filed a complaint with the state Labor Board against the BOT, claiming the BOT has not bargained in good faith. At issue are statements made by BOT representatives across the table to the three unions indicating our concession agreements allowed for annual increases in lump sum payments as part of our contracts’ Miscellaneous Rates of Pay category. Subsequently, however, the BOT rescinded its agreement to apply annual increases to lump sum payments. Our hearing date was August 21, 2009. As a result of this hearing, the BOT agreed to make a proposal to deal with the complaint. We still await this proposal.

3. Labor Board-Part II

The AFT is certified to represent part-timers who teach fewer credits/hours than is the 4C’s. (One-plus credit or hourly equivalent for the AFT vs. two-plus credits or hourly equivalent for the 4C’s.) This has led the AFT to file a complaint to the Labor Board concerning Extended Studies faculty who they feel they should represent. The BOT disagrees. The second hearing was held on October 19, and those present from the AFT and 4C’s listened as the BOT presented its case. The union view is that the BOT argument was not credible.

4. MOA’s: Minority Fellows and “Super Overloads”

Ratification ballots have been mailed to members’ home addresses. Results will be available later in the month.

5. ARP

A committee of ARP members, mostly from ECSU, but also including folks from other CSU campuses and UCONN has approached the CSU-AAUP, AFSCME/SUOAF, and UCPEA SEBAC bargaining units to offer their concerns for all state employee ARP participants. In brief, they are concerned that ARP participants may never be able to retire. SEBAC bargaining units that contain ARP participants recently met with the Betty Gallo lobbying firm to consider strategies for legislation in this realm.