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New Decade – New Beginnings – New Challenges

As we begin this new decade, we have an exciting new contract, which you can see on the CONTRACT tab.  Many of your questions will be answered there, but as always, reach out to us if you have any questions.  Contact information is on the CONTACT US tab.

We begin this new year with new officers, Karen Florian, Erik Solomon, Lynette Thornburgh and Jessica Hoth.  Please reach out to us if you have any questions or issues.  We are here to help you in any way we can.

As we begin this new year, our Professional Development Committee (created by the new contract) is busy working on defining the various provisions of the professional development requirements as outlined in the contract. This work is to be completed by early summer and we will communicate the results to you then as well as at our fall in-service.

Our major challenge is the COVID19 virus and its impact on the delivery of our classes to our students.  At this time, we can use our creativity and empathy to ensure that our students continue to get the best possible educational experience. We have the ability to look at things from a different point of view, keep a positive can-do attitude and use the ideas and expertise of our peers to make this happen.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or issues, please let us know.

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Welcome to a New ERA for Adjuncts

This is a very exciting time for CLC adjuncts.  We have a new 4 year contract that is the best contract we have ever had. It includes benefits that many of us never thought we would see in our careers at CLC.  Go to the CONTRACT tab to see some of those wonderful changes.  The actual 2019 – 2023 contract is posted there for reference purposes.

It is also a time to welcome our new officers:  Karen Florian, Erik Solomon, Lynette Thornburgh, and Jessica Hoth.  These people have stepped forward to lead and to advocate for the adjunct faculty.  Their contact information is on the CONTACT US tab.

But it is also the start of a new era for adjunct faculty at CLC.  For years adjunct faculty were barely a “blip” on the College’s radar. But recently we have seen a change for the better, we are more than a “blip.”    Decisions were made without consulting adjunct faculty and many of us felt underappreciated.  But this is the beginning of a time when adjuncts are well represented on faculty senate, are consulted on major decisions, are considered for directorships of departments and segments of the college, we have a brand new state of the art office space, and much, much more. Thanks to work of CLC-AFO our opinions and views are being sought and weighed in decision making. We teach the vast majority of classes, hold the most load hours,  and provide the vast majority of services in the counseling and library.  We are more than a blip.

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Implications of The Janus Decision

In light of last week’s unfortunate, yet anticipated, Supreme Court ruling in favor of Janus v. AFSCME,  CLC-AFO needs to warn you that there is a well orchestrated  machine funded by anti-union people like Governor Rauner, the Koch Brothers, the Illinois Policy Institute, etc. reaching out to members of public sector unions.  These groups have been preparing for the Janus decision and are now reaching out to union members and encouraging them to leave the union. Please be advised that these groups have had a plan in place for nearly a year in anticipation of a Janus decision.

 

Many members of school districts in Lake County have already been emailed (at school) by the anti-union organization (MY PAY-MY SAY) and already had  robo-calls by these aforementioned organizations reminding them how the Janus decision is a great day for the return of freedom of speech.  Many right to work/anti-labor organizations are going to be misinterpreting the Janus decision by saying that labor is dead, collective bargaining is dead, your pensions are dead, etc.  Ignore that.  The only thing the Janus case settled is that declared fair share employees do not have to pay agency fees.  Fair share adjuncts, now really “free-riders,” get all our hard fought for benefits without paying for the benefits they receive.

 

Our Union is strong but needs to get stronger.   Our membership drives last fall and this spring made a huge statement to our Board of Trustees and Administration.   As we begin to negotiate our contract, knowing that we have your voice and solidarity at the table is the single most influential tool we use to obtain a fair contract.  Please remember, CLC-AFO gives us a voice in everything we do that impacts our jobs.  If we lose that voice, we lose everything we’ve come to enjoy and everything we seek to gain in the future.

 

Ignore the rhetoric and “spin” you may hear from anti-union organizations.  Communicate or forward any encounters you experience and feel free to respond to these individuals as you see fit.  You are the Union.  Tell them about the benefits that the CLC-AFO has given you and how you believe in worker’s rights.  Remind them that the Union has given you a fair contract, GFO status, PTO and other benefits.  CLC-AFO stands for freedom and democracy, as your voice and your vote matters in the workplace.  If you receive an email or a robo-call, respond to them by saying what you want and in anyway you want. But please let us know that you are receiving these calls.

 

More to come on this.  Enjoy your summer and stay strong.

 

– Brian, Karen, Debbie and Mary

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Janus Decision and the CLC-AFO

The Supreme Court’s Janus decision, which will come down this Spring or Summer, will have major, long-term implications for CLC-AFO and could very well cost us our union and all its benefits.

WHAT IS THE JANUS DECISION?

  • Janus is short for Janus vs AFSCME Council 31, a case pending before the Supreme Court of the United States.
  • The Janus case asks the Supreme Court to rule that paying union dues for non-members (called “fair share fees”) is unconstitutional.

Fair share fees are fees paid for by people who don’t want to be a member of a union,  but it is believed that they should pay their fair share of the costs of bargaining and maintaining a contract.

  • If SCOTUS decides in favor of Janus, current fair share folks would not have to pay dues, BUT WOULD RECEIVE ALL THE BENEFITS AND PROTECTIONS of the CLC-AFO contract (raises, protection, professional growth money, GFO status, etc.).
  • They would essentially become “FREELOADERS.”

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLC-AFO

  • Currently approximately 50% of our adjunct union are members and 50% are fair share non-members.
  • If current members decide to drop their membership and get “free benefits” (which happened in Indiana and Michigan when this passed) CLC-AFO membership will drop below 50% of adjuncts.
  • CLC then can and will file an “RM Petition” with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board to decertify CLC-AFO claiming that we no longer represent the majority of adjunct faculty.
  • This would nullify our contract.
  • We Will Lose:
    • Regular raises, let alone any raises at all
    • Personal Days – Paid Time Off
    • Advocacy and Job Protection
    • There are people with us today because the union was able to advocate for them
    • GFO status
    • Professional Growth Money
    • All the benefits of the contract.
    • Our Field Rep Matt LaPierre
  • Even if CLC does not petition to decertify CLC-AFO

We will enter negotiations 2019 severely weakened.

 

What can you do

 

Please follow this link for more information on the Janus Decision.