Doug Thiel
Dear Colleagues,
We all have our professional lives and our private lives. I am sharing a picture of my private life with my grandson from January 2019 who will soon have a new baby brother. His grandfather is into classic cars and Elias jealously guards his collection of little toy cars!
We find ourselves in the most difficult circumstance we have faced in my 24 years of teaching in this District. I had a career in law enforcement with Santa Barbara PD and before that I worked in a Steel Plant in Louisville, Kentucky. During my time in Louisville, I was in the USMC from 1966-69 and served a tour in Vietnam. Except for that time in the service, I have been a union member since 1965. I have not seen anything to compare to the current pandemic and the restrictions on normal civilian life that ensued.
During the past two years, I have served as President of AFT 1828. I was determined that we would not repeat the same protracted contract negotiations that went on for 30 months past the expiration of the last contract. The final agreement contained no raise for full-time faculty and a meager raise for part-time faculty. I ran on a platform to avoid another “no raise” contract. Indeed, the faculty survey at the start of current negotiations prioritized salary, followed by health benefits.
In addition to the need for substantial salary increases for faculty, my vision for AFT 1828 included an evolution into a service organization beyond contract negotiations and grievance protections. I initiated a training calendar that included workshops on retirement, interviewing techniques for part-time faculty seeking full-time positions, unemployment benefits, load banking and performance evaluations. This provided the membership with a greater understanding of earned benefits while offering professional development. I made a commitment to ensure that anyone who contacted me on any issue would get a reply within 24 hours. I monitor emails 7 days a week. When I was elected, the union office was poorly staffed. There was no Executive Director which is a position that is paid by the CFT. I was able to conduct a recruitment in 2018 and the Executive Council approved one of the candidates that was interviewed. Based on a recommendation from Steve Hall, Julieanne Flores was hired and she has done an excellent job as our Administrative Assistant. During the last two years a revision of our office procedures has enhanced the professionalism of AFT 1828. Additionally, I have made it a priority to fill every empty seat on the Executive Council. During my tenure as President, we have filled the empty Budget Analyst position, the Assistant Grievance Chair (which was vacant for years), and the Oxnard College Part-Time Vice President. For the first time in nearly a decade we have a full Executive Council.
Our current contract ended June 30, 2019. The AFT 1828 Negotiations Team has worked diligently to protect health benefits and provide compensation that would significantly improve salary which lags far behind other College Districts in California. The District, however, was bent on taking away the full-time health plan and substituting the inferior CalPERS plan. They pushed us to impasse and the final step before a contract can be imposed, which is fact-finding.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic devasted our country. The State budget for the next fiscal year will be seriously impacted. Without a doubt, the District has weaponized Covid-19 in terms of contract negotiations. As a result, after two recent General Membership Zoom meetings a faculty survey was distributed that provided some settlement options. By 2 to 1, faculty chose to pursue a settlement with the District to obtain salary increases and other concessions that would require a switch to the CalPERS health plan. That process is still unfolding and updates will be sent out as new developments occur.
WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR US IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS DOUG?
I have come to abhor the political process that does not inform the public as much as it engages in name calling and distortions of their opposition candidates. My first pledge to you is that I will not engage in a negative campaign.
Moving forward, I also pledge the following: to continue to defend the interests of faculty against management; to work with the COPE Chair to elect 2 new board members in the Fall (remember in November!); to increase membership to strengthened the union; to ensure we are represented at every new employee orientation; to develop collaboration with our Executive Director on lobbying efforts in Sacramento working with the CFT to pass legislation favorable to faculty; to ensure greater transparency and information presented to all faculty on all issues that affect their benefits.
As a long-time union member, I also want to express my admiration to the union membership of AFT 1828. After the Janus decision, during my first year of being President, many union officials were predicting a wholesale departure from the ranks of union members. This did not occur in your union. During the last 2 years we have had a net increase in membership.
I well know that as I write this our VCCCD faculty is under great stress. In addition to a contract resolution, you face the incredible uncertainty of the Fall Schedule. All on-ground instructors were required to transition to online this Spring. Summer is online and the Fall Schedule is under revision. In the coming week, a second revision to the MOU on pay for Distance Education training should be settled. And I will continue to keep members informed. Despite the disruptions in your life, please take the time to honor your own voice in the Spring AFT 1828 Officer Elections.
Best wishes for you and your families during this time,
Doug Thiel
We all have our professional lives and our private lives. I am sharing a picture of my private life with my grandson from January 2019 who will soon have a new baby brother. His grandfather is into classic cars and Elias jealously guards his collection of little toy cars!
We find ourselves in the most difficult circumstance we have faced in my 24 years of teaching in this District. I had a career in law enforcement with Santa Barbara PD and before that I worked in a Steel Plant in Louisville, Kentucky. During my time in Louisville, I was in the USMC from 1966-69 and served a tour in Vietnam. Except for that time in the service, I have been a union member since 1965. I have not seen anything to compare to the current pandemic and the restrictions on normal civilian life that ensued.
During the past two years, I have served as President of AFT 1828. I was determined that we would not repeat the same protracted contract negotiations that went on for 30 months past the expiration of the last contract. The final agreement contained no raise for full-time faculty and a meager raise for part-time faculty. I ran on a platform to avoid another “no raise” contract. Indeed, the faculty survey at the start of current negotiations prioritized salary, followed by health benefits.
In addition to the need for substantial salary increases for faculty, my vision for AFT 1828 included an evolution into a service organization beyond contract negotiations and grievance protections. I initiated a training calendar that included workshops on retirement, interviewing techniques for part-time faculty seeking full-time positions, unemployment benefits, load banking and performance evaluations. This provided the membership with a greater understanding of earned benefits while offering professional development. I made a commitment to ensure that anyone who contacted me on any issue would get a reply within 24 hours. I monitor emails 7 days a week. When I was elected, the union office was poorly staffed. There was no Executive Director which is a position that is paid by the CFT. I was able to conduct a recruitment in 2018 and the Executive Council approved one of the candidates that was interviewed. Based on a recommendation from Steve Hall, Julieanne Flores was hired and she has done an excellent job as our Administrative Assistant. During the last two years a revision of our office procedures has enhanced the professionalism of AFT 1828. Additionally, I have made it a priority to fill every empty seat on the Executive Council. During my tenure as President, we have filled the empty Budget Analyst position, the Assistant Grievance Chair (which was vacant for years), and the Oxnard College Part-Time Vice President. For the first time in nearly a decade we have a full Executive Council.
Our current contract ended June 30, 2019. The AFT 1828 Negotiations Team has worked diligently to protect health benefits and provide compensation that would significantly improve salary which lags far behind other College Districts in California. The District, however, was bent on taking away the full-time health plan and substituting the inferior CalPERS plan. They pushed us to impasse and the final step before a contract can be imposed, which is fact-finding.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic devasted our country. The State budget for the next fiscal year will be seriously impacted. Without a doubt, the District has weaponized Covid-19 in terms of contract negotiations. As a result, after two recent General Membership Zoom meetings a faculty survey was distributed that provided some settlement options. By 2 to 1, faculty chose to pursue a settlement with the District to obtain salary increases and other concessions that would require a switch to the CalPERS health plan. That process is still unfolding and updates will be sent out as new developments occur.
WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR US IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS DOUG?
I have come to abhor the political process that does not inform the public as much as it engages in name calling and distortions of their opposition candidates. My first pledge to you is that I will not engage in a negative campaign.
Moving forward, I also pledge the following: to continue to defend the interests of faculty against management; to work with the COPE Chair to elect 2 new board members in the Fall (remember in November!); to increase membership to strengthened the union; to ensure we are represented at every new employee orientation; to develop collaboration with our Executive Director on lobbying efforts in Sacramento working with the CFT to pass legislation favorable to faculty; to ensure greater transparency and information presented to all faculty on all issues that affect their benefits.
As a long-time union member, I also want to express my admiration to the union membership of AFT 1828. After the Janus decision, during my first year of being President, many union officials were predicting a wholesale departure from the ranks of union members. This did not occur in your union. During the last 2 years we have had a net increase in membership.
I well know that as I write this our VCCCD faculty is under great stress. In addition to a contract resolution, you face the incredible uncertainty of the Fall Schedule. All on-ground instructors were required to transition to online this Spring. Summer is online and the Fall Schedule is under revision. In the coming week, a second revision to the MOU on pay for Distance Education training should be settled. And I will continue to keep members informed. Despite the disruptions in your life, please take the time to honor your own voice in the Spring AFT 1828 Officer Elections.
Best wishes for you and your families during this time,
Doug Thiel