April 2018 BrCCC Meeting Minutes

Minutes from April 23, 2018 BrCCC Chapter Meeting 

 

1. Motion to Accept Agenda and Minutes from March 26th Chapter meeting  

Motion to move Work to Rule Vote and Discussion and By Laws Discussion to top of agenda. Henry/Pelletier.  Vote: Unanimous. 

Motion to Accept Minutes from March 26th Chapter meeting.  Henry/Dorsey. Vote:  Unanimous. 

President McCourt’s comments about Work to Rule vote: 

Was originally voted at March meeting to vote on WTR electronically.  More difficult to get vote on line than previously thought, and she is bringing it back to the membership for fuller discussion.  Points to consider: WTR would impact students for graduation and professional staff who work during summer; BCC is only campus considering WTR. 

Discussion/Comments:  

MCCC Board of Directors recommends that no WTR vote in summer due to its impact on professional staff.  WTR should be considered for Fall if no DCE contract agreement. 

Could we consider a vote that only FT Faculty go on WTR now, not staff? 

Past practice, chapter has voted to go on WTR now, but if situation is not resolved in summer, we will go on WTR in fall. 

Day contract is also going to be negotiated soon. 

What has unit done to push Pres. Douglas to support the DCE contract?  Should that be first step? (Answer: we haven’t done anything but ask her, but she doesn’t have a lot of power among CC Presidents.  She has verbalized hope that DCE contract is resolved soon). 

Motion: If there is no resolution on DCE Contract during the summer, as of August 30th we will go on WTR.  Pelletier/Woldegiorgis 

Discussion/comments/questions: 

Is vote in present or on-line? 

Is on-line vote possible.  Yes. 

Suggestion: straw poll in room to get sense of member’s opinions. 

Do we have a quorum (yes; 25 people are a quorum according to By Laws) 

Are adjuncts voting on FT going on WTR?  Do Adjuncts go on WTR? 

In what ways can we build power with other CCs to put pressure on management’s negotiator, Mike Murray?  What else can we be doing?  (this should be a question for DCE bargaining unit and statewide MCCC Board) 

FT faculty and DCE faculty have two different contracts; WTR impacts work of FT faculty and staff disproportionately. 

Motion must be clear about the whole unit going on WTR 

What does resolution of contract mean?  Full funding?  (no). 

Professional Staff not well represented at this meeting; this should be an on-line vote 

Friendly amendment: to make the vote on WTR an on-line vote.   

Friendly amendment not accepted (Pelletier).  Vote: 10 yes, 15 no. Motion does not pass. 

Motion: We initiate an on-line vote to go on WTR effective August 30th if the DCE contract is not concluded.  This vote is to be concluded within 10 days.  Rapien/Alden 

Discussion/Comments:  

Why vote today and not on Professional Day? 

Strategy is to inform management of our chapter vote regarding WTR at today’s MACER meeting. 

Vote: 1 No, 23 Yes, 2 abstentions, Motion passes. 

1. Bylaws Discussion led by Autumn Alden: (please see Google Doc for proposed changes to bylaws, including rationale) 

 

Proposed changes:  clarify who are voting members of BrCCC; who is on Executive Committee; who are the chapter officers of BrCCC; what are rules regarding elections and term limits; what are the duties of chapter officers; what is process of succession in case of officer resignation; what is process for recall; what is a quorum for voting; who are appointed members of Executive Committee; which members of Executive Committee can vote on matters related to chapter; how meetings are to be conducted according to the latest version of Roberts Rules; and terms/requirements for standing committees. 

 

Comments/Discussion: 

Vote for bylaws must be on-line 

Members can vote down a proposed bylaw and introduce a new bylaw with changes 

BrCCC bylaws last changed 2011 

No consideration given by Bylaw Committee to limit who can serve on standing committees (i.e. members can serve on more than one committee) 

Thank you to Bylaws Committee for hard work: Chair: Catherine Adamowicz, Autumn Alden, Ely Dorsey and Paulette Howarth. 

3. President’s Report 
4. Vote of No Confidence in MCCC Board– President McCourt will send out this week.
5. Additional MACER meeting in May- members are invited to this meeting to be in audience. 
6. Report from MCCC Delegate Assembly meeting- Colleen Avedikian will share with members the proposed bylaws and theirfinal votes. 
7. Report from MCCC Board Meeting– Paulette Howarth attended.  MCCC Board endorsed Erik Champy for MTA President.  Also, each chapter should encourage their college Presidentto work toward the completion of the DCE contract.  Strategies include: informational picketing, letters in newspapers, forums, radio talk shows.  

. e. Changes to “Professional Staff” meetings: Note: the use of “Professional Staff” in this context means everyone: faculty, professional staff, administration… Meetings should be better organized and with faculty and staff input.  Proposal to move these meetings to Wednesdays.  Reminder: BrCCC not contractually required to attend; required meetings are scheduled for Mondays only. 

1. Chapter Elections update: Many people nominated.  Please watch emails from David Warr regarding the upcoming election.
2. Good news: A BrCCC Professional Staff member had her position upgraded with support from the union.  This summer, the union will be working with professional staff to help them advocate forthemselves for position upgrades.
3. MACER agendas 

Day MACER:  

MCCC Old Business: Anti-Racism Campaign Reclassification Requests HR Policy Procedure for Student Complaints Education / World Languages AA/EEO/Title IX Officer  

MCCC New Business: Promotion to Full Professor; Professional Staff Evaluation; Equitable Services Notification of Change in Paycheck  

Administration New Business: Proposal regarding offering high level science courses among colleges MACER process, how is it working? 

DCE MACER:  

MCCC Old Business: MOA DCE Assignments Sick leave scenarios Retention plan including DCE Hiring Adjunct Advisors after 5 Adjuncts Professional Development ODS Support to Students & Faculty Evenings Adjuncts Integration MCCC  

New Business: Chapter Meeting Administration New Business: Adjunct Faculty Governance Pilot MACER process, how is it working? 

7. New Business
8. MTA Candidates’ Town Hall Forum – April 24th, 6pm Faculty/Staff Lounge 
9. Comments from Members: Greater effort must be made in creating a morecivil environment for chapter meetings. We should support each other, even when we disagree.  We risk alienating members. 
10. Motion: Members should not agree to DCE contracts until the last possible day. Lygren/Grady. Vote: 11 Yes 14 No. Motion does not pass.  Note: Member suggestion that we revisit this idea in Fall. 
11. Reminder: Plant sale next week.
12. Suggestion: We create a task force to explore ways to support DCE contract bargaining (besides WTR).  
13. New MA legislation, House Bill 917 will increase the amount of term life insurance to $10000 (from $5000).  Please contact your legislators. 

 

8. Adjourn, 3:11pm.