Chaparral: Talk about the legacy of your position. How has this history impacted your vision for this role?
Richard: When I began teaching at Glendale Community College in 2001, I was immediately struck by the presence and strength of our union local, Glendale College Guild, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Local 2276. I was extremely fortunate to be brought into the Guild leadership early in my career and mentored by key Guild leaders such as Gordon Alexandre and Steve Marsden. Based on our conversations, I learned about the history of our Guild as well as our trials, tribulations, and successes.
The Guild has a rich history starting with its formation in 1972. In 1979, the Guild voted to become part of the California Federation of Teachers (CFT). From its inception, our union had to contend with many challenges such as the threat of layoffs in 1973 as well as the consequences to funding brought on by the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. These challenges strengthened the Guild and as the Guild effectively worked to protect and enhance the wages, benefits, hours, and working conditions of its members, they developed a reputation at the state level amongst the CFT. We are especially proud of this in light of the fact that we are a relatively small local.
The Guild also played a critical role in developing the system of shared/participatory governance at GCC. In fact, when AB 1725 (which ensures participatory governance so that the various constituent groups are part of an inclusive system of governance) was passed into law in 1988, GCC was used as one of the models for shared governance.
I feel fortunate to be part of the Guild. Our local not only focuses on the immediate needs of our members, but we also maintain a social justice approach. In the relatively recent past, we worked to improve the situation for those at the bottom of the salary schedule, while not losing sight of the need to continuously improve everyone else’s income. At times this required sacrifice from those who were better off (for example, through sliding scale raises, elimination of a few starting steps, and differential percentages applied to raises). One of the greatest challenges that we face today is working to make our salaries and wages competitive again while at the same time working towards parity between our siblings who are adjunct faculty and full-time faculty. It is not enough to acknowledge the fact that the college’s budget, to a large extent, is balanced on the backs of our adjunct faculty siblings. This cannot be allowed to continue. In order to address the problem, a large-scale, systemic approach is needed, which the CFT is diligently working on. As the CFT succeeds at the state level, our locals must implement the required changes at their colleges. The Part-Time Faculty Health Insurance Program is an excellent example of this, which we still need to fully implement. I know that we will be successful in implementing the program based on our past experiences. It was not too long ago when other locals saw our part-time faculty health plan as a model. We need to be cutting edge again.
The large-scale, systemic approach is needed in all areas. We understand quite well that our working conditions at GCC cannot be separated from what is occurring in the larger society. This point was reinforced through our experiences with the Great Recession of 2008 as well as the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. In that regard, we work to shape policies whenever possible along with our parent union the AFT and our CFT as well as the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC).
Despite facing many challenges, we have worked to improve the working conditions of our members. Although our members represent different areas such as Student Services and Instruction, work at different campuses, or may be adjunct faculty or full-time faculty, we have been effectively united around a common mission of protecting our interests while serving our students, especially those from marginalized communities.
In order to achieve our worthwhile goals, it is imperative that we continue to have a strong team united across key areas. Our leadership must communicate and work effectively with entities such as the Academic Senate, division chairs, CSEA, as well as the administration and outside community organizations. However, I must add here that the Guild is only as strong as its members. United and empowered workers are always a formidable force. We are an especially blessed organization with talented members and leaders who have used their knowledge, skills, creativity, and social networks to be successful.
Chaparral: What is one thing you would like to see continue after you leave your position?
Richard: There are many things that I would like to see continue after I leave my position. However, if I had to choose one, it would be my desire to see continuity between the past and the present. My hope is that the Guild leaders will continue to work closely with past Guild leaders so that they can be provided with institutional memory and guidance. In this regard, we are fortunate to have established a retiree chapter of the Guild, AFT 2276-R. This is not to dictate what future Guild leaders will do but to provide them with knowledge, skills, and perspectives to empower them while they develop their own unique approaches to address modern challenges. By combining the knowledge acquired through the struggles and successes of the past with new strategies and tactics to adapt to the ever-changing world of academia, current and future Guild leaders will be able to effectively serve their members. That is something that I wish for in perpetuity.
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