College district’s faculty union votes to strike if demands aren’t met

BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer

The San Mateo County Community College District faculty union voted yesterday (March 13) to strike if the district does not meet its demands after a year of negotiations.

The district’s faculty union, American Federation of Teachers Local 1493, has voted 95% in favor of a strike, as instructors are seeking an 18% salary increase over three years. The union represents instructors at all three of the district’s colleges, Skyline in San Bruno, Canada in Redwood City and College of San Mateo.

The college district’s board is offering an 11% salary increase over three years for full-time faculty and 12.5% for part-time faculty.

The district said its offer amounts to more than $31 million for its faculty, according to a statement Chancellor Melissa Moreno released on Monday.

But instructors are also asking for reasonable class sizes and protections for academic freedom, which allows them to choose the materials they use to teach, according to AFT 1493 President Rika Yonemura-Fabian. The districts’ 11% offer does not address the rising costs of living, Yonemura-Fabian said.

San Mateo County Community College faculty members can make between $86,304 to $164,472 annually, depending on their years of experience and education levels, according to the district’s salary schedule.

There is no strike date because the union will have to wait after the fact-finding process is finalized. Fact-finding is a formal, non-binding dispute resolution process used in public sector labor negotiations when parties reach an impasse. A tripartite panel (union rep, employer rep, and neutral chair) investigates disputes, holds hearings, and issues a report with recommendations to help settle the contract.

If a settlement is not reached through this process, the union will call a strike.