News Brief 2003-01-30

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COCAL News Brief 2003-01-30

Transcript of News Brief 2003-01-30

Page 1: News Brief 2003-01-30

News Briefs - January 30, 2002● Rally in Washington State ● Part-Time Faculty Issues Addressed at TESOL Convention ● AFSCME Resolution at Chicago City Council - Still Time to Contact Your Alderman● Lehrer NewsHour Feature on UC Lecturers ● Appeal from Jocelyn Graf for Success Stories in Faculty Organizing ● Part-Time Faculty at Emerson College Need Your Help

Rally in Washington State

Today, in Olympia, Washington, the Washington Education Association sponsored a "Day of Action" as "a show of strength and unity in support of public schools iand students." The Washington State Patrol estimated the crowd at 30,000, the largest rally ever held in Olympia. I believe around one-third of all public schools in the state were not in session today in order to support the event. I was part of a contingent from my college that attended the event that included 3 part-time faculty. I spoke with a group from British Columbia, Canada, that took part to show solidarity.Speakers included Reg Weaver, NEA President; Charles Hasse, WEA president; actor James Avery, one state senator, and several outstanding teachers who delivered great messages.The Rally's slogan was "Keep the Commitment" (to public education) in response to Governor Gary Locke's proposal to suspend implimentation of two voter-approved initiatives, one which provides a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for both K-12 and community college instructors and the other reduces class size. The governor argues that it's necessary to put them on hold as the state is trying to deal with a $2.4 billion budget shortfall.NEA President Weaver made the point that if we have funds for war, we certainly have funds to provide our children a decent education.Governor Locke's budget, criticized for suspending implimentation of Initiatives 732 and 728, deserves credit for adding $5 million to increase the salaries of part-time faculty.Best wishes,Jack [email protected] to Adjunct Mailing List on January 14, 2003Subscription and Archiving Option also available through the Web Interface at:http://listserv.gc.cuny.edu/lyris.pl?enter=adj-l

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Part-Time Faculty Issues Addressed at TESOL Convention

Dear Colleagues:The issues of equity and professional of part-time faculty will be a major theme at the upcoming TESOL convention in Baltimore, March 25-29, 2003.Below is a list of events which will focus on these issues. If you are planning to attend the TESOL convention and are concerned about the issues facing contingent faculty, you should try to attend these events.Mary Ellen GoodwinCPFA Executive Council ChairCOPTEC [email protected] the CPFA Website at www.cpfa.orgCOPTEC/TESOL: www.tesol.org/mbr/caucuses/pt.html--------------

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Wednesday, March 262:00-3:45pmCOLLOQUIUM ON EMPLOYMENT EQUITYFeaturing leaders from all TESOL CaucusesThursday, March 273:00-5:00PMDEFENDING PROFESSIONALISM OF EDUCATORS THROUGH COALITIONPresenter: Rich Moser, American Association of University ProfessorsThursday, March 273:00-4:45pmESOL IN ADULT EDUCATION / TESOL PART-TIMERS / ESL IN HIGHER EDUCATION / INTENSIVE ENGLISH PROGRAMS (Successes and Challenges of the Equity Campaign)Thursday, March 27 5:00-7:00 PMCAUCUS OPEN MEETING - COPTEC (Caucus on Part-Time Employment Concerns)Location: Baltimore Convention CenterRoom: 321Friday, March 289:30-11:15 amPART-TIME INSTRUCTORS-FULL TIME ACTIVISTS: VOICES FROM THE EQUITY MOVEMENTLocation: Baltimore Convention CenterRoom: 311Posted to Adjunct Mailing List on January 17, 2003Subscription and Archiving Option also available through the Web Interface at:http://listserv.gc.cuny.edu/lyris.pl?enter=adj-l

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AFSCME Resolution at Chicago City Council

Posted via e-mail January 18, 2003Hey everyone,Joe Moore wasn't able to put in our resolution at this city council meeting. The meeting focused on the resolution against a preemptive strike in Iraq. Yeah, that was a huge success.Joe Moore was very apologetic and promised that he will put forth our resolution at the next council meeting .... this will be Feb 5th.This actually gives us more time. Please encourage everyone you know to call or visit your alderman (students, fellow educators, church people, community people) between now and the beginning of Feb...let them know that they should support the resolution for a good contract for the Adult Educators and Coordinators of the City Colleges of Chicago. Perhaps some of you can come down to that city council meeting!!!FYI...Joe Moore also stated that CCC's lobbyist was quick to contact him to try to stop this resolution. Joe did not give in to the CCC lobbyist and reinforced to us his committment to this resolution.Thanks everyone,Sue SchulzPresident, AFSCME 3506

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Lehrer NewsHour Feature on UC Lecturers

Note: The program referred to below is available via streaming audio at www.newshour.org - scroll down to Teachers Without TenureThe transcript is available at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/jan-june03/tenure_1-8.htmlCONGRATULATIONS to all of us!!! (Kudos to whom ever got the story on the air!)The 2nd lead story on tonight's "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" carried by PBS was a 12 minute segment on Part

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Time Faculty inequities. The program spoke of the plight and unfairness of the teaching profession and followed freeway fliers, spoke of lack of benefits and the lack of respect part timers receive in every aspect of the teaching process. The program Interviewed Leo Chavez, outgoing chancellor of Foothill College, who admitted that part timers are paid less pro rata and cost the colleges far less than full time instructors, receiving few benefits. The reporter said over 40 % of student contact hours at Foothill College were taught by adjunct faculty.That figure is much higher in composition courses and often higher at the State Universities and UC's. I admit my eyes were so glued to the show it didn't occur to me to throw a tape into my VCR. Sure hope others caught the program. The important thing is the citizens across this nation saw it and administrators at UC and Sonoma State were questioned about their practices and the reporter followed several full time and part time instructors around to tell their story. They spent several minutes showing the early fall protest at the UC's in support of part time lecturers. They also interviewed students at UC Berkeley who said they just wanted good teachers. More often these were part timers because many of the full timers priorities revolve around research and were teaching a class or two because it was required, not because they wanted to.While most of the colleges mentioned were from Northern CA, it is a nationally viewed main stream TV news program and sure to generate local papers picking up the story.I say HOORAY-we may finally get some results!Donna FrankelPosted to [email protected] on January 8, 2003.

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Request for Success Stories in Contingent Faculty Organizing

Hi folks,I'm doing a poster presentation for Illinois TESOL (Teachers of ESL) on success stories in contingent faculty organizing. I think I'm going to put a big map of North America on the poster and attach short paragraphs with bits of news to locations all over the map. I'd like to include a wide variety of stories, both union organizing and other types of victories (e.g. legislative and judicial, development of new organizations and leadership, creative new solutions to old problems, etc.). I would also like to cover as many geographical locations as possible. I want some current news and some of the highlights over the longer history of the movement. (The story may be a partial success in an ongoing struggle.)I'd appreciate it if you all could email me (preferably by Feb. 10) with what you think is the most significant or unique or encouraging story in your area or organization. I can go the archives for my listservs, but I'd prefer to have something developed with the input of others. If you don't have time to give me the details of your story, just refer me to the time period when it was originally reported on the listserv or in the newspapers.Eventually, I would also like to compile a list of worldwide events for a poster session at International TESOL for 2004. I have only four or five so far. So, if you have one of those, let me know.(I'm copying this to the TESOL part-time caucus listserv.)In order to cut down on the amount of mail on the listserv, please email me directly at [email protected]. I'll post a group of responses on the listserv in a batch for comment. Thanks for your help!Jocelyn GrafChicagoPosted to Adjunct Mailing List on January 28, 2003Subscription and Archiving Option also available through the Web Interface at:http://listserv.gc.cuny.edu/lyris.pl?enter=adj-l

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Part-Time Faculty at Emerson College Need Your Help Friday, January 31st!

Posted via e-mail on January 22, 2003 by Gary ZabelEducation in Crisis: A Public Hearing on Part-Time Faculty at Emerson College

Teachers' working conditions ARE Students' learning conditions !Equal Pay for Equal Work !

In April 2001 the contingent faculty at Emerson College were the first to form a faculty union at a private institution

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in Boston in 20 years. Now more than a year later there is still no contract. The administration is stalling WHY?�A panel of faculty experts from around the county will convene to receive testimony regarding the working conditions and contract negotiations of contingent faculty at Emerson College. The panel will include Jane Buck, AAUP President, and members of the AAUP's national committee on Contingent Faculty. State Representative Pat Jehlen [Somerville] will also speak.Be there! Support Fairness for FacultyWhere: Emerson Student Union, 96 Beacon St, Room 24 [Arlington, Charles, or Park Street T-stop] / call 617-868-8058 for further info]When: Friday January 31st. 4:00 ? 5:30 p.m. Reception to follow.Sponsored by: Affiliated Faculty of Emerson College/AAUP, Boston Jobs With Justice, Boston Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor, Massachusetts Conference of the AAUP, Campaign on Contingent Work, North American Alliance for Fair Employment, Collective Bargaining Congress/AAUP, Emerson Greens , Faculty Staff Union, MTA, NEA UMass Boston, UMass Faculty Federation, Local 1895, AFT UMass Dartmouth, UAW Local 2322

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