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April Newsletter, Issue #38

Issue # 38: April 27, 2023


Update from the President

Frankie Cocanour (2022-2024 Term)

Student Solidarity:

I’m sure many of us were stunned when we read about the proposed closing of the student health clinic. In the email that was sent out by our president Stephanie Bulger it was strongly implied that the students pay a lot of money to use the clinic. The health clinic fee is $45 a term. The students are not charged deductibles , copays, or charged for the office visit. This means that students with or without insurance can use the service at minimal cost. They are only charged for procedures, lab tests, vaccines, and some medications if they are given. The clinic also has contracted with Quest to offer the lowest prices in the area for titers and other important lab tests. They have also partnered with the Oregon State Lab & HIV Alliance to offer free STI testing to students who couldn’t otherwise afford it. They only mark-up their vaccines and other in-office tests/procedures as little as possible, usually below 2%, so that it can remain affordable to students. They also have the Sunshine Fund, which employees donate money into, to cover the costs (up to $50/term per student) when they can’t afford a procedure or test necessary to their care. They have a self care station where students can get free condoms, dental dams, lube, cough drops, ibuprofen, bandages, sanitary supplies (pads, tampons), plan B, & so on.  When it was implied that the costs are high for the students, that is not true. The students are also paying for convenience. They can make appointments to see a provider around their class schedule. Before the administration took the right for employees to use the clinic, we knew the convenience of having access to a provider on campus.

Nikhar Ramlakhan the President of Lane SGA President has asked that faculty share this email. I would like to ask our classified professionals to also share his letter to students. The reason that we are doing this is because he has not yet been given access to all of the student email addresses.

Dear LCC Students,

The LCC Health Clinic may be shutting down at the end of the Fall 2023 term. I understand that the Health Clinic is important to many of you for its convenience and affordability. The Lane SGA and I are trying to prevent this decision and need your help. Please consider supporting us at the next Board Meeting on May 3rd at 6:00pm. If you are willing to offer your support in this matter, kindly fill out this form. Together, we can save the Health Clinic and ensure that it remains as a crucial service here on our campus.

Sincerely,

Nikhar Ramlakhan | Lane SGA President

On behalf of the students Wednesday May 3rd we all need to wear red in solidarity!

To sign up to speak at an upcoming board meeting, please see instructions in the “Public Comment” section on the board meeting agenda available at: https://go.boarddocs.com/or/lanecc/Board.nsf/goto

As for the employees that work in the Student Health Clinic they have been told that the college will transfer all of them to new areas of the campus at the end of fall term. During this time the college will actively seek a Telehealth provider that they can outsource their work to. When the union is asking you to stand in solidarity with the students we are also asking you to stand in solidarity with the employees of that department and our own contract. The college did not consult with either unions prior to their decision to propose the closing of the Student Health Clinic and they have not requested to bargain a contract to outsource the work of the 5 classified professionals that work at the college.

9.2.6 To contract or sub-contract work. However, the College shall consult with the Union on the impact of  employees in the unit of such subcontracting of work presently being performed. The consultation  with the Union will provide an opportunity for discussion of alternatives and for the Union to be  advised of the College’s need to take such action.

All College proposals to outsource services under the existing language (see above) of Article 9.2.6  of the Union contract during the term of this agreement, shall be subject to the interim bargaining  guidelines specified herein (see Article Nineteen). All College proposals to outsource bargaining unit  services shall also require a majority vote of the College Board of Education. 

Copies of purchase orders for outside services will be timely provided to the appropriate Vice  President, Chief Human Resources Officer, and the Union President. If, in the judgment of the Union,  the cumulative effect of contracts/subcontracts has a negative impact on bargaining unit employees,  the Union may request a meeting to discuss such concerns. 

Bargaining:

We will be bargaining Tuesday May 2nd at 11:00 am. We have sent two articles to the college to bargain on, Article 7 and Article 20. The college has put forth Article 11 for us to consider. Please join us and show your support. I can never say enough about how much it means to everyone at the table to have our members there on the screen in solidarity with us.

In Other Union News:

It is always exciting to hear about new unions being created successfully! Youtube Music contractors have won their union election. Read more about it here. In the article it says that it is historic because it is the first time a tech giant must negotiate directly with a labor group.

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Announcements and Reminders

DON’T FORGET TO WEAR RED ON WEDNESDAYS! 

We have a Membership Drive scheduled for the week of May 8-12, 2023. CAT members and myself will be coming to departments for brief chats.

Newsletter Feedback

We want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback on our Weekly Newsletter.  Newsletter Feedback Survey Goggle Form

The next two General Membership meetings will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm. And Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm.


Vice President of Labor Relations

Buck Potter (2022-2023 Term)

Vice President of Organizing

Colin Vurek (2023-2024 Term)

BARGAINING CONTINUES MAY 2, 2023 AT 11:00AM! 

Members are welcomed to observe via Zoom with your microphones and cameras OFF, please. I will be running a Slack Chat to allow observers to chat with me and I can pass ideas to the team at the table. I will actually be at the table also but bouncing into the chat to answer questions you may have. Email me your private email address to: colinlccef@ gmail.com so I can add you to the Slack chat. There is also a link below for anyone to RSVP on a Google form. You will find the link for the bargaining meeting below:

Join Zoom Meeting  https://lanecc.zoom.us/j/96183623044

Meeting ID: 961 8362 3044

One tap mobile

+13462487799,,96183623044# US (Houston)

+16694449171,,96183623044# US

Dial by your location

       +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

       +1 669 444 9171 US

       +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Feel free to use the image below as your Zoom background. 

IF YOU’D LIKE TO RSVP TO BE SURE I GET YOU IN OUR BARGAINING CHAT PLEASE USE THE FORM BELOW: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pnbX7ov68WrXYsvZOoPfq6peq0rF76C7knwiItj7dB8/edit?ts=6418c7e6

We have a Membership Drive scheduled for the week of May 8-12, 2023. CAT members and myself will be coming to departments for brief chats. 

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THE NEW T-SHIRTS HAVE ARRIVED. WE HAVE PLENTY OF EVERY SIZE. Please email me at colinlccef@gmail.com to get yours! 

I also have window clings and stickers for you to flaunt your support for your union! See below

DON’T FORGET TO WEAR RED ON WEDNESDAYS!

UNION STRONG!

Grievance Officer

Dawn Rupp (2023-2024 Term)

Tuesday we got some pretty disturbing news that the college has once again targeted the health clinic to close. We are hoping that all of the staff will join us in the fight to continue to provide this much needed benefit to our students. It is clear that we value health professionals as we watch a new building going up to support such professions. This is a place where our students feel safe going when they need health care. Some students live in the between where they do not qualify for Oregon Health Program (OHP) and their employers do not offer health benefits.

We will be working closely with the student government and LCCEA to fight to save this valuable benefit for our students.

DID YOU KNOW:

The Engaging JEDI – May 2nd 

Another Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Workshop Series kicks off on Tuesday, May 2nd. The Engaging JEDI is a four-part workshop series facilitated by Mike Sims, Project Coordinator for Academic & Student Affairs. Belonging and Relationships: Deepening Self-Knowledge on The Way to Creating Authentic Relationships will help participants explore different aspects of themselves and the communities to which they belong. All four workshops will be held on Tuesdays from 1:00 – 3:00 pm in Building 30, Room 114. Workshop 1 – Emotional Intelligence: Self Awareness and Self-Management is Part One of a two-part workshop. It will focus on values, emotional triggers, and our different “selves.” There will be exploration of self-management strategies to avoid falling into thinking traps that can harm relationships.

Submitted by Rosemarie Tillman

Campus Safety & Security Forum

On March 7th, the College hosted a Campus Safety and Security Conversation related to the lockdown that occurred on February 22nd. During the forum, there were questions in the chat that couldn’t be answered in the time allotted. Answers to those questions can be found here. 

You can also find a recording of the event here.

Submitted by Shane Turner

Invitation for classified staff to join the Institutional Effectiveness Commission

Calling all classified staff! In late February 2023, the Institutional Effectiveness Commission updated the charter to balance membership representation between employee classifications. This change allows for additional classified staff to join the IEC. We have one position open. Won’t you join us? Some of our current work includes evaluating mission fulfillment, communicating about indicators of success, providing recommendations, etc. Our topic areas include accreditation, assessment, data stewardship, key performance indicators, and continuous improvement. Members generally serve for two years and may serve consecutive terms. General meetings are monthly with subcommittee meetings as needed. To read more about the IEC please see our website where you can view a video, read updates. To express your interest in joining, please email Tammie at starkt@lanecc.edu. Yes, it sounds terribly boring, but it’s actually fascinating, fun and rewarding work!

Submitted by Tammie Stark

Quote(s) for the week:

“Moving doesn’t change who you are. It only changes the view outside your window.” Rachel Hollis

“All things are difficult before they are easy.” Thomas Fuller

Treasurer

Linda Reling (2022-2023 Term)

My heart goes out to the Health Clinic staff. I deeply appreciate their care and value their place in our community’s college. They were my only source of medical care when I was a student and were there when I needed them.

Records Officer

Tracy Weimer (2022-2024 Term)


May 1, 2023 is a big day for Labor, learn why…

The bargaining work gives me mad anxiety, I try to zoom in but I struggle to make the sessions and the strategy meetings. I recognize the need but cannot seem to extend myself any further. If you have a passion for advocacy and think you may be interested in getting involved, please do. 

In other news – I was today years old when I learned that the PERS Sick Pay number in my Leave Balance is an accounting-only figure, used to calculate retirement, and that the negative number does not in any way lessen my available PTO. Regular sick pay accrues at a rate of 12 hrs per month for FT contracted, prorated to FTE, and the PERS calculation caps at 8 hours/mo. 

Communications Officer

Marleena Pearson (2022-2023 Term)

Heading to AFT-Oregon Convention tomorrow. Looking forward to connecting with other Oregon union leaders and returning with ideas we can implement to improve our own union.

Membership Officer

Skye Nguyen (2022-2023 Term)

Hello! The weather is great this week so I hope you are all getting some vitamin D. We are all working hard to adjust proposals, and work through portions of the contract for bargaining! If there are any questions about membership or someone has interest in joining, they can reach out to me (membership@lccef.org) or fill out the online membership form!

Your Benefit Info of the Week

Did you know that members get some really useful benefits? This week we are highlighting pet insurance for your furry family. It’s always a scary thing to think about your pet getting ill. Pet insurance could give you some peace of mind so you can focus on your pet if they are ill and not on the unexpected expenses.

Find out what other benefits you are qualified for as union members by going to AFT.org.

Resources you may need!

Submit an Important Life Event for you or another member may have coming up.

Chief Labor Delegate

Mark Jordan (2022-2023 Term)

COPE Officer

Fiora Starchild-Wolf (2022-2023 Term)

My “Political Education” for this week is going to be two-fold, both based on the theme that  “the Personal is Political”.  

I became interested in politics when I was first working as a young engineer for General Electric in the 80’s, and becoming aware of the fact that my own CEO, Jack Welsh, was working directly with Ronald Reagan to “downsize” and “offshore” (two terms that he coined, to my knowledge) US manufacturing.  I worked alongside union workers in factories all over the US, often 2nd or 3rd generation in their families, who were fearing that their jobs were about to disappear.  I also was a woman working in a field that had very few women in it–still does.  I saw directly how politics affected me and those workers I was interacting with. 

Right now, here at Lane, there are both internal and external political actions I’m going to ask you to take, in these next weeks,  that will directly affect ALL of us in coming years. 

  1. External Politics:

The May 16th Lane County Special Election will feature FIVE open positions on our LCC Board!  We are now bargaining for our full contract!  Who sits on our Board will make a difference.  Also, in general, for years now, having labor friendly Board members has been helpful in a number of ways.  

Two of the positions are held by incumbents:  Lisa Fragala and Steve Mital.  Steve has no opponent, but Lisa Fragala does have one.  

Ballots are going out in the mail today!  

So, as long as your registration is current, you should receive one within a few days.  If you are already registered, but have a change to make–like your address, for example–this can be done right up until Election Day.

You can contact Lane County Elections at: 

Lane County Elections

275 W 10th Ave

Eugene, OR 97401

(541) 682-4234

Office Hours

Monday – Friday

9 a.m. – Noon

1 – 4 p.m.

Election Day

7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Endorsements:  

At the last General Membership Meetings last week, I was asked to repeat the list of candidates LCCEF is endorsing:

Zone 1:   Denise Diamond

Zone 2:   Zach Mulholland

Zone 5:   Steve Mital

Zone 6 At Large:  Bob Baldwin

Zone 7 At Large:  Lisa Fragala

For more information about our endorsement process and decisions, please return to previous newsletters, or feel free to reach out to me at fiora.lccef@gmail.com, or starchildf@lanecc.edu

In addition to our own Board, all county school districts are having their Board elections.  These are important, as of course the k-12 districts feed into Lane as our students. 

So, be sure to watch for endorsements in other areas, and VOTE!!!

  1. Internal Politics

The Announcement by President Bulger that the Health Clinic is closing!

From what I’ve been hearing and understanding, this decision was not made by any “collaborative” process through our college’s established Shared Governance system.  Rather, it seems that the Cabinet–made up of Administration only–came to their decision on their own.  No attempt that we are aware of was made to reach out to either unions, and none to Lane’s student government–who were blindsided by this decision.

The students themselves were not given a chance to weigh in on this vital service that is FOR them!

Many students use the Lane Health Clinic as their only real access to health care.  Additionally, in the past, before it was taken away from us, the Health Clinic was also available to employees–and we were not required to take paid leave if we used it during work hours.

We want to have a voice in major decisions of this nature!  

How do we do that?  SHOW UP!  

This will be presented to the Board at next week’s meeting on Wednesday, May 3, for a vote.

THIS is where that first piece—electing Labor Friendly Board members–comes in, and in this case, may help us.  

We’ve done that pretty well so far!  Let’s be sure to let them know what we think about this.

Your voice is needed!  Please show up at the Board meeting, wearing red, to show support for keeping the clinic, or at least returning to a collaborative process in decision making around this.

And please consider signing up to speak to the Board for 3 minutes at the beginning of the meeting!  Your voice does matter!

You do not have to be “polished”.  You do not have to quote statistics.  It’s ok if you are nervous. You just have to tell the members of the Board–who have shown a willingness to listen to us in the past–how you feel about students losing their access to health care, and about how both unions, including your LCCEF President who works in the Health Clinic, as well as our students–who need this service–require and expect a voice at the table when such decisions are being made. 

 Officer At Large

VACANT

Are you a frustrated 1039 employee that feels like there isn’t much that the union does for you? Well, please join our team and help create a way for the executive council to serve the 1039 employees better. There is a position available for 1039 employees on the council. This is the best way for 1039 employees to assist with what needs to make the contract more equitable. The only way to change the working conditions that you don’t like or feel that are not equitable is to stand up and fight for it. This position was created so that 1039 employees could have a voice. We are asking for this position to be filled because it is important and there are so many 1039 employees who are frustrated with the contract. 

Stay connected to LCCEF

Website: https://lccef.org/

Subscribe to Calendar: LCCEF Union Google Calendar

Email address: lccef@lanecc.edu

Resources you may need!

Submit an Important Life Event for you or another member may have coming up.

How to update your physical address on Expresslane.

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