ADMINISTRATION QUESTIONS
ADJUNCT FACULTY UNION
A recent letter from the College’s Office of Human Resources to
HFCC’s adjunct faculty states: “We do not believe that having an adjunct
faculty union will improve our ability to accommodate the needs and
interests of our adjunct faculty.” Such
a statement is clearly intended to dissuade support for an adjunct union.
In the letter’s conclusion, the Administration also raises for
consideration by adjuncts whether an adjunct union would be in “the best
interests of adjunct faculty as well as the College, our community, and
especially our students.”
That such “considerations” would be raised by the Administration
is very troubling, given how very much the full-time faculty union, the
support staff union, and the administrators’ union are part of the culture
and very fabric of Henry Ford Community College and given how unions are
part of the very fabric of our community and the lives of so many of the
students we serve.
That the Administration would raise such “considerations”
regarding a potential adjunct union is also troubling, given the positive
history of the Administration and Board of Trustees’ relationships with
HFCC’s full-time unions. While
serving the interests of their members very well, the College’s full-time
unions have never compromised the best interests of the College, our
community, or our students.
HFCC’s full-time unions have been very responsive in negotiations
to the College’s needs when cuts in State revenue have impacted the
College. HFCC’s full-time
unions also work very hard to secure local, state, and federal funds for
HFCC and its students. Our
unions finance local operational and capital improvement millage campaigns
for the College. With
AFT-Michigan and the State AFL-CIO, HFCC’s unions lobby the State
legislature to improve funding for HFCC.
With the national AFT and AFL-CIO, HFCC’s unions lobby for federal
programs and funds that support student access to higher education and HFCC.
The Federation believes that an adjunct faculty union would be
equally committed to the best interests of its members and the best
interests of our College, our community, and our students.
We have faith in the values and dedication of HFCC’s adjunct
faculty and believe that these will be reflected in the policies and
practices of the union they form.
The Federation also believes that HFCC’s full-time employees, whose
professional lives and livelihoods have been greatly enhanced by their
unions, should support adjunct faculty in their effort to do what we have
done – in their effort to form a union and thereby enhance their
professional lives and livelihoods.
John McDonald
STATE BUDGET CRISIS PARTIALLY RESOLVED
With the recent passage of an increase in the State income tax from
3.9% to 4.35% and the application of a State tax to certain services, the
State’s $1.8 billion deficit has been cut to $440 million.
The State Legislature must now agree on $440 million in cuts to State
services, in addition to the $4 billion in the State budget cuts over the
last four years.
Some observations about the State budget and HFCC:
1.
Virtually every objective analyst confirmed the fact that the
State’s budget deficit could not be covered through budget cuts alone,
that additional tax revenues were necessary.
Virtually every objective analyst has also confirmed that
Michigan’s overall tax burden ranks in the middle range of the 50 states.
2.
Nevertheless, Republican legislators proposed covering the entire
deficit with cuts in State services, and they continue to assert that budget
cuts alone would have solved the budget deficit.
3.
HFCC is a “State service.” Nearly
30% of College revenues derive from the State.
Republican proposals to cover the deficit with budget cuts alone
would have further cut HFCC funding.
4.
Upon taking office, Governor Granholm inherited a State budget crisis
which required $4 billion in cuts during her first term.
This ongoing budget crisis has been caused only in part by the
downturn in Michigan’s manufacturing sector.
Irresponsible cuts in taxes during Governor Engler’s Administration
severely curtailed State revenue, contributed significantly to Michigan’s
longstanding structural budget deficit, and left Michigan vulnerable to the
current economic downturn.
5.
Recall efforts are underway against legislators who supported
increasing taxes as part of the budget remedy.
The recall zealots do not acknowledge that the Republican Party
controlled the Governor’s chair and both the State House and State Senate
for eight years, prior to the Granholm administration, and had ample
opportunity to cut all the “fat” out of the State budget had such
existed.
6.
Even absent recalls, State legislators who supported increasing State
revenues will be challenged at the polls in November 2008 for not covering
the entire budget deficit with cuts in State programs.
Their opponents, if elected, will have the opportunity to enact those
cuts, including cuts in community college funding, as the increase in the
State income tax is phased out 2012-2015.
7. The lesson, as always, is that HFCC’s funding is determined in the political arena and is at the mercy of politicians who see tax cuts and budget cuts, however irresponsible, as a means to office and power.
John McDonald
CHANGES TO MPSERS
As part of its resolution of the State’s budget crisis, the
Legislature enacted “reforms,” in reality cuts, to the State teachers’
retirement system (MPSERS).
Future employees who enroll in MPSERS will be covered by a graded
premium health insurance program, which will require 25 years of service to
attain the 90% insurance premium coverage available after 10 years of
service under the current program. This
increase in service time will severely impact adjunct faculty, women whose
careers are interrupted by child care, and faculty hired at the College
mid-career. Future employees
will also see their contribution to MPSERS increase from 4.3% to 6.4% of
income.
Thus far efforts of Republican legislators to move MPSERS from a
defined benefit system to a defined contribution system are on hold and may
remain so.
Federation members should know that in its efforts to resist
legislation requiring the release of claims data by its MESSA insurance arm,
the MEA supported graded premium and was willing to entertain a defined
contribution pension system as well. AFT-Michigan
strenuously opposed both measures. Moreover,
AFT-Michigan, along with other AFL-CIO unions, initiated the legislation
requiring the release of claims data by all insurance carriers in order to
encourage competitive bidding and cost savings – and to dissuade the State
Legislature from mandating the nature and scope of insurance coverage for
all teacher unions across the State.
Lastly, the legislation requiring that pensions be suspended for retirees working for the State following retirement, to prevent so-called “double dipping,” applies only to retiree in the State Employee Retirement System (SERS), not retirees in the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS).
1650 ENDORSES TRUSTEE CANDIDATES
The Local 1650 Executive Board has endorsed the following candidates
for the HFCC Board of Trustees: Hussien Berry, Joseph Guido (incumbent), and
Mary Petlichkoff.
Mr. Berry has run for Board of Trustees with Local 1650 support in
the past. He is a local realtor
with a long history of school and community activism.
The Federation has supported Joe Guido since his first election to
Trustee in 1999. In his eight
years as Trustee, Mr. Guido has been very supportive of the College, its
students, and its employees.
Ms. Petlichkoff has run for the Trustee in the past as well.
She has been active in the Dearborn Schools for many years and has
served on several City of Dearborn commissions, most recently the City
Charter Commission.
The Federation interviewed six of the eight candidates running for the Board. All of those interviewed were impressive candidates, with positive views about the Schools and College. The determining factors for the Federation in endorsing Mr. Berry, Mr. Guido, and Ms. Petlichkoff were the duration and breadth of their contributions to the School District, HFCC, and the Dearborn Community.
AFT-MICHIGAN LOBBY DAY 2008
Several teachers who have participated in AFT-Michigan Lobby Day in the past have asked about the 2008 date. Mark your calendars: AFT-Michigan Lobby Day will be on Tuesday, April 22, at the Lansing Center.
NOVEMBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Dr. Ellen Hoekstra of Capitol Services, the Legislative Agent at the State Capitol for AFT-Michigan and former Local 1650 Vice-president, will report on the State budget, State Retirement System, and efforts to resolve the State’s budget crisis at Local 1650's November 19 General Membership Meeting, 3:15 p.m., L-311.