COCAL Updates

COCAL is the Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor, a nearly 20 year old network of contingent activists and their organizations that does a conference (now tri-national – USA, CAN (including QBC) , and MEX) every other year, usually in August. It also sponsors a listserv, called ADJ-L, and has an International Advisory Committee and a website www.cocalinternational.org and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/COCALInternational>.

These updates are compiled and distributed weekly by Joe Berry and are reprinted here with his permission. These are the updates from January 28, 2016.

————————————

CCSF STRUGGLE NEWS

1. AFT 2121 votes over 92% for strike authorization at CCSF
http://www.aft2121.org/2016/03/faculty-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-a-strike/

2. AFT 2121 membrs and allies arrested in sit-in at District chief negotiator’s office
https://sfbay.ca/2016/03/11/city-college-faculty-arrested-in-contract-protest/

and You can find the rally photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1096001593764212.1073741862.144633655567682&type=3

3. CA CC’s navigate finding new accreditor
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/08/california-community-colleges-navigate-path-replacing-or-overhauling-accreditor

4. Invisible battlefields: a call to stand with community colleges
http://portside.org/2016-03-09/invisible-battlefields-call-stand-community-colleges-front-lines-resistance

5. More on possible strike
http://abc7news.com/education/city-college-of-san-francisco-faculty-vote-to-call-strike/1240190/

——————————————————
INTERNATIONAL

1. China, the struggle of nurses against the two tier system there. Sounds very similar to us.
http://portside.org/2016-02-29/nurses-several-chinese-cities-strike-over-low-pay-and-benefits

2. The fight for fairness at Thompson River U (BC, CAN)
http://infotel.ca/opinion/nancy-bepple/bepple-the-fight-for-fairness-at-tru/it27508

3. Singapore, Adjuncts as second class citizens
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2016/03/why-are-adjunct-teachers-perceived-as-a-second-class-citizens-by-moe/

4. Free Columbian jailed academic unionist
http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=2998

——————————————————————
UPDATES IN BRIEF AND LINKS

1. Cerritos College (CA, AFT) faculty (PT too) protest low pay with student support
http://www.loscerritosnews.net/2016/02/29/cerritos-college-faculty-federation-in-a-fight-for-fair-wages-with-district-administrators/

2. U of O to shift faculty positions to more TT and fewer NTT
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/03/01/u-oregon-plans-shift-faculty-positions?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=9088e744a0-DNU20160301&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-9088e744a0-197454541

but 79 NTT laid off
http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/34114421-75/university-of-oregon-79-faculty-are-out-for-next-year.html.csp#

4. Why professors need unions
http://www.progressive.org/pss/why-do-professors-need-unions-students#sthash.Wvt7WJZF.gbpl&st_refDomain=www.facebook.com&st_refQuery=/l/2AQEYEuYNAQEZJKrIGT09SiSr0FmKb_ovbK2_aDH3jYQwlA/https://shar.es/1Chb5t

5. Pay transparency at work
http://onlabor.org/2016/03/01/pay-transparency-at-work-the-great-equalizer/

6. Contract attorneys look to unionize, parallels to us
http://portside.org/2016-03-01/lawyers-who-are-fighting-same-rights-janitors

7. The Adjunct Affair: what no one tells you about university professors
http://www.stkateswheel.com/2016/03/01/the-adjunct-affair-what-no-one-tells-you-about-university-adjunct-professors/

8. U of CA union accuses U of wage theft
http://ucsdguardian.org/2016/02/29/uc-labor-group-accuses-university-of-wage-theft/

9. MD state Assembly debates CB for CC workers.
http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/general_assembly/ph-ac-cn-community-college-bargaining-0303-20160302-story.html

10. CA Dems endorse CFA’s fight for 5
https://academeblog.org/2016/03/03/ca-democrats-endorse-cfas-fight-for-five/l

11. Report on grad workers day of action
https://academeblog.org/2016/03/03/weareworkers/

12. Adjuncts at St Charles CC (MO) unionize (SEIU)
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/adjunct-faculty-at-st-charles-community-college-vote-to-unionize/article_476ef9d9-330e-5565-8972-18e893a27293.html

and https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/03/04/adjuncts-vote-unionize-st-charles-cc?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=799d3f2e53-DNU20160304&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-799d3f2e53-197454541

13. Ithaca College part-timers respond to report on president’s raise
https://theithacan.org/opinion/letter-part-time-faculty-respond-to-report-on-rochon-salary/

14. FT faculty (AAUP) take strike authorization vote at U of Akron (OH)
http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ua-full-time-professors-to-take-strike-authorization-vote-next-week-1.666153

15. Extend student loan policy to adjuncts
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2016/03/06/1-extend-loan-policy-to-adjuncts.html

16. Contingent faculty file for election (SEIU) at Boston U
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/05/full-time-and-salaried-faculty-file-request-for-union-elections/1EBmemO9VeeowMdNpHURmJ/story.html

17. Canisius U (Upstate NY) adjuncts protest low pay and form Canisius Adjunct Movement
https://canisiusgriffin.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/adjuncts-speak-out-on-low-pay/

18. Call for submissions to YES mag on workers in the gig economy
http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/call-for-submissions-the-gig-economy-20160302

19. ESL instructors at Loyola U (Chicago) petition to unionize (SEIU)
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/03/07/nlrb-esl-instructors-loyola-chicago-may-unionize?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=e3fe2ce5d9-DNU20160307&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-e3fe2ce5d9-197454541

20. GWU (DC) laying off adjuncts to hire more FT
http://www.gwhatchet.com/2016/03/06/officials-prioritize-hiring-full-time-faculty/

21. E-Note for March from Nat. Ctr for the Study of CB in HE
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs161/1102372137664/archive/1124101824014.html

22. Why remedial college classes need better teachers (and here the Atlantic makes us look like idiots and says adjuncts have only BAs)
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/03/why-arent-there-better-instructors-for-college-remedial-classes/472653/?utm_source=SFFB

23. The latest issue of Monthly Review is devoted to education issues.
http://monthlyreview.org/

You can access the articles for free–some won’t be immediately available.. There is much useful information especially, for me, about the opt out movement—those who are rejecting taking high stakes standardized tests and how they are part of efforts that are hurting public education.

24. Students write slam poetry in support of adjunct organizing at Holy Names College, Oakland, CA (SEIU)

Adjunct Professors (working title)

I have been taught to try
I won’t stand by
While my learning is on the line
As teachers contracts get declined
And the increased wage of the presidunt
Mirrors the loss of wages for the adjunct
Naw, they taught me well in school
The maxim of the ever present profit rule
That turns the teacher into a tool
And the student into a board getting’ nailed
I see the links between why we fail
And why every class is up for sale
Cuz the teacher gets kicked out to the curb
After every grueling term
And there’s just nowhere to turn,
Cuz they contract every course.
Naw, my teachers taught me well,
That when 8 out of 10
Got no contracts to defend
There’s a message we gotta send:
That when Teachers get
Hired and fired
The students get tired
Tired of the teachers getting hired and fired
I’m fed up
So let’s stand up
For the adjunct!