AS PART OF A CONTINGENCY PLAN, COD OFFERS RICH WAGE & BENEFIT PACKAGE TO ADJUNCTS TO BE STRIKEBREAKERS
CODAA RECOMMENDS “NO” VOTE
In the event that the full-time faculty (CODFA) go on strike during the fall 2019 semester, the College has developed a contingency plan in which adjunct faculty will be asked to cover courses normally taught by full-time faculty and hours worked by full-time counselors. Because we believe it is important to uphold our union principles by not serving as strikebreakers, protect the relationships we have with full-time faculty, and do what is in the best interests of our students, The CODAA Board recommends that you vote to reject their proposed contingency plan.
The College’s Contingency plan offers:
- Adjunct Faculty will receive their current rate per contact hour up to twelve (12) contact hours. For accepted contact hours above twelve (12), the College will pay a rate of $2500.00 per contact hour, prorated from the assignment date, if necessary. In addition, Adjunct Faculty teaching more than twelve (12) contact hours will receive benefits, including health benefits — a full summary of benefits and premiums will be posted on our website by Monday. (With these benefits and additional compensation, there is an expectation of additional teaching availability during daytime hours).
- The College will guarantee Adjunct Faculty who accept an assignment of more than (12) twelve contact hours that the assignment will be for the remainder, if not the entire, fall 2019 semester, beginning from the start date of the appointment.
- Counselors and Advisors will be compensated at time and a half for hours over those already scheduled and may work a maximum of 40 hours per week. They will also receive the additional benefits, as long as they work at least 30 hours per week.NOTE: We are uncertain whether Advisors are eligible for the additional hours, as there are no full-time faculty advisors and, therefore, no full-time position for which they could assume extra duties.
Please consider that while this may seem like a lucrative short-term deal, it can have long-lasting negative repercussions for the College as a whole. If we serve as strikebreakers, we will damage our relationship with the full-time faculty and compromise our union values. If the administration feels they have the upper hand with the full-time faculty by replacing them with adjuncts during a strike, think about what their attitude will be toward us when we enter negotiations after our contract ends in 2021. It does not escape our notice that CODAA has asked for a living wage and health insurance in every negotiations since 1985. The College is only now, and only briefly, willing to compensate us fairly for the work we do each and every day.
Finally, the CODAA board wishes to make it very clear that according to our contract, Section XXII- Interruption of Service, while you do not have to accept additional work that may be offered, CODAA members MUST honor the assignments they have already agreed to for the fall semester. We may show support for our sister union by wearing Teaching Matters t-shirts or armbands or chatting with them as we cross the picket-line, but we cannot join in the strike.