On January 15, PJCFA was notified by the Administration that it was invoking Article 12: Retrenchment. At Tuesday night's Board of Trustee's meeting, Dr. Meadows briefly mentioned the term "RIF," a Reduction in Force. While retrenchment is the term used in our contract regarding the lay off of faculty, RIF is a term generally used to include all areas of an institution. However, I do not know if this difference is what Dr. Meadows was referring to at the BOT meeting.
According to the CBA 12:02, "Retrenchment shall be implemented in accordance with the Retrenchment
Point System which takes into consideration, on a district-wide basis, a faculty member's degree, certification/licensure, in-field work experience, years of experience at PJC, academic rank, additional teaching or job qualifications in area(s) of need, and program and/or academic needs of the College. Should retrenchment be necessary, faculty members in the discipline or area who have the greatest number of points as determined by the Retrenchment Point System shall be retained over faculty members with fewer retrenchment points."
PJCFA will be meeting with Administration to bargain the impact of this decision. "The parties shall, in these
negotiations, consider many factors, including, but not limited to, natural attrition, voluntary early retirement, retraining, transfers, order of faculty retrenchment, and recall rights." (CBA 12:01) Also, "In the event of retrenchment, nothing in this article shall preclude the negotiation of additional options such as, but not limited to, voluntary early retirement, leave without pay, or severance pay." (CBA 12:04B)
PJCFA has reserved Room 252 (Hagler Auditorium) for a full-time faculty meeting on Thursday, January 29 at 1:30 pm. At this meeting we will discuss retrenchment, the status of impasse, and the status of the two grievances regarding mid-term grades and salary increase.
In the meantime, I urge each of you to carefully read Article 12 and create your own Retrenchment Faculty Worksheet. This will prepare you to address the Retrenchment Faculty Worksheet prepared by your department head.
1 comment:
This is no big surprise. I wrote when Meadows was selected that it was a continuation of the same old same old. Instead of eliminating all the excess administrators and administrative assistants and assistant department heads, the school picks faculty first which should be the last selected for termination. Without the right to strike, a union has no power. This is the end result of the fantasy of having a union. The union is at a crossroads. Does it have any power at all, or is it willing to push the envelope? Would we be better off today without it? Since we have been negotiating how to spend the leftovers from the Board of Trustees for twenty-two years, have we learned anything? What if we physically showed the board and the President what we mean to the college? New hires have nothing to lose. Those of us with a few years left can actually move on to colleges which respect their faculty(yes, they do exist outside our narrow sphere of existence). I know older faculty "have plans," but so do the newer faculty. Are those plans worth watching idly while our newer colleagues lose their jobs? I don't think so. Think back to when you were hired. What were your plans then? This college is a pawn of politicians in a corrupt game based on Florida laws. Isn't it about time that those laws were changed? Without teachers, this college would not exist, yet we are the last thought of corrupt boards and corrupt administrators. Where is Doctor Gonzales' voice? Is he actually caving in when he is so close to retirement? What did they offer him? I love Dr. Gonzales, but where is he? Why does this situation exist? The administration/managerial/professional ranks need to be slashed by at least twenty-five percent before faculty retrenchment should even be an option. Are we going to sit back as we have done for twenty-two years and take it? I love Pensacola Junior College and its students. I want to continue to help my students fulfill their dreams. Does the administration want the same? The answer is obvious. What the Hell are we here for? As a final answer if we are not willing to change the Florida laws which deny us any power in the way in which students are educated, why aren't teachers who are currently or long ago eligible for retirement stepping up to stop the slaughter which is about to happen? We have at least three or four on Milton Campus. How many are on Pensacola and Warrington Campuses? I know. Plans. There are plenty of university campuses which would love to have you and would tell you so every day. Is staying worth having young people lose their dreams? I think not. We either need to punt or run. Make your choice. This school is going into the administrative dumpster regardless of your decision. Future students across America need you. Move your attention to them. Kiss this cesspool goodbye.
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