In April 2019, eligible CCA staff participating in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an agency of the US government, voted in favor of union representation. In May, the NLRB certified this group as a collective bargaining unit of non-supervisory, non-managerial staff to be represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021 for purposes of collective bargaining negotiations with the college. Negotiations began in October, 2019 and on March 10, 2022, we were able to achieve full tentative agreement on the first staff collective bargaining agreement.

The new CBA was ratified by staff union members on April 8, 2022 and it will go into effect on June 8, 2022.

If you have additional questions, please contact hr@cca.edu.

UPDATE: April 11, 2022

To: All Faculty, All Staff

From: The President's Office

Subject: CCA faculty and staff ratify collective bargaining agreements

Date: April 11, 2022

Dear Faculty and Staff,

On Friday, SEIU Local 1021 informed CCA that its members had ratified new, three-year collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) for both the staff and adjunct faculty bargaining units. These agreements—the first for staff and the second for adjunct faculty—represent an important step toward a productive, long-term partnership between the college and the union. 

Throughout the negotiation process, the college’s goal was to achieve mutually beneficial agreements that support CCA’s commitment to our students, our employees, and a sustainable future for our college. As we worked with the union to reach CBAs for our represented faculty and staff, we also remained mindful of the distinct roles and needs of our ranked faculty and non-union-represented staff. I am confident that these agreements will promote a fair, equitable, and supportive working environment for all our employees that reflects CCA’s position as an outstanding art and design school, and as an outstanding place to work.

In the coming days, Provost Tammy Rae Carland and AVP for Human Resources Maira Lazdins will provide additional details about the impact of these agreements and comparable improvements and protections that will apply to ranked faculty and non-union-represented staff. In the meantime, I’d like to once again thank the members of the negotiating teams representing both the union and the college, whose passion and commitment to our students, our employees, and our school’s future is beyond question.

Sincerely,

Stephen Beal, President

UPDATE: March 11, 2022

To: All Faculty, All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Staff and adjunct faculty bargaining teams achieve tentative agreements on CBAs

Date: March 11, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

We have great news to share with you: The negotiating teams for CCA and SEIU Local 1021 achieved tentative agreements on both the staff and adjunct faculty collective bargaining agreements! We worked late into the night at the union offices together with the federal mediator, and at 2:45 a.m. Thursday morning we reached fair, sustainable agreements for both faculty and staff. We will be able to release more details about the final CBAs as we move forward with the process.

The next step is for the CBAs to be ratified by the union and approved by President Beal and Provost Carland. The union will be in contact shortly with its eligible members regarding the ratification process, which is most likely to take place within 30 days and will involve a vote to accept the CBAs.

We all know that this wasn’t an easy process, and we should all be proud of this achievement. As members of the CCA bargaining team, we want to extend our thanks to the members of the union staff and faculty teams for your hard work, time, and dedication to this process.

As we move into the next phase of this process and look to implement the CBAs, we also need to focus on building strong relationships and partnerships among ourselves and throughout our community. This has been a tumultuous process, and it will take time and effort to move forward and rebuild aspects of our community, but we are confident that we will. We look forward to working closely with everyone in our community, union members and non-members alike, to rebuild these relationships, advance our educational mission, and continue to thrive as an outstanding art and design college.

We will continue to keep you posted about next steps as we move through this next phase in the process. Thank you!

Respectfully,

CCA Staff Bargaining Team: Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Youth Programs and Continuing Education)

CCA Faculty Bargaining Team: Julianne Kirgis (Academic Affairs), Em Meine (Academic Affairs)

Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: March 4, 2022

To: All Faculty, All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: faculty and staff labor negotiations

Date: March 4, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

The CCA and SEIU Local 1021 bargaining teams representing both the staff and unranked faculty units just completed three full days of in-person negotiations, which took place Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week. All sessions were facilitated by a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

During the three days of meetings, both the faculty and staff teams made progress, signing off on a wide variety of tentative agreements (TAs) on important parts of the two future CBAs. The staff teams reached TAs on eight additional articles and one appendix - you can view the current status of all staff proposals here. The unranked faculty teams achieved seven new TAs, which can be viewed here.

The valuable work of all union and non-union staff and faculty members alike will be essential to the college’s future. As we continue forward in this process and focus on the college’s future growth, the college teams are taking care to consider equity and the impacts of our decisions upon our entire community as we establish these important agreements.

The teams have an additional meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 9 to continue progress toward our shared goal of achieving fair CBAs for both bargaining units. We will continue to provide you with regular updates throughout the remainder of contract negotiations. In the meantime, you may continue to find collective bargaining updates and resources for the staff union and adjunct faculty union on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Staff Bargaining Team: Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs)

CCA Faculty Bargaining Team: Julianne Kirgis (Academic Affairs), Em Meine (Academic Affairs)

Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: February 24, 2022

To: All Faculty and All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Labor negotiations update

Date: February 24, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

The CCA and SEIU Local 1021 teams will resume negotiations next week, with three days of bargaining sessions to take place February 28 through March 2. Final arrangements are being made for this dedicated block of focused negotiation sessions to take place with oversight by the mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

The most recent negotiation sessions for the staff collective bargaining agreement (CBA) took place in a four-hour bargaining session on Sunday, February 6 and a seven-hour session on Monday, February 7.

During these meetings, the two teams reached several more important tentative agreements and exchanged additional comprehensive CBA proposals on the remaining issues that need to be settled. The four-day work stoppage called by SEIU Local 1021 took place later that week.

We will continue to provide you with regular updates during the remainder of staff contract negotiations. In the meantime, you may continue to find staff union collective bargaining updates and resources on Portal, including a table tracking the status of each proposal, an FAQ about the CBA process, and a Fact Check page that addresses some of the specific rumors and misinformation that have circulated around the bargaining process and related issues.

Note about Unranked Faculty Bargaining: Collective bargaining for the unranked faculty labor contract may also resume next week. Final arrangements are still being made, but both the union and the college teams believe that making progress next week on adjunct faculty negotiations is also important. Please keep an eye out for further information next week on adjunct faculty negotiations.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: February 9, 2022

To: All Faculty and All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Staff labor negotiations update

Date: February 9, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

After a four-hour bargaining session on Sunday, February 6 and a seven-hour session on Monday, February 7 between the CCA and SEIU Local 1021 teams, the union team ended the negotiation and informed the college team they were going to strike.

Before the union team ended negotiations, additional comprehensive CBA proposals were exchanged and several more tentative agreements were achieved.

Wage Increase Proposals

At the end of the bargaining session on Monday night, the union team’s closing proposal was that the college increase salaries on average by 17% during the next 18 months. The college team’s closing proposal was that the college would increase salaries on average by approximately 6% during the same 18-month period. To provide some context, SEIU Local 1021 has negotiated contracts with local counties and cities that call for 3% to 3.5% increases in 2022.

The college team’s wage-increase proposal also ensures that the lower-paid earners among the 130 staff-union members would receive the highest percentage of wage increases, and includes a proposal to fund additional pay increases in 2024 for these staff-union members. Additionally, the college team offered to make wage increases retroactive to February 1, 2022, if the union team would end the strike.

The union team rejected the college team’s wage-increase proposals and announced they were ending negotiations and walking out on strike.

Other Proposals

Before the union team halted negotiations, the past two days of negotiations resulted in tentative agreements on Categories of Employment, Tuition Remission, and two components of Paid Time Off: Vacation and Sick Leave. We also received a signed tentative agreement on Job Titles, which is the list of positions the CBA records as covered by the staff unit. The college team has shared proposals with the union team on Severance Pay and Job Postings and Filling Vacancies.

Where Things Stand

There was no impasse in negotiations when the union team walked out on strike. We have made a lot of progress, and are confident that continued negotiations will bring us to a fair and sustainable agreement. We proposed that the union team call off this week’s strike and instead focus on completing negotiations for a CBA. Although the union team rejected this proposal, the college team remains ready and willing to continue negotiations toward our shared goal of completing a CBA for CCA’s represented staff.

We will continue to provide you with regular updates during the remainder of contract negotiations. In the meantime, you may continue to find staff union collective bargaining updates and resources on Portal, including a table tracking the status of each proposal, an FAQ about the CBA process, and the new Fact Check page that addresses some of the specific rumors and misinformation that have circulated around the bargaining process and related issues.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: February 4, 2022

To: All Faculty and All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Staff labor negotiations update

Date: February 4, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

The CCA and SEIU Local 1021 teams met for another negotiation session on Monday, January 31. The two bargaining teams exchanged comprehensive CBA proposals that demonstrate narrowing differences on a number of outstanding proposals. Yesterday, the college team sent a fourth comprehensive CBA proposal to the union team.

Progress Update

On Monday, we were able to significantly close the gap on proposals around Paid Time Off and Categories of Employment (see details here). We expect final agreements on these proposals will come very soon. We also reached a key agreement in principle by compromising on the list of job titles that the CBA records as covered by the staff unit. This is a big accomplishment and a milestone.

An Unforeseen Challenge

We were informed on Monday that the federal mediation and conciliation service (FMCS) will be assigning a new federal mediator to support our negotiation sessions, as our previous mediator has left their position. This is an unanticipated setback that will make it impossible to achieve the CBA by this coming weekend, as was the college’s goal. The college has reached out to the union team to schedule more negotiation sessions to keep our current momentum, even without a mediator.

Strike Next Week

As many of you already know, the union team has called a four-day strike for next week, from 8 a.m. Tuesday, February 8, through 8 a.m. Saturday, February 12. The union has stated various reasons for the strike, which we address below:

Stalling negotiations

The union says a primary reason for the strike is that the college is stalling the collective bargaining process. As we shared previously, there have been more than 30 bargaining sessions over the last two years, with four sessions held just in the last three weeks. It was the college team that initiated these sessions and shared the first comprehensive CBA proposal in an effort to speed progress toward a CBA. The college team initiates the agenda prior to each session. We have 22 tentative agreements achieved, with three more that are close to agreement. Yet the college team just spent more than two weeks waiting on signatures from the union team on the achieved agreements. These actions do not represent the college stalling the process.

Although typically a strike would not be called unless negotiations were at an impasse, that is not the case here, as bargaining remains active and productive. The federal mediator did not declare an impasse. Neither of the two negotiation teams have declared an impasse. There is no compelling reason for a strike at this time, which will benefit no one.

Representation at the bargaining table

SEIU Local 1021 also stated that they are calling a strike in order to force President Beal and Provost Carland to “finally decide to come to the table.” Although President Beal and Provost Carland have been closely engaged with the college team throughout the entire negotiation process, this request is in violation of collective bargaining law, which prohibits calling a strike to force the other side to submit to demands about who is at the negotiation table.

Economic proposals

The college has offered a 2% wage increase for all staff retroactive to February 1, 2022. This increase responsibly balances the college’s desire to raise wages for its staff with its commitment to keep costs to students in check. The union team’s current economic proposal, demanding the college provide a 17% wage increase between now and July 2023, would be unsustainable given the financial constraints currently facing the college. It would be irresponsible for the college, which derives approximately 90% of its operating budget from student tuition, to accept a proposal that would increase the budget so significantly. This is a very early, unrealistic proposal from the union. Typically, final proposals would be on the table before a strike was called. No one has made a final offer. It is irresponsible for the union to disrupt students’ educations by conducting a strike before presenting a realistic economic proposal that is achievable for the college.

Supporting Student Enrollment

The most important thing our employees can do right now is support and serve our students, so that we may continue to support retention and enrollment numbers. As the college recovers from the effects of the pandemic and its effect on enrollment, it is essential that we all work together to retain and attract students who will thrive at CCA. We expect that our union employees are also invested in the long-term success of the college. A strike will not only cause employees to lose pay, it will negatively impact students and student services, and is likely to harm future enrollments. It is essential that we increase enrollment in order to support the economic priorities presented by the union team.

College’s Request to the Union

The college team has asked the union team to call off its strike call and return to negotiations. We are nowhere near an impasse and a strike is unnecessary. Returning to negotiations with a new federal mediator in place would show respect for the process, and most importantly, for all of our community.

We will continue to provide you with regular updates while we work to complete contract negotiations. In the meantime, you may continue to find staff union collective bargaining updates and resources on Portal, including a table tracking the status of each proposal and an FAQ about the CBA process and potential strike. We have also developed a new “fact-check” page that addresses some of the specific rumors and misinformation that have circulated around the bargaining process and related issues.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: February 3, 2022

The following message was sent to all students this afternoon by the Provost andVice President of Student Affairs.

Information about anticipated staff strike next Tuesday through Friday

Dear CCA Students,

After two long years of remote and hybrid learning, It’s exciting to finally have the entire CCA community back together in person. As we return to campus this week, we’re reminded that the sense of community and shared purpose we embrace at CCA are truly unique.

As you may know, CCA has been working for some time to reach a first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with SEIU Local 1021, the labor union that represents about half of CCA’s staff. We have made significant progress in recent weeks, reaching agreement on many proposals. The college remains ready and willing to reach a fair and responsible CBA that balances wage increases for our valued staff with our ongoing commitment to financial aid—CCA’s single largest budget category—and a financially sustainable future for the college. 

Despite these efforts and momentum at the bargaining table, the union team has asked its members to walk out on strike, just as we’ve all returned to campus. The union has announced a four-day strike to take place Tuesday, February 8 through Friday, February 11, with picket lines on the San Francisco campus Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and in Oakland on Wednesday. While we respect the right of the union to call for a strike, we believe this action during a time of clear and rapid progress at the bargaining table is absolutely unnecessary and will benefit no one, most particularly our students. 

We also believe a good-faith bargaining process should be free from the misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric that we have seen in some media reports and other communications. Toward that goal, we have created a Collective Bargaining Fact Check page on Portal to address some of these inaccuracies and misinformation, as well as an FAQ to help our community better understand the collective bargaining process.

We are committed to ensuring the safety of our community and access to services and facilities for our students, and are working closely with non-union, managerial staff to continue to serve students in the event of a walkout. Below you will find information about some of the measures we have put in place.

Class meetings

Although it is only the staff union that has asked its members to stop work, some faculty members may decide to join them in a “sympathy strike.” We support the right of union-represented faculty to participate in a sympathy strike; however, they should plan to do so outside of their scheduled class times. As with any instructor absence, faculty who are absent from class are expected to notify their chair and either provide alternate assignments for students or request a substitute teacher. If you have questions about your individual classes, please contact your instructor directly. 

Shops, Studios, and Labs

Shops and studios will remain open, although there may be some impact on operations. For example, spaces may be prioritized based on class schedules, and some shops may require reservations or may have reduced hours. Information and hours will be posted on Portal.

Media Centers and Libraries

The media centers and libraries on each campus will remain open, although they may have limited hours. Check before you go for current Media Center and Library schedules.

Technology Services

Help desk services will be available during regular hours.

Student Services

Student Services One-Stop departments—including Student Records, Student Accounts, Financial Aid, and Academic Advising—and Student Affairs will be open both in person and online. 

Housing and Dining

Founders Hall, Blattner Hall, and Makers Cafe will remain open and operating as usual.

We continue to feel the best path to an agreement is one of mutual respect and transparency, where the energies of the college and the union alike are focused on successful negotiations to reach a CBA that is fair and sustainable for CCA, for our staff, and for the students we serve. 

Sincerely,

George Luis Sedano, Vice President for Student Affairs

Tammy Rae Carland, Provost

UPDATE: February 2, 2022

The union bargaining team has chosen to ask its members to walk out on strike next week, from Tuesday, February 8 through Friday, February 11. They have planned picket lines on the San Francisco campus from 8am-5pm Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and on the Oakland campus on Wednesday. The college is prepared to remain open and continue to provide services to students during this time. We will provide additional information soon.

UPDATE: January 26, 2022

To: All Faculty and All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Staff labor negotiations update

Date: January 26, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

Negotiation sessions between CCA and SEIU Local 1021 are proceeding rapidly toward our goal of successfully completing a full, tentative collective bargaining agreement (CBA) by the weekend of February 6. Four more tentative agreements were reached this week!

Since our last update, the bargaining teams have held two more sessions, on Friday, January 21 and Monday, January 24. The union team provided the college team with a comprehensive CBA proposal on January 21 and the college team responded with our second comprehensive CBA proposal on January 24.

While several difficult issues remain to be discussed, we have been able to significantly reduce the number of these issues and are focused on reaching a tentative CBA by February 6. It is important to remember that a CBA is about building an ongoing relationship and developing a sustainable agreement that reflects shared goals. It is intended to lay the groundwork for how we will jointly support the long-term success of the college. Although the union team’s threat of a strike remains, the college team is deeply committed to achieving a fair CBA without the unnecessary divisiveness and stress on our students and community that such an action would inflict, and without keeping the college community under a strike watch, which is worrisome to all of us.

Among the college’s latest proposals are improvements to vacation and paid sick leave, in addition to the already-agreed-upon improvements to shift premiums, guarantees on health benefits, and no reduction to the existing retirement match. The college has proposed a wage rate increase to staff to take effect February 1, if we are able to complete negotiations by February 6.

Read on for details about these and other key proposals under negotiation.

Quick Facts about the college’s second comprehensive CBA proposal:

• Includes 30 articles and 6 appendices
• 22 tentative agreements already reached (including 4 more just agreed upon January 24)
• 5 college-team counter proposals, including economic proposals
• 2 items recommended for additional negotiations prior to submitting proposals. Time has been scheduled for January 31.

Key Proposal Highlights:

Article 4. Scope

Identifies the CBA as the sole and exclusive record of agreement between both parties and waives the right to bargain collectively on items in the agreement during the agreement period. Tentative agreement was reached on January 24.

Article 6. Wage Rates

The college has proposed an increase to wage rates of two percent effective February 1, 2022, if a tentative CBA agreement is executed by February 6, 2022. The union continues to have a very large economic proposal on the table that would not be sustainable given the financial constraints currently facing the college due to reduced enrollment and the effects of the pandemic. Negotiating wage rates for the full duration of the CBA at this point in time is challenging because of many unpredictable factors, including student enrollment. We are proposing a responsible increase now, with the intent to further negotiate wage rates next year.

Article 9. Union Rights Including Dues and Union Access

Union Rights Including Dues largely refers to the union’s normal right to require that union dues be paid by all staff in a bargaining unit classification. Union Access outlines the ways that the union can communicate in a timely manner with staff covered by the CBA. Tentative agreements were reached on both on January 24.

Article 11. No Strike/No Lockout

If there is a dispute, the union shall not allow a strike or similar work stoppage and the college shall not prevent staff from working. Tentative agreement was reached on January 24.

Article 23. Excellence in College Services and Diversity/Inclusive Excellence

This article recognizes the foundational role of staff in the educational mission of CCA. The college seeks to provide excellence in the services it delivers to its students, faculty, and other members of the college community and the article outlines what excellence in services includes. The college presented a compromise proposal to the union team on January 24 after much discussion. The union team has not yet responded.

Article 26. Paid Time Off

This article references paid company holidays, vacation time, and paid sick leave. The college responded with a counter proposal that echoed the union’s request for more flexibility around the maximum vacation accrual cap and the use of the sick bank policy.

Article 28. ​​Severance Pay (rights and responsibilities regarding position reductions)

We have proposed that we set aside a two-hour bargaining session to review the college’s and union’s respective proposals and try to reach a tentative agreement.

Article 30: Temporary, Fixed Term Positions and 9.5 Month Positions

This article defines categories of employment. The union team presented a counter proposal on categories of employment that mirrors language previously proposed by the college.

We will continue to provide you with regular updates throughout the coming weeks while we work to complete contract negotiations.. In the meantime, you may continue to find staff union collective bargaining updates and resources on Portal, including a table tracking the status of each proposal and an FAQ about the CBA process and potential strike.

Our next negotiation session is scheduled for Monday, January 31, 2022. We have asked the union team to provide a response to the college’s second comprehensive CBA proposal by Friday, January 28.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: January 18, 2022

To: All Faculty and All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Staff labor negotiations update

Date: January 18, 2022

Dear Colleagues, 

We hope that you had a good long weekend. As promised in our January 13 communication, this update outlines additional details about the document we sent to the union team last week, which includes the college’s comprehensive overview of all proposals, counter proposals, and agreements reached as we make progress toward a final collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Below are highlights of our key outstanding counter proposals, which we believe are strong and fair but are still negotiating with the union team. 

We had another negotiation session last Friday, January 14, during which we reviewed the college’s comprehensive CBA proposal with the union team. The college team found this to be a useful negotiation, and the union and college teams reached two more agreements on very important items for the future CBA: 

1. A new $50/month Work Stipend that was proposed by the college for full-time staff to replace the current $25/month interim pandemic stipend. The stipend is for everyone, regardless if you work on campus or work remotely. With the acceptance of the CCA Work Stipend proposal, the union team withdrew their Commuter Benefits proposal. 
2. The contract provisions for the Health Care and Other Benefits Plans section of the CBA. 

Read on for details about these and other key proposals under negotiation.

Quick Facts about the college's comprehensive CBA proposal:

• Includes 29 articles and 6 appendices
• 16 tentative agreements already reached (with 2 more just agreed upon on January 14)
• 6 new college-team proposals, including 2 economic proposals
• 2 items recommended for additional negotiations, prior to submitting proposals 

Key Proposal Highlights: 

Article 6. Wage Rates

As we work toward agreement on this article we must acknowledge both the desire for wage increases and the financial constraints currently facing the college due to reduced enrollment and the effects of the pandemic. The union has a very large economic proposal on the table that does not balance these factors in a sustainable way and requires further negotiation.

Article 7. Work Stipend

The college proposed, and now there is agreement on, a Work Stipend that will address expenses associated with remote work, such as home internet expenses and the occasional work-related use of a personal mobile phone. The Work Stipend is also intended to assist with transportation and/or other personal costs to staff members who are working on campus. This stipend would be available to staff assigned to all work modes, whether fully remote, remote-first, hybrid, or on-campus. The Work Stipend of $50 per month is an increase from the pandemic stipend, which will expire. The two teams reached a tentative agreement on this proposal on Friday. 

Article 9. Union Rights Including Dues

Article 10. Management Rights

Union Rights Including Dues largely refers to the union’s normal right to require that union dues be paid by all staff in a bargaining unit classification. The Management Rights clause describes the rights of the administrators who manage the college. The college team proposes that both clauses mirror the CCA adjunct faculty CBA, which began in 2017.

Article 23. Excellence in College Services and Diversity/Inclusive Excellence

This article recognizes the foundational role of staff in the educational mission of CCA. The college seeks to provide excellence in the services that it delivers to its students, faculty, and other members of the college community and the article outlines what excellence in services includes. We have had some good discussions and recommendations around this clause with the union team, which generated a new college-team proposal that is included in the college’s comprehensive CBA proposal. 

Article 25. Health Care and Other Benefit Plans

The college has excellent health-care benefits and we are committed to including language in the CBA that ensures that we maintain the overall level of the benefits throughout the course of the CBA. The two teams reached a tentative agreement on this proposal on Friday. 

Article 28. Severance Pay (rights and responsibilities regarding position reductions)

Appendix: Temporary, Fixed Term Positions and 9.5 Month Positions

We have proposed that we set aside a two-hour bargaining session to review the college’s and union’s respective proposals and try to reach tentative agreements.

We will continue to provide you with regular updates throughout the coming weeks while we work to complete contract negotiations with SEIU Local 1021. In the meantime, you may continue to find staff union collective bargaining updates and resources on Portal, including a table tracking the status of each proposal and an FAQ about the CBA process and potential strike. 

Our next negotiation sessions are scheduled for Friday, January 21, and Monday, January 24, 2022. The union team has promised to have a response ready to the college's comprehensive CBA proposal in our next session on Friday, January 21.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: January 13, 2022

To: All Faculty and All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Staff labor negotiations update

Date: January 13, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

We hope that you were able to find some time to rest and relax over the winter break. As we return to work, we want to provide you with an update on our staff union negotiations. We, as the College’s negotiation team for bargaining with the staff union, remain committed to communicating with you transparently, truthfully, and frequently as bargaining continues and a final agreement is reached.

We have been meeting regularly and in good faith with the union negotiating team for over two years—most of that time has been during the pandemic. We have worked hard to bridge differences and have reached agreement on many items in an effort to finalize the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for our approximately 125 non-management staff members.

As a status update, in preparation for our next negotiation session this Friday, January 14, we sent an overview to the union negotiating team earlier this week outlining all of the items agreed to so far, and the college’s proposals and counter proposals on others.

We will continue our best efforts so that this Friday's collective bargaining session (and subsequent sessions in January) will maximize the opportunity to reach a fair, mutually agreeable collective bargaining agreement by the week of February 1.

Shortly before the break, SEIU Local 1021 publicized that it held a vote that would give its negotiating team the power to call on CCA staff members to go out on a strike at some point in these coming weeks. We believe there is no benefit to anyone—not to staff or faculty, and certainly not to students—for there to be a call for a strike, particularly when the college and union negotiating teams have already agreed upon significant portions of the future CBA (you may track the status of individual proposals on Portal) and we are all still managing the challenges of the pandemic in our personal and work lives. While several important issues remain to be settled, none of these require a strike or a strike threat to achieve fair agreements. We have expressed our desire to the union to have as many negotiation meetings as it takes to settle the contract in the next four weeks without the acrimony, divisiveness, and stress on our students and community that a work stoppage or picket lines would inflict.

We will provide you with regular updates over the next 30 days while we work to complete contract negotiations with SEIU Local 1021. Next week, we will send an update with more details about the overview document we sent to the union team and some key outstanding counter proposals that we believe are strong and fair but are still awaiting response from the union team.

In the meantime, you may continue to find staff union collective bargaining updates and resources on Portal, including a table tracking the status of each proposal and an FAQ about the CBA process and potential strike.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: December 21, 2021

To: All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: CCA staff collective bargaining update

Date: December 21, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 met for a productive negotiation session on Tuesday, December 14, again with a federal mediator present. We made progress on several key proposals (outlined below), moving us forward toward achieving a fair collective bargaining agreement (CBA). We will continue to update the status of all Staff Collective Bargaining Proposals on Portal as additional agreements are reached.

Management Rights

The union team presented their concerns regarding the format of the CCA team’s management rights proposal. The CCA team listened but did not offer a response in the meeting.

Commuter Benefits

The CCA team shared a concept that addresses a commuter stipend in conjunction with a remote-work stipend, reinforcing the importance of providing flexibility to our employees regardless of their work mode. There were no questions from the union team.

College Benefit Plans

The CCA team went over the benefit renewal process and why it's important for the college to maintain the ability to tweak benefits during renewal, but overall to maintain similar levels of coverage. The union team agreed to this concept. They noted, however, that the language needs to be updated in the CCA proposal and some items—such as retirement and tuition remission—should be considered as separate proposals.

Paid Vacation and Sick Leave
The union team requested that the language of CCA’s current policies be updated to be suited for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and stated they do not have an economic request for this proposal.

Next steps

• CCA lead negotiator Mike Vartain will draft language for the Commuter Benefits and College Benefit Plans proposals.
• SEIU lead negotiator Nato Green will propose language for Paid Vacation and Sick Leave.
• Both teams agreed that tentative agreements could be reached on these items in the next few weeks.
• Additional bargaining session dates will be set pending availability of the federal mediator.

Although SEIU membership voted recently to authorize the union bargaining team to call for a work stoppage, our subsequent December 14 bargaining session was productive, offering a clear indication that progress continues at the negotiating table. The college team is committed to continuing good-faith negotiations with the goal of reaching a fair, mutually beneficial agreement quickly.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: December 6, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Collective bargaining negotiation status and resources

Date: December 6, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

As a follow-up to the November 30 collective bargaining update, we’ve compiled some additional resources intended to provide additional, ongoing details about the collective bargaining process, the proposals under discussion, and the status of negotiation on each proposal. The status table in particular may be of interest, as it lists the status of each proposal under negotiation and will be updated regularly as bargaining progresses. We are confident that the agreement we have reached on many proposals, as well as the positive progress on other items, will lead to a fair contract that benefits the entire college, including the 125 staff members who comprise the bargaining unit.

Status Table: Staff Union Collective Bargaining Proposals

This page includes a table listing each proposal under negotiation, a brief description of the proposal, and the current status of agreement or negotiations on that proposal. This page will be updated regularly as negotiations progress.

Detailed Highlights: Staff Union Collective Bargaining Proposals

Since negotiations began in October 2019, the bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 have held more than 25 meetings to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the college and its represented staff. This page offers a more detailed look at several of the key tentative agreements that have been reached and the important items that both the union and college teams have proposed as a part of this process.

Collective Bargaining FAQs & Glossary of Terms
This page includes answers to common questions and explanations of some of the terms used in collective bargaining, as well as resources available to find additional information. If you have a question or term you think should be included, please email hr@cca.edu and let us know!

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team:
Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: November 30, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Collective bargaining update and potential strike vote

Date: November 30, 2021

Dear Colleagues:

As we enter the final weeks of a fall semester that has marked a return to in-person teaching, learning, and making on our campuses after more than a year apart, we are inspired by the creativity and resilience of our students, and immensely grateful for the community of staff and faculty who have worked together to support them—and each other—through the disruptions of the pandemic.

Throughout these challenging months, CCA has continued to negotiate in good faith with SEIU Local 1021 with the shared goal of achieving a fair, mutually beneficial first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the college and its represented staff. The two teams have achieved agreement on 17 of the 29 proposals under negotiation, with agreement pending on several others. As negotiations continue, neither the CCA team nor the union team has indicated we are finished making compromises; in fact, both sides have expressed that further negotiations are needed on a variety of issues. The next bargaining session is scheduled for December 14, again with the assistance of a federal mediator.

Despite the productivity of these negotiations, however, SEIU Local 1021 has announced plans for a strike vote to take place December 7 and 8. Given that a strike is generally a tactic of last resort when negotiations have reached an impasse, it is disheartening that the union would call for such a move in the midst of ongoing, productive negotiations. Nevertheless, it is within the union’s rights to call for a strike vote among its members, and the college respects that right.

It remains the college’s position that bargaining is best done at the negotiating table (or Zoom room, as the case may be), and we are confident that the agreement we have reached on many proposals, as well as the positive progress on other items, will lead to a fair contract that benefits the entire college, including the 125 staff members who comprise the bargaining unit.

Following are answers to some questions you may have regarding the status of proposals under negotiation, as well as the process and implications associated with a strike vote. As always, if you have comments or questions about the bargaining process, please contact Human Resources. For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

________________________________________________________________________________

Strike vote: process and implications

A union chapter may initiate a strike by a majority vote of its eligible, regular, voting members who participate in the vote. It is important to note that not all CCA staff and faculty in the bargaining units represented by SEIU Local 1021 are voting members. Only those staff and faculty who have completed membership forms are considered regular, voting members of the union and are eligible to participate in a strike vote. To find out if you are a member, contact your union representative.

If the majority of votes cast by eligible, regular, voting members are in favor of a strike, the union may call a strike. Employees within the bargaining unit may choose whether or not to participate in a strike. The college believes that a vote to strike is premature, as negotiations are currently far from an impasse. Such an action would be a serious disservice to both our students and employees. However, we are making preparations to ensure that all essential functions are covered and our students can continue to work, learn, and live in a safe and supportive educational and residential environment.

________________________________________________________________________________

Collective Bargaining Progress

The negotiating teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 have held more than 25 meetings since negotiations began in late 2019. During the first months of the pandemic, the focus of many of the meetings was diverted from the new CBA to negotiating the unique issues that arose from remote work and the disruption of COVID-19. Recent meetings have returned to a focus on achieving a CBA, and we have reached tentative agreement on many proposals. Following are some of the key tentative agreements (TAs) that have been reached:

Grievance and Arbitration (TA September 2021)

This article outlines procedures and processes for filing grievances and seeking neutral arbitration. The union team requested that unresolved grievances go to neutral arbitration and that new arbitrators be added to the dispute hearing panel. The college team agreed.

Hours of Work (TA August 2021)

This section of the CBA specifies how work schedules for staff members in the bargaining unit will be set and the parameters for work schedules. The college has agreed to:

• 5% extra pay for certain evening and weekend schedules
• 5% extra pay for work above classification
• Minimum four hours pay guaranteed when called back to work
• Work schedule changes only after notice and consultation

Job Descriptions (TA December 2020)

Job descriptions are managed by Human Resources (HR) and provided at the time of hire. Union employees can request to see their job descriptions at any time and a process is outlined for requesting updates and resolving inaccuracies. The college team agreed to these procedures and protections.

Joint Labor-Management Committee (JLMC) (TA December 2020)

This committee will meet during the term of the CBA to provide input to the administration on college-wide matters of importance to staff members, establish and maintain effective and cordial labor relations, exchange information, and resolve and prevent disagreements. JLMC processes and procedures are outlined in the agreement and the college agreed to the union team's requests.

COVID-19 Letter of Understanding (Initial agreement reached April 2020, with updates in June 2020 and January 2021)

This document focuses on COVID-related policies regarding Health and Safety, Worker’s Compensation, Medical Leave of Absence, Employee Health Benefits, Reimbursement for Work at Home Expenses, Using Paid Sick Leave, Furloughs, and several other items. Highlights of the agreement include:

• Full medical and other benefits while on furlough
• Certain expenses paid when required to work from home
• All staff pandemic furloughs to return to work
• Health and safety protections

Employment Policies (TA February 2020)

This article reviews six policies that cover equal employment; unlawful harassment; prohibition of close personal relationships in teaching, mentoring, and supervisory activities; workplace violence; and procedures to assist in implementation of the policies. The union team specifically focused on a policy against discrimination or harassment, which the college agreed was important.

Discharge and Discipline (TA January 2020)

This proposal demonstrates agreement that staff will not be terminated from jobs without just cause as defined by labor law. The union team requested that there would be no discharges except for just cause, to which CCA agreed.

Job Postings and Filling Vacancies (Full TA not yet achieved, but agreement has been reached on part of this proposal)

This article describes the process of posting for vacant positions and has involved discussion around how to balance the factors of high-quality job skills and seniority when hiring. The union proposed that all job vacancies will be posted, and the college agreed. The union proposed that current employees must meet only minimum job qualifications to win a transfer to a new position. The college proposes that other factors, such as specialized skills or expertise, must also be considered to identify the best candidate for a position.

Definition of Seniority (TA January 2019)

This proposal defines how staff members’ length of service will be calculated. The college team agreed to the terms proposed by the union team.

Pending Agreements

The college team has responded to several of the union team’s proposals with counter proposals, which are currently in negotiation. These include:

9.5-Month-Position Side Letter

In the spring of 2021, the college notified the union that several temporary positions were being consolidated to create new, regular, staff positions with full employee benefits in Studio Operations. This structure was designed to better support students and to create a more stable, cohesive team of staff members. Negotiations of a letter of understanding for this issue took place on September 15, 2021 but important differences still exist. The union has filed an objection with the Oakland office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and further proceedings or hearings at the NLRB will take place regarding these seasonal positions unless both negotiation teams resolve their disagreement in a different way.

The college presented proposals for each of the three following items on October 5, 2021 as part of a number of linked proposals, and is currently awaiting the union team’s response:

• No Strike/No Lockout Clause — This article notes that if there is a dispute, the union shall not allow a strike or similar work stoppage and the college shall not prevent staff from working.
• Campus Unification — This article notes that the union and the administration shall work together to address campus unification issues and the legal parameters for that process.
• Union Security and Checkoff — This article notes the union’s normal right to require that union dues be paid by all staff in a bargaining unit classification.

Ongoing Negotiations

The union team has made several proposals the college team disagrees with, which require further negotiation. These include:

Management Rights Clause

This clause outlines the college’s normal management responsibilities as an institution of higher education. The union team proposed a reduction in the administration’s authority to manage operations and finances of the college, as compared with the authority outlined in the adjunct faculty CBA that was successfully negotiated in 2017. The college presented a counter proposal in October 2021 to maintain the administration’s authority to manage operations and finances as per the faculty CBA.

Attendance at CCA Board of Trustees Meetings

The union team proposed that union representatives be able to attend private meetings of CCA’s Board of Trustees. Although faculty, staff, and student representatives are often invited to attend board meetings, this proposal is not typical of private nonprofit college boards, and the college team has rejected this proposal.

UPDATE: October 18, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: October 18, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 have continued to meet regularly with the goal of achieving a fair, mutually beneficial labor agreement that supports our represented staff and advances the college’s academic mission.

Since our last update to you, two negotiating sessions have taken place—on September 29 and October 5—both facilitated by a federal mediator.

On September 29, the teams continued negotiations on a side letter related to the college’s creation of several new, regular staff positions in Studio Operations. The structure of these 9.5-month positions, which include full employee benefits, was designed to better support students and to create a more stable, cohesive team of staff members. The CCA team presented the union team with a counter proposal to the side letter, which had been shared with the union prior to the meeting.

The CCA team also presented details of fall enrollment numbers and discussed how fall enrollment relates to planning for the spring semester.

On October 5, the union team shared a counter proposal for the 9.5-month-position side letter, which the teams will continue to discuss. The CCA team shared proposals on five interrelated topics, and proposed they be collectively considered for a single tentative agreement. These topics, which are typical in a collective bargaining agreement, include:

• The college’s normal management responsibilities as an institution of higher education.
• The union’s normal right to require that union dues be paid by all staff in a bargaining unit classification and that union reps be able to come on campus when appropriate.
• That if there is a dispute, the union shall not allow a strike or similar work stoppage and the college shall not prevent staff from working.
• That the union and the administration shall work together to address campus unification issues and the legal parameters for that process.

We respect the established bargaining process and are committed to participating in good-faith negotiations with the union according to the process.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: September 21, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: September 21, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The staff unit bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 have held two negotiations sessions so far this month, on September 8 and 15. The meetings continue to be facilitated by a federal government mediator.

Grievance-Arbitration section of CBA: On September 8, the two teams reached another in a series of important tentative agreements on sections for the future collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Grievance-Arbitration section of the CBA specifies how complaints and disagreements about compliance with the future CBA will be addressed and if need be, when and how the impartial umpire called “arbitrator” will hold hearings to rule on disputes. After working for several months to reach consensus on this section, we’re pleased to have found a solution that works for both teams.

The new 9.5-month job positions: In the spring of 2021, the college notified the union that several temporary positions were being consolidated to create new, regular, staff positions with full employee benefits in Studio Operations. This structure was designed to better support students and to create a more stable, cohesive team of staff members. Negotiations of a letter of understanding for this issue took place on September 15, but important differences still exist. The union has filed an objection with the Oakland office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and further proceedings or hearings at the NLRB will take place regarding these seasonal positions unless both negotiation teams resolve their disagreement in a different way.

The next negotiating meeting will be on September 29 and the lead negotiators for each team will work with the federal mediator to schedule subsequent meetings.

CCA is committed to participating in a respectful, collaborative bargaining process with SEIU Local 1021 to achieve a mutually beneficial labor agreement between the college and its represented staff. Our goal for these regular updates is to share factual, accurate information about the content of negotiations to ensure CCA staff members are informed as negotiations progress.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: August 30, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: August 30, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The staff unit bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 have held two negotiations sessions this month, on August 6 and August 24. The meetings continue to be facilitated by a federal government mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The following items were discussed:

Hours of Work section of CBA: On August 6, the two teams reached another in a series of important tentative agreements on sections for the future collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The Hours of Work section of the CBA specifies how work schedules for staff members in the bargaining unit will be set and the parameters for work schedules. The two teams agreed on which evening and weekend work schedules will be paid at higher than normal rates, which is called shift differentials. The two teams have negotiated this section over the course of several meetings this summer, and on August 6 reached a compromise that both teams endorsed.

Identifying Work Modes of Staff Positions: Campus Based, Campus Hybrid, Remote First, and Fully Remote: On August 24, nearly the entire bargaining session was devoted to seeking consensus on plans for the work modes project being piloted this fall. College officers including SVP Mara Hancock and AVP Maira Lazdins gave a presentation to the union team on the pilot project for work modes, health and safety precautions on campus, and efforts to make innovations regarding shared workspaces.

Union bargaining representatives led by SEIU negotiator Nato Green presented questions and concerns, which in turn were discussed by members of both bargaining teams. The two teams discussed processes for identifying the preliminary work modes of positions, and will continue these discussions, as the college team sees union questions and input as important to a successful pilot project.

The negotiators stated that in due course, they will negotiate a mutually agreed section of the CBA (called a side letter) that addresses these different modes—campus-based, campus hybrid, remote first, and fully remote positions—especially the unique needs of remote work.

New Positions Being Created: In past months, the college notified the union that several temporary jobs were being consolidated to create new, regular, full-time staff positions with full employee benefits in Studio Operations, a structure that will better support students when they use CCA studios.

Improving services to students is one aspect of the college’s pandemic recovery process, intended to provide a positive experience that will help attract, support, and retain students. Some of the new positions will be year round and some will work primarily when most students are on campus (full time, but not in summers). No current employee will be required to take one of the new seasonal jobs.

A tentative agreement on the seasonal position section of the CBA has not yet been reached by the two teams. The union has filed an objection with the Oakland office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), challenging the fact that the college has posted for hire the additional, new positions that are expected to be seasonal. The union apparently believes the college should have waited to post the new positions until after tentative agreement on that section was reached. Further negotiations between the teams (and likely with the NLRB) will hopefully lead to resolution of that dispute.

The next meeting will be on September 8, and the lead negotiators for each team will work with the federal mediator to schedule subsequent meetings.

CCA is committed to participating in a respectful, collaborative bargaining process with SEIU Local 1021 to achieve a mutually beneficial labor agreement between the college and its represented staff. Our goal for these regular updates is to share factual, accurate information about the content of negotiations to ensure CCA staff members are informed as negotiations progress.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: August 13, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: August 13, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 met on Friday, August 6. The meeting was facilitated by a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The following items were discussed:

Hours of Work: This proposal, which the teams discussed in previous meetings, details work hours and schedules, overtime rates, shift differentials, call-back pay and premium pay for instances when employees are assigned to perform the predominant duties of a higher-level position than their current position for an extended period of time. The union team presented a counter proposal, which the CCA team reviewed in caucus. The two teams reached a tentative agreement on this article.

Categories of Employment: This article involves definitions for various employment types such as temporary, fixed-term, and seasonal. At the union’s request, the college team provided clarification and examples of temporary and fixed-term positions. Categories of employment were previously suggested by the CCA team to be included under Recognition and Coverage, a proposal the two teams reached agreement on in January 2020 that describes which types of positions are covered by the collective bargaining agreement and how the college accords legal representation status to a defined group of staff members. The union has requested that Categories of Employment be negotiated as a separate article.

The two teams also discussed converting some union-eligible positions from exempt to non-exempt status. The union asked for a list of positions under consideration, which CCA has provided.

The lead negotiators for each team will work with the federal mediator to schedule the next meetings. CCA is committed to participating in a respectful, collaborative bargaining process to achieve a mutually beneficial labor agreement between the college and its represented staff. Our goal for these regular updates is to share factual, accurate information about the content of negotiations to ensure CCA staff members are informed as negotiations progress.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: July 1, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: July 1, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 met on Thursday, June 17. The meeting was facilitated by a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

CCA spent most of this session reviewing two topics to provide the union team with information and offer an opportunity for questions.

1. New positions in Studio Operations: In order to better support students when they use CCA studios, the college has consolidated several temporary jobs to create new, regular, full-time staff positions with full employee benefits in Studio Operations. Improving services to students is one aspect of the college’s pandemic recovery process, intended to provide a positive experience that will help attract, support, and retain students. Some of the new positions will be year round and some will work primarily when most students are on campus (full time, but not necessarily in summer).
2. Reclassification of some positions from exempt to non-exempt: To provide consistency among similar staff positions and better support work/life balance, the college intends to change some exempt (salaried) positions to non-exempt (hourly). As non-exempt employees, these staff members will be entitled to a 50% higher rate of pay for assigned work more than 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. (Salaried workers do not receive overtime pay.) By law, electronic time records will be kept for these positions.

Hours of Work: The CCA team also responded to the union team’s proposed provision regarding hours of work. The college team’s response to the proposal was largely positive, with a few suggestions for improvement. The CCA team will offer a counter proposal soon to help bring this part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to agreement.

The lead negotiators for each team will work with the federal mediator to schedule the next meetings. CCA is committed to participating in a respectful, collaborative bargaining process with SEIU Local 1021 to achieve a mutually beneficial labor agreement between the college and its represented staff. Our goal for these regular updates is to share factual, accurate information about the content of negotiations to ensure CCA staff members are informed as negotiations progress.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: June 10, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update & FAQ: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: June 10, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

CCA is committed to participating in a respectful, collaborative bargaining process with SEIU Local 1021 to achieve a mutually beneficial labor agreement between the college and its represented staff. Our goal for these regular updates is to share factual, accurate information about the content of negotiations to ensure CCA staff members are well-informed about the process, and we invite SEIU Local 1021 to adopt a similar approach. We believe that this builds trust and strengthens our shared commitment to students and employees within our community.

For this update, we have chosen to use an FAQ format to answer some questions we have heard or that you may have at this time.

Q: What is the status of negotiations for the first staff collective bargaining agreement (CBA)? When will we reach a CBA for staff?

A: The negotiating teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 have held more than 20 meetings since negotiations began in late 2019. Due to the pandemic, however, the agenda for many of the meetings during the spring and summer of 2020 had to be diverted from the new CBA to focus on negotiating the pandemic-specific Letter of Understanding to address the unique issues that arose from working at home and the disruption of COVID-19.

While steady progress is being made, it is probably slower than either team would prefer. That said, the pace of progress is about on par for a first collective bargaining agreement. The first CCA/SEIU Local 1021 CBA for the unranked faculty, for example, went into effect 33 months after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election was held. It has been 25 months since the staff NLRB election. It is difficult to predict when the first complete CBA for staff will be reached. Approximately 15 discrete sections of the CBA have been mutually agreed to.

Q: What has happened in negotiations since the last report?

A: Since our last update on May 12, the bargaining teams have had two negotiation meetings, on May 18 and June 8. The meetings were again facilitated by a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Several key parts of the CBA were under negotiation in these meetings:

• Job Postings and Filling Vacancies: Discussion around how to balance the factors of high-quality job skills and seniority when supervisors hire to fill job vacancies. An agreement has not yet been reached on this issue.
• Grievance and Arbitration: The teams have reached full agreement on the contents and language of the grievance procedure. However, the process around identifying neutral arbitrators for when grievances arise is not yet resolved. This has generated a lot of discussion.
  • The college team provided a list of arbitrators with racial and gender diversity to add to a defined panel of named labor arbitrators who would handle all disputes.
  • The union team objected to having any panel of arbitrators who would be chosen by the two negotiating teams as a part of the CBA negotiation. They instead proposed to use a random list from an outside agency to send unknown-in-advance arbitrators to CCA on a dispute-by-dispute basis.
  • The college explained the value of a pre-agreed panel of arbitrators: the primary purpose is to serve as impartial arbitrators and to bring expertise in labor-management and civil rights disputes at private, nonprofit colleges. Private colleges are under intense economic pressure, and mutually selected arbitrators with these qualifications understand and can help with the survival threats that private colleges are facing. This is why this item is so important to the college team.
  • The college team advocated for a partnership rather than a rancorous relationship with SEIU Local 1021. The college team asked the union team to take a positive and supportive stance toward CCA.

Additionally, in the May 18 meeting, the union team reviewed its responses to items in a May 5 email from CCA to the union team (see the May 12, 2021 update for details). The union team acknowledged the email and responded to each point. The union team withdrew its proposal related to the Oakland Campus Redevelopment.

At the end of the June 8 meeting, the two teams expressed an intent to spend more time away from the negotiating table to reach an agreement on the concept of the panel of arbitrators.

Q: Are there negotiations happening about furloughed employees?

A: Not currently. The final four staff members who had been on furlough have been recalled to work. There are no more employees on furlough. This signals a positive step in the ongoing pace of recovery of the entire college community from the effects of the pandemic.

Last year, the two teams reached a detailed, written, signed agreement as to how to handle furloughs, and the rights and benefits of the employees who were on furlough. Very careful negotiations by the two teams led to that agreement.

Q: Are there negotiations happening about remote work options and other changes in operations?

A: The union team has asked to review these issues after the college team shares the results of the recent Service Redesign survey, which the task force is currently reviewing and organizing. The college has indicated that it expects to be able to share survey data in several weeks.

Q: Why doesn’t the college’s negotiation team publicly respond to statements from SEIU Local 1021 representatives that accuse the college team of bad motives during negotiations?

A: The union bargaining team consists of five valued staff members of CCA. If a response to accusations against the college negotiation team is called for, the college team brings its response directly to our union-representative colleagues across the negotiation table in a bargaining meeting. These meetings are where debate and conflict, and then agreement and consensus must happen. The college team respects our colleagues and the established process, and believes labor-management contracts are best forged at the negotiating table, not by vilifying individuals or disparaging the other side’s motives in public.

The next bargaining meeting is scheduled for June 17. If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Instructional Services), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: May 12, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: May 12, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 met on Wednesday, May 5 to continue negotiations with the shared goal of achieving a mutually beneficial bargaining agreement between the college and its represented staff. The meeting was facilitated by a federal mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

The CCA team presented three proposals:

1. CBA Coverage – In 2020, the two teams reached agreements that largely define what positions will and will not be covered under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). However, some items were left for further negotiation. On May 5, the college made proposals on this topic. The college team proposed that the CBA also include remote positions, fixed term positions, and seasonal positions.
   
   Remote positions refer to positions that do not work on campus.
   
   Fixed term positions refer to positions that are funded by external grants or positions that provide coverage for staff members on extended leaves of absence. This may also include positions that address projects and/or work needs that have a specified end date.
   
   Seasonal positions refer to positions that will not operate during a particular time of year. For example, summer, when there are fewer classes and workloads in some units are decreased.
   
   The college proposals specifically call for those positions to be within the CBA and the college team reiterated that point to the union team in the discussions. The college team also explained that fixed term and seasonal positions will be based on college needs, and existing positions will not be converted to fixed term or seasonal positions. If an employee has an interest in this type of a position, they would be able to apply for a transfer. The union team said they will present a counter proposal at a future date.
2. Position Vacancy — This describes the process of posting for vacant positions. The union team presented a counter proposal, which the CCA team will review and respond to.
3. Scope of Agreement — This confirms that both parties have bargained collectively to reach agreement and that neither party will compel the other to bargain during the course of the agreement. The college proposed the same language that the union agreed to in the unranked faculty CBA from 2017-2020. However, the union team rejected the college team’s proposal for the staff CBA.

The union team signed the tentative agreement regarding Leave of Absence — leaves of absence provided by the college, including federal, state, or local law requiring certain types of leave of absence — which the college team had provided for signature on April 13.

The CCA team repeated its invitation, initially suggested in the April 12 meeting, to the union team to discuss the “post-pandemic CCA” as a standing agenda item for future meetings. This topic is in line with the Post-Pandemic Service Redesign Initiative that is currently seeking input from throughout the campus community. The college team reiterated this invitation in a post-meeting letter on May 5. In a reply to this email, the union declined this invitation on May 10, saying it did not want to use joint meeting time in this way.

Following the negotiating session, the CCA team sent an email to the union team regarding the status of several additional items and proposals, with the intent of helping to facilitate a productive agenda for the next meeting, which is scheduled for May 18. Some of the items addressed include:

• The CCA team agreed with the union team that two additional positions should be included in the bargaining unit, and will provide a detailed response on others that may be exempt under managerial, supervisory, or confidential National Labor Relations Act standards.
• The CCA team respectfully declined a union proposal regarding Oakland Campus Redevelopment, as this topic is not among the overriding issues in front of the college as it recovers from the pandemic.
• The CCA team is awaiting a response from the union team on proposals related to Grievance and Arbitration and No-Strike articles.
• Both the college and union teams have drafted proposals regarding Excellence in College Services and Layoff and Severance Pay. The CCA team suggests these topics be added to the agenda soon.
• Several additional union proposals are economic in nature and will be discussed when the two teams reach that state of negotiations.
• The CCA team notes that the current Letter of Understanding regarding pandemic-related policies expires June 30, 2021 and suggests a discussion on an extension should be on a future meeting agenda.

The next meeting of the staff unit bargaining teams is scheduled for May 18, again with the facilitation of the federal government mediator.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: April 19, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: April 19, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 met on Monday, April 12 to continue negotiations with the shared goal of achieving a mutually beneficial bargaining agreement between the college and its represented staff. The meeting was facilitated by a federal mediator, a commissioner from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

The two teams reviewed, discussed, and reached tentative agreement on the article involving Leave of Absence. This article addresses leaves of absence provided by the college, including federal, state, or local law requiring certain types of leave of absence. The college sent the final version to the union for signature on April 13.

In Monday’s session we also reviewed the list of union-eligible employees, and specifically discussed “grey area” positions—those that may or may not fall into the union-eligible category. These conversations will continue.

The college team brought up that we would like to add discussions about the post-pandemic CCA as a standing agenda item for future meetings. This topic is in line with the Post-Pandemic Service Redesign Initiative that is currently seeking input from throughout the campus community.

The next meetings are scheduled for May 5 and 18.

We look forward to continuing our progress toward a collective bargaining agreement that benefits CCA’s valued staff members, supports our academic mission, and maintains the financial stability of our college well into the future.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: March 30, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: March 30, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 met on Friday, March 19 to continue negotiations with the shared goal of achieving a mutually beneficial bargaining agreement between the college and its represented staff. The meeting was facilitated by a commissioner from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

The two teams confirmed five previously negotiated tentative agreements, summarized here, on the following topics:

• Job Descriptions — Job descriptions are managed by Human Resources (HR) and provided at the time of hire. Union employees can request to see their job descriptions at any time and a process is outlined for requesting updates and resolving inaccuracies.
• Joint Labor-Management Committee (JLMC) — This committee will meet during the term of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to provide input to the administration on college-wide matters of importance to staff members, establish and maintain effective and cordial labor relations, exchange information, and resolve and prevent disagreements. JLMC processes and procedures are outlined in the agreement.
• Bargaining Unit Information — The process by which the college will provide a regularly updated list of staff who are covered by the CBA.
• Health and Safety — This describes a commitment to provide employees with safe working conditions and workplace protections, and ensure compliance with applicable state or federal regulations governing workplace safety.
• Grievance and Arbitration — This outlines procedures and processes for filing grievances and seeking neutral arbitration. A grievance is defined as any dispute that involves the interpretation or application of, or compliance with this agreement, discipline or discharge, initiated by the union, staff member, or college.

The teams also reached tentative agreements on two additional articles:

• Employee Orientation — Time permitted for new employees to attend union orientation and annual training.
• Personnel Files — Personnel files are stored by HR and staff members may request to review their personnel files and may obtain copies of any documents contained within the personnel files.

Both teams have signed all of the above tentative agreements with the exception of Grievance and Arbitration, on which the union team requested further discussion.

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 12.

We look forward to continuing our progress toward a collective bargaining agreement that benefits CCA’s valued staff members, supports our academic mission, and maintains the financial stability of our college well into the future.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: March 11, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: March 11, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

The bargaining teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 met on Monday, March 8 to continue negotiations with the shared goal of achieving a mutually beneficial bargaining agreement between the college and its represented staff.

By mutual agreement of the two teams, the meeting was facilitated by a commissioner from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The process was productive and the federal mediator will continue to facilitate negotiations in the future.

The CCA team presented the following items for discussion:

• Confirmed the structure of the Pandemic Stipend for Remote Work Expenses: Internet and Cell, as shared in the March 8 HR Newsletter. In brief, the college will issue a second, non-taxable stipend to staff and faculty for remote work use of your personal internet and cell phone, covering the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 semesters (an initial payment covering the fall semester was issued previously). Staff will see the stipend on their 3/10/21 or 3/15/21 paychecks.
• Confirmed that by the next meeting the union team would sign several outstanding tentative agreements reached previously.
• Reviewed and confirmed protocols for bargaining team membership and attendance at bargaining sessions.
• Counter proposals to proposals presented previously on the following topics:
  • Employee orientation
  • Personnel files
  • Leave for union business

The union team presented information for further consideration regarding layoff decisions.

Dates were set for two future meetings on Friday, March 19 and Monday, April 12.

We look forward to continuing our progress toward a collective bargaining agreement that benefits CCA’s valued staff members, supports our academic mission, and maintains the financial stability of our college well into the future.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: February 10, 2021

To: All CCA Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: February 10, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

There has been significant progress at the virtual bargaining table since our last update in December, as teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021 continue to negotiate with the shared goal of achieving a mutually beneficial collective bargaining agreement between the college and its represented staff.

Since our last update to you on December 8, we’ve met twice—on December 18 and January 15—and the lead negotiators for both teams have continued exchanges of proposed agreements between meetings.

Our most recent meeting led to several positive outcomes:

• Signed letter of understanding on COVID-related policies regarding Health and Safety, Worker’s Compensation, Medical Leave of Absence, Employee Health Benefits, Reimbursement for Work at Home Expenses, Using Paid Sick Leave, Furloughs, and several other items. This expands and extends letters signed previously in April and June 2020.
• Final agreement on a non-taxed pandemic stipend. The stipends will be issued this month for staff who worked during the time period covered (August 15–December 31, 2020).

At our December meeting, the teams also reached tentative agreements on several proposals to be included in the eventual collective bargaining agreement:

• Job Descriptions: Ensuring all staff members have a copy of their job descriptions, and the process for requesting updates and resolving inaccuracies
• Bargaining Unit Information: The process by which the college will provide a regularly updated list of staff who are covered by the CBA
• Joint Labor-Management Committee: Guidelines for this committee, which consists of representatives of the union and the college
• Grievance Procedure: Definitions and processes for filing grievances and seeking neutral arbitration

Discussion will continue on the below proposals:

• New Staff Orientation: Time permitted for new employees to attend union orientation and annual training
• Union Leave: Leave of absence for employment with the union that CCA can grant to an employee for a temporary period of time

These latest tentative agreements join others that have been reached over the course of the collective bargaining process. Previous agreements include:

• Savings: How a section of the collective bargaining agreement is saved and revised if a court or arbitration process nullifies it (January 2019)
• Seniority: Definition of how staff members’ length of service will be calculated (January 2019)
• Discharge and Discipline: Agreement that staff will not be terminated from jobs without just cause as defined by labor law (January 2020)
• Recognition and Coverage: How the college accords legal representation status to a defined group of staff members (January 2020)
• Employment Policies: Six policies that cover equal employment, unlawful harassment, prohibition of close personal relationships in teaching, mentoring and supervisory activities, workplace violence and procedures to assist in implementation of the policies (February 2020)
• Health and Safety: A commitment by the college to provide a safe working environment, including during the pandemic (April 2020)
• Medical Leave: Agreement regarding medical leave, including COVID-related leave (April 2020)
• Furloughs: Agreements around furlough status protections and benefits (August 2020)

We look forward to resuming negotiations and continuing our progress toward a collective bargaining agreement that benefits CCA’s valued staff members, supports our academic mission, and maintains the financial stability of our college well into the future.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: December 8, 2020

To: All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: December 8, 2020

Sent on behalf of the college’s negotiating team for the staff collective bargaining unit

Dear Colleagues,

We’re writing to share a progress update on staff collective bargaining negotiations between the teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021.

Our most recent negotiating session took place via Zoom on Friday, December 4. Our final meeting of 2020 is scheduled for Friday, December 18, then we’ll break for the holidays and resume negotiations in the new year.

Friday’s meeting focused primarily on proposed revisions to the pandemic Letter of Understanding that was signed in April 2020 and amended in June. At the previous meeting (November 20), the union team presented the college team with a set of proposed updates. We agreed to several proposed revisions in that meeting, and promised to review and respond to the others prior to the December 4 meeting, which we did. Both teams are largely in agreement on proposed COVID-related policies regarding Health and Safety, Worker’s Compensation, Medical Leave of Absence, Employee Health Benefits, Reimbursement for Work at Home Expenses, Using Paid Sick Leave, Furloughs, and several other items.

The college team proposed adding several items to the Letter of Understanding that have been part of previous negotiations for the final Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). We have already reached tentative agreement on several of these items. The college team believes that this approach would enable the Letter of Understanding to serve more broadly as an interim agreement as we continue to make progress toward a final CBA. The two teams were in agreement on several additional points, but were not able to reach agreement on all. We will continue negotiations at our next bargaining session next week.

The union team and the college team have not yet fully discussed the college’s proposals regarding an additional pandemic stipend to supplement the interim reimbursement policy for remote work expenses that is currently in place, and a set of proposed procedures to improve productivity and communications for negotiations conducted via Zoom.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: November 25, 2020

To: All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations

Date: November 25, 2020

Sent on behalf of the college’s negotiating team for the staff collective bargaining unit

Dear Colleagues,

We’re writing to share a progress update on staff collective bargaining negotiations between the teams representing CCA and SEIU Local 1021.

Our most recent negotiating session took place via Zoom on Friday, November 20. At the end of the meeting, both teams characterized it as productive. Additional meetings are scheduled for Friday, December 4 and Friday, December 18, then we’ll break for the holidays and resume negotiations in the new year.

In between our October and November meetings, CCA announced updated health plans, features, and costs during the annual benefits open-enrollment period. These include a new Kaiser plan available at no cost to employees, which the college anticipates many staff members will join. The union team informed the college that it was agreeable to the new and updated plans.

Topics discussed at the November meeting included:

• Pandemic stipend — Prior to the meeting, the college team provided the union team with a proposal outline for a stipend intended to help employees with costs associated with working remotely. This would be in addition to the interim reimbursement policy for remote work expenses that has been in place since early in the pandemic. The union requested several changes to the proposal, and the college agreed. The teams will continue to discuss at upcoming negotiation meetings.
• Procedures for future Zoom negotiations — Noting that negotiations were more mutually effective when they took place in person prior to the pandemic, the college team proposed a set of 11 guidelines intended to help improve productivity and communications in future Zoom meetings. These included:
  • Meetings would be scheduled in advance by the chief negotiators for the two teams.
  • Written proposals would be sent in advance to allow time for study prior to meeting.
  • Outside media would not attend meetings and meetings would not be recorded.
  • Three observers would be allowed per meeting, with more by mutual agreement.
  The union team acknowledged the proposed guidelines but declined to agree to any ground rules.
• Revised pandemic Letter of Understanding — At the meeting, the union team presented the college team with a set of proposed updates to the current pandemic Letter of Understanding, which was signed in April and amended in June. The college team agreed to many of the revisions on the spot, and we committed to study and respond to the remaining revisions before the next meeting.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: October 27, 2020

To: All Staff
From: Human Resources
Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations with SEIU Local 1021
Date: October 27, 2020

Sent on behalf of the college’s collective bargaining team

Dear Colleagues,

This is an update on collective bargaining negotiations between bargaining teams from CCA and SEIU Local 1021, which began in October 2019 and are continuing this fall. Previous updates may be found on the Staff Union Updates Portal page.

In September, negotiations focused on achieving an agreement on an updated Letter of Understanding and Addendum to cover more staff health and safety needs related to the pandemic, and to extend the agreement on rights and benefits for those staff members who were on furlough.

The two teams exchanged proposals and both teams indicated in writing that they believed the teams are moving closer to achieving a final agreement on the Letter of Understanding and Addendum.

On September 30, the college bargaining team wrote to the union team and suggested the two teams continue to meet for negotiations on a number of Friday mornings in October, November, and December. The college team also provided information on health-insurance premium payment processes for furloughed employees.

On October 20, the union team responded to the college team’s September 30 suggestion that the two teams meet for negotiations in October, November, and December. The union team offered a number of dates in November and December.

On October 21, the CCA team responded to confirm the dates of November 20, December 4, and December 18 for the teams to next meet for negotiations. The CCA team also suggested that the two lead negotiators work directly with each other to negotiate the remaining details on the updated Letter of Understanding and Addendum prior to the next meeting, scheduled for November 20.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

George Luis Sedano (Student Affairs), Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), Maira Lazdins (Human Resources), Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs), and Mike Vartain (legal counsel and lead negotiator)

UPDATE: September 29, 2020

Email Sent To: All Staff

From: Human Resources

Subject: Update: CCA staff collective bargaining negotiations with SEIU Local 1021

Date: September 29, 2020

Sent on behalf of the college’s collective bargaining team

Dear Colleagues,

This is an update on collective bargaining negotiations between bargaining teams from CCA and SEIU Local 1021, which began in October 2019 and are continuing this fall. As negotiations progress toward our shared goal of reaching a mutually beneficial collective bargaining agreement (CBA), we will provide regular updates on the Staff Union Updates Portal page and in the HR newsletter.

Please note that all CCA staff members are receiving this update, whether or not your positions will be covered by the CBA. There are also a number of positions for which the two teams have not yet agreed on representation. The teams will negotiate to determine whether these positions are to be covered by the CBA, or whether they are considered management, supervisors, or confidential employees and therefore not in the represented group.

Background
In March 2019, CCA and SEIU Local 1021 agreed to hold an election to be overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an agency of the U.S. government under the federal Labor-Management Relations Act. The voting unit included all regular CCA staff members who are not management, supervisors, or confidential employees.

The election was held in April 2019 and a clear majority of those who voted selected union representation by SEIU Local 1021. The NLRB certified the election as final in May, and by mutual agreement of the college and the union, contract negotiations began in October 2019.

Negotiation sessions between the two bargaining teams continued during the winter of 2019–20 and through the spring and summer of 2020. These negotiations initially took place in face-to-face meetings, and have continued via Zoom during the pandemic.

Progress

The two teams have reached a variety of tentative agreements on language for sections of the future CBA. During the summer, negotiations focused on achieving a letter of understanding and addendum that cover staff health and safety needs related to the pandemic, and that cover rights and benefits for those staff members who have been on furlough. This month, the two teams have exchanged additional proposals regarding extending the letters of understanding to the end of December 2020, as well as resuming the work of negotiating the terms of the future collective bargaining agreement.

Goals
As the college’s bargaining team, we are committed to a respectful, efficient, and productive negotiating process. Our goal is to reach a mutually beneficial collective bargaining agreement that continues to provide CCA staff with solid benefits and salaries, and maintains the current operational flexibility of the college administration that is necessary to respond responsibly to the various and evolving challenges that confront the institution.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

For previous updates and FAQs, see the Staff Union Updates page on Portal.

Respectfully,

CCA Bargaining Team

George Sedano (Student Affairs), Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), and Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs)

UPDATE: January 17, 2020

Negotiations between the bargaining teams representing SEIU Local 1021 and CCA began in October 2019, continued through November and December, and have now resumed following the winter break. These negotiations have taken place primarily in face-to-face meetings of the teams, through in-person discussion of written contract proposals.

In these meetings, the teams have exchanged and discussed contract proposals and current CCA operational processes on the following topics:

• Job promotion opportunities through open posting of vacant positions
• Nondiscrimination assurances
• Definition of and policies regarding seniority
• Diversity of the workforce in various facets of service to the students of the college
• Clarity of job descriptions
• Salary increases for staff implemented in January 2020
• The future unification of the college in San Francisco
• The rising cost of living in the Bay Area, including for renters
• The process for resolving complaints and grievances
• The Staff Advisory Committee

The teams have also begun negotiations of compensation terms of the collective bargaining agreement, such as:

• Future wage increases
• Classifications of jobs
• Employee health and welfare benefits, such as medical, retirement, and other important benefits that the college offers its employees

The college’s bargaining team is committed to a respectful, efficient, and productive negotiating process, and our goal of a mutually beneficial collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that continues to provide CCA staff with solid benefits and salaries, and maintains the operational flexibility necessary to respond responsibly to the various and evolving challenges that confront the institution. We will continue to post updates here as negotiations progress.

If you have questions or comments about the collective bargaining process, please contact Human Resources.

POSTED: November 18, 2019

Q. How do collective bargaining negotiations work?

A. Under law, collective bargaining negotiations take place primarily in face-to-face meetings of negotiation teams representing the college and the union, through in-person discussion of written contract proposals. The union team initiates negotiations with a set of opening proposals. This starts the give-and-take process that will lead to a final contract. Collective bargaining agreements are written by the negotiators, with careful attention to language. Once agreed upon, this language will become a legally binding blueprint for future CCA operations.

Q. What are the college’s goals for negotiations?

A. The college’s bargaining team is committed to a respectful, efficient, and productive negotiating process to reach a mutually beneficial collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that continues to provide our staff with solid benefits and salaries, and maintains the operational flexibility necessary to respond responsibly to the various and evolving challenges that confront the institution. The college is committed to negotiating in good faith with the unified, overarching goal of reaching a CBA for our staff that prioritizes serving our students and fulfilling our academic mission at the highest level.

Q. What is SEIU?

A. SEIU stands for Service Employees International Union. The second-largest labor union in the country, SEIU represents nearly 2 million individuals in a variety of occupations, primarily in the health-care, public-service, and property-service sectors. SEIU is highly active in national, state, and local politics; legislation advocacy; and community affairs. The SEIU affiliate for the Bay Area is Local 1021.

Q. Who are the people serving on the teams negotiating the collective bargaining agreement?

A. The college’s team includes CCA staff members Leslie Gray (Human Resources), George Sedano (Student Affairs), Annemarie Haar (Libraries & Creative Instructional Technologies), and Dustin Smith (Academic Affairs). Legal counsel for the college, Mike Vartain, is the college’s lead negotiator.

The union’s team includes CCA staff members Piper Alldrige (Studio Management), Amber Bales (Libraries), Kate Goyette (Studio Management), Matt Kennedy (Educational Technology Services), Cynthia Santos (Educational Technology Services), and Brian Woods (Educational Technology Services). Nato Green from SEIU is the union’s lead negotiator.

Q. What is the authority of the negotiating teams?

A. Each negotiating team has the authority to make tentative agreements to the various parts of what will become the final collective bargaining agreement (CBA). When the two negotiating teams believe they have reached tentative agreements on all possible issues, the two teams initial a tentative CBA. The union then conducts a vote of eligible staff members to ratify the tentative agreement, which is also reviewed by the officers of the college. If both sides are satisfied, there will be a signed CBA. The CBA can be valid for three years, or another period as agreed upon.

Q. What is the timeframe to complete negotiations?

A. Negotiations will continue until the two teams reach a collective bargaining agreement. It is the college’s desire to negotiate efficiently and reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Q. How are compensation and benefits typically negotiated during the collective bargaining process?

A. Financial matters such as compensation and benefits are usually determined near the end of CBA negotiations, and are often among the last items to be agreed upon and implemented.

According to the college’s business cycle, wage increase for staff are typically made before the winter break and implemented in January. For staff members in the new union bargaining unit, all such matters must now be negotiated with the union into the collective bargaining agreement.

Q. Where can I find out more?

A. Human Resources
Staff Advisory Committee
HR Anonymous Box
SFOAK Unite Organizing Committee (OC)