Archive of News

New Contract is Ratified!

On Tuesday, March 24th, at 5 pm at the Union Hall, a vote was cast among the 40 attending faculty members.  By a unanimous vote, the contract was ratified!

Special thanks were given to negotiating team members Cheryl Leone, Jay Pastelak, Linda Kudzmas, Colleen Farrell and Megan Dennis. 

ATTENTION FACULTY

Soon you will be receiving a notice in your mail boxes concerning graduating student grades.  It is very important that if you have a graduating student in your class the student’s grades be submitted by the deadline.  Poll your classes and check roll sheets for graduating student status. 

Failure to do so may result in disciplinary actions.

The union wants to stress that if faculty does not adhere to administration guidelines, we cannot prevent disciplinary actions.  We can assure that you will be treated in a fair process.

Your cooperation is appreciated by both administration and the union.

A Year in Review

Since it’s the end of the year those of us here at the Federation News thought it would be a good time to catch up.

In all, it’s been a pretty quiet year, which is a good thing. Here are some of the highlights:
By now, all faculty computer workstations should have been upgraded. Everyone’s computer should now run Adobe Creative Suite 3 and the latest version of Microsoft Office. In all, 97 faculty workstations were upgraded, along with computers in common spaces like the third floor in 1622 Chestnut Street.
After threatening to boycott Open Houses due to the condition of room 504, the main Photo classroom, photography faculty got a new projector and blackout shades. We’re glad admin was willing to do the right thing.
We held another get-together back in April. Alan Gross and Megan Dennis planned the event at AFLA on Walnut Street.
We held an election, with Cheryl Leone, Alan Gross, Megan Dennis and Wayne Urffer being reelected by acclamation.
Another round of titles was awarded after the faculty ratified the new language. The awards took a bit longer than anticipated, but that was due to getting the committees together.

And finally, it’s not only the Holiday season but it’s negotiation time as well. The team has met to brainstorm, and will continue to do so.

Faculty at the Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago, voted on union representation December 3 through 5. Unfortunately, the faculty there voted against the union.
Management held mandatory anti-union meetings, had administrators patrolling the hallways, sent out an anti-union DVD and assembled a group of anti union faculty to aggressively pursue individuals who were pro union. Management ran a successful disinformation campaign, stoking fear among the full-time faculty, who are in the minority, that the part-time faculty would take over the union for their own ends and disenfranchise the part-timers.

One would hope the faculty there would wholeheartedly endorse the union campaign, for the chance to have a voice in their work lives, but only 20% of the faculty voted yes.

For more information, see their web site, www.aifacultyunited.org.

Department stewards are the backbone of the union. Stewards serve as the conduit between the union leadership and the members. Stewards carry information down to the members and bring the members’ issues up to the leadership. Stewards are also the primary agents for enforcing the contract at the departmental level.

Don’t know your steward? Stewards are listed HERE. Have an issue that needs to be addressed? See your steward. Stewards should understand the contract, or know someone in the leadership who can answer the question. Stewards can file grievances on issues that violate the contract.

Stewards are invited to the local Executive Board meetings, twice a quarter, and can participate in the discussions to gain a grasp of issues affecting the union. In addition, steward meetings are held once a quarter where the stewards can gather to discuss issues, gain insight into the contract, and just share items in their departments.

Believe it or not, there are some stewards who have never attended one of these meetings. If there are long-standing, unresolved issues in your department, ask you steward if those issues have been brought to the board.

But remember, even the best steward can’t do anything about a problem if s/he doesn’t know about it. That’s why it’s imperative faculty members know the steward in their departments and keep in touch.

One of the tasks stewards have been asked to do is gather home e-mail addresses prior to contract time. Some stewards have them already, but others do not. Please provide your steward with your address when asked.

President’s Corner

Dear Faculty,
Is there a possibility we are not having a Christmas party this year because we will be negotiating a new contract at the beginning of next ? Is administration sending us a message? Other Art Institutes are having their Christmas Party. Why not Philadelphia?

The party was the event that made the AIPH a family. A time where staff, administrators and faculty could enjoy each others company. A time when we ate good food, had a social drink, danced, dressed up, strolled around the room to meet new members of the AiPH family and celebrated in our accomplishments.

Not having the party this year was a loss to many. Several faculty reported that since AiPH couldn’t afford to have a Christmas party they were willing to pay out of their pocket for themselves and a special guest for this event. Faculty understand that cut backs are necessary due to the economy but felt that the Christmas Party was to let everyone know they did a good job.

Whatever the reason is that we are not having the party I know we are all outstanding faculty members and do our jobs well! We care about our students, and our AiPH family. That in itself is a celebration!
I wish all of you happy holidays.

New Faculty Computers will run CS3

By October 10, the tech staff will have completed the process of installing new computers in faculty workstations.

The culmination of the union’s grievance over the installation of CS3 one year ago, management moved to update faculty work station computers with machines that will be viable for several years. This took some time because management wanted to get it right and correct past problems.

Acknowledging that not all members of the faculty had the same requirements, faculty in select departments will receive more powerful computers, but all computers will represent the present sate of the art and run both Microsoft Office 2007 and Adobe Creative Suite 3. This is the only software that will be installed on the machines. Individuals have the option of requesting additional software by filling out a request form and having it approved as is currently the practice.
One of the big differences in this upgrade will be the installation of a faculty network. Individuals who share computers will have separate password/log-on configurations. At first this will be a local issue, but eventually faculty will be networked to a server allowing remote maintenance and software installation. Faculty will also have full administrative access on the EDMC intranet.

Prior to the upgrade, it’s important that faculty members back up the data they want migrated to the new machine in a folder labelled with the faculty member’s name on the D drive on a Windows machine or on the Scratch drive on a Mac. In backing up, don’t forget bookmarks and any other personal data.

Our contract expires on March 20, 2009. Negotiations toward a new contract will begin in the winter of 2009. That means we have to begin preparing for negotiations now. President Cheryl Leone has assembled a negotiating team consisting of herself, Jay Pastelak, Wayne Urffer, Linda Kudzmas, and Alan Gross, who will contributing as much time as he can arrange.  The team will start meeting around midterm of the Fall Quarter.

Throughout the past two years the union has been collecting potential contract issues—things that need to be changed or things that arose during the term of the contract that effect the labor relationship and ought to be discussed. So we have a list. Some things are major, some aren’t.

The most important part is outreach to the membership. Later this quarter, the negotiating team will begin to poll the faculty to find what issues the membership thinks are important. Because the negotiating team needs to represent the majority view at the table it is imperative members respond to questionnaires and attend special meetings called by the president.

Due to the nature of contract negotiations, the negotiating team won’t make it’s list of initial demands public until that list is presented to management. It’s not that the union wants to keep its members in the dark but it’s important not to telegraph intentions to management prematurely. We won’t get to see management’s demands—and therefore prepare for them—before we meet, so they shouldn’t see ours. Once the parties have met and exchanged positions, the negotiating team can make the members aware of what it’s asking for.

The negotiating process is fluid, with specific proposals changing from day to day or even hour to hour near the end of the process. Because of that, the team can’t keep the membership informed in any “real time” sense. Our web site, www.facfed.org, will be updated regularly to reflect the day or week’s trend, but the union simply cannot deliver detailed information to the membership during the process.

At this point, no firm date has been set for the commencement of negotiations, but it’s expected we’ll start sometime in January, after the beginning of the winter quarter. The ideal is to finish on or slightly before March 20, but we have gone past the deadline, extending the expiring contract on a week-to-week basis.
Once the parties have agreed to a tentative contract, the union leadership will present it to the membership with a recommendation to either ratify or reject. If a majority ratifies, we have a new contract. If the majority rejects, we’re on strike and the negotiating team goes back to the table.

Any faculty union member is urged to report any contract concerns to any executive board member.  This can include clarifying existing language or changes to represent any usual or unforeseen instances.

1510
The hole in the wall of the ladies room has been repaired.
The mosquito problem coming from water sitting in the sub-basement: The water was cleaned up and the landlord had an exterminator come in.
The bathrooms are to be cleaned and stocked twice a day. The facilities department will have the company that cleans the buildings after hours bring someone in the evening to clean them as well.

1622
To get rid of the odor in the basement, an environmental services company will be conducting  an indoor air quality/mold inspection after classes end in September with a final report to be issued within 7 to 10 days.
The facilities department will also be working with Irwin and Leighton to determine what will need to be done to raise or relocate the air intake duct that feeds the lower level air handler.

Faculty Notables

The Faculty Federation would like to congratulate John Wood in MAA, and Diane Zatz, GD, on their achievement of permanent full-time status.

Emile DeJohn, FD, and Christine Qualtieri, GE, both reached 12 years of part time status, which allows them to be scheduled for their average number of courses over the previous two years.

A Letter from our President

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you, the faculty, for another two years as your Faculty Federation President. To those faculty who participated in the last officer election, thank you. Your vote and voice does matter!

During my time serving on the executive committee I have been asked the question, “What does the union do for me? What am I paying for?” I would like to take this opportunity to address that question.

Several friends of mine who are not part of a union, in trying to find a solution with administration about work place issues, remind me we have a voice and job security. A voice and security sum up what a union does for us.  I do not want to leave the impression that our union supports bad performance.  It does not. Our union is about a better work environment and it works hard to maintain fairness in that environment.

Your voice is present on all of the committees: Health and Safety, Curriculum Review, Academic Affairs, Library, Technology and the Executive Committee as well as with each Department Steward. These committees are examples of shared governance.  Faculty who serve on these committees represent the faculty voice which helps create a better working environment for all of us.

Stewards are elected for each department program and serve to ensure that the contract signed between The Art Institute of Philadelphia and the Faculty Federation is enforced. Stewards will not know your needs if you do not approach them. I encourage you to get to know your steward.

The Executive Committee consists of eight members elected from the faculty. This committee meets twice each quarter. Discussions at these meetings range from reports from each officer to any pressing issues (and there usually are), and how best to resolve those issues. Information discussed at these meetings is shared at the 12th week union meeting with the membership at large.

Our contract is set to expire next March, so we’ll be going into contract negotiations soon. The Negotiating Team will consist of three to four faculty members who volunteer their time for approximately three months to brainstorm for the next contract. This team may also meet with ad hoc committees created by the union president for the sole purpose to help the negotiation team to gather information.

Once faculty and the ASFCME District Counsel President (our representative of ASFCME) meet with the Art Institute of Philadelphia’s administration team faculty we all come to the table for approximately two to three times a week until the contract is signed. This is a very intense—emotionally and time-wise—process. I have listed below some benefits negotiated in our past contracts. I have not listed all negotiated benefits since it would take 55 pages (the length of our contract) to write this letter. I invite you to go to our web site http://www.facfed.org to view other benefits. I encourage you to know the contract. This document, a contract between The Art Institute of Philadelphia and the Faculty Federation of The Art Institute, defines our working conditions. Among the rights we have won in collective bargaining:

•     A grievance procedure that allows for outside, impartial arbitration.
•     Discipline for just cause only.
•     A specific disciplinary course of action which administration must follow.
•     Part Time faculty with 12 or more years of service are guaranteed classes based on the average of their assignments over the previous two years.
•     Full time status is guaranteed to part-time faculty members assigned temporary full time loads over 6 of 9 quarters.
•       Paid office hours for full time faculty.
•       Enrollment caps and pay for additional students assigned to a class over the cap. Faculty has the right to accept or reject the overload.
•       Part-time faculty is permitted to participate in the medical plan on a prorated basis for hours worked in a quarter.
•       Faculty Development – Fund for development
•       Generous Tuition Assistance Reimbursement
•       Professional Society memberships available
•       Sabbaticals.

While all of these are not perfect, they go a long way toward making this a good place to work.

Where do your dues go? Like any organization, we have overhead costs. We are part of ASFCME International as Local 3397 affiliated under District Council 47. We rent space in the AFSCME District Council 47 office at 1606 Chestnut Street. Among our overhead costs, all of which are paid by the dues we remit to the District Council, are costs for office space, shared administrative services, telephone, copying service, mailing service, legal fees, and other miscellaneous services provided by the Council. We also pay for web site and Internet services, and make good and welfare donations to organizations and to our members in times of need. We do not make political donations from the treasury—the International constitution expressly forbids the use of dues for political activity. All political activities are funded by voluntary contributions to the International’s PEOPLE fund.

With the exception of some contractually mandated committee payments, no one who works for the union receives compensation. To compensate members for their time, the Executive Committee and the Stewards hold their meetings at an inexpensive restaurant in the city. From quarter to quarter some of our costs are fixed while other costs fluctuate relative to what our union supports as voted by the membership at the 12th week membership meetings or your union representatives at their meetings. Treasurer Wayne Urffer provides a breakdown of the local’s costs at the quarterly union meeting.

Hopefully this letter has answered many of your questions as to what the union does for you and how we use the dues. One more note, your union dues can be used as a deduction on your income tax.

Finally, enjoy your break and I hope you have an excellent fall quarter.

Sincerely,
Cheryl L. Leone, President

Executive Board Election Results

Incumbent president Cheryl Leone was reelected by acclamation when no one offered to run against her. Alan Gross, Executive Vice President; Wayne Urffer, Treasurer; and Megan Dennis, Secretary, were likewise elected by acclamation.

The election results for Vice Presidents at Large were returning incumbents Cherie Haines and Linda Kudzmas, along with newly appointed Linda Karp. Jay Pastelak continues his position as Chief Steward. George Schwab was elected as Open Trustee.

Congradulations to all elected board members.

The long-standing grievance over the rollout of software is finally settled.
The union was about to call in a mediator since the 180 days allowed under the terms of our grievance withdraw were just about up. Much of the delay came from administration’s apparent inability to respond to union proposals in a timely manner. Negations had been going on with the Dean of Academic Affairs, Ray Becker.

When acting Chief Steward Jay Pastelak called Kathy Teeple to ask if management had any objections to the union’s hiring the mediator directly, Kathy said she hadn’t been in the loop and pulled the paperwork. In under a week she returned language so close to the union’s that we were able to settle.

The agreement requires a 90-day lead period prior to the installation of new programs in the classrooms provided the school has access to the software.

Software Rollout Agreement

With regard to the implementation of software upgrades, the parties agree to the following:

1. The Dean of Academic Affairs, in conjunction with the Director of Technology, will announce software upgrades no less than 90 days prior to the scheduled implementation of the new software.

1.1. Announcement of the upgrade will be made to the entire faculty through a memo in faculty mailboxes plus an e-mail sent to the faculty member’s AiPH e-mail address. Faculty members on leave or sabbatical will be notified by mail. While announcement of software upgrades may be made at end-of-quarter faculty meetings, such announcements alone shall not constitute adequate notice.

1.2. Should the Collage be unable to comply with the 90-day requirement, it shall notify the union leadership with the planned implementation date and the expected date the software will be available to faculty as soon as it is aware of the specifics of the implementation. Members of the administration, in conjunction with the union leadership will assess the number of affected faculty, the extent of the upgrade and the proposed time line for implementation and make appropriate recommendations to insure that faculty who teach the software package in question are able to do so successfully.

1.3. Software upgrade announcements to faculty members will identify tile developer’s recommended system requirements, which typically include processor type, operating system, memory and hard disk space.

2. AiPH will make the upgraded software available for loan to faculty through the library subject to the provision of Article 15, Sections 7, 8 & 9, to the extent the license agreement permits the software to be copied and distributed.

2.1. Software as defined in Section #2 above will be available for sign out by affected faculty within ten (10) days of the announcement of the upgrade.

2.2. Sufficient copies must be available for all affected faculty members.

2.3. Should the Employer be unable for any reason to make software available to faculty within ten (10) days of the announcement, the situation shall be considered to be a less than 90-day announcement and subject to the provisions of Section 1.2, above.

3. Affected faculty will have the upgraded software installed on their workstations within thirty (30) days of the announcement.

3.1. While AiPH adheres to a policy of replacing faculty workstation computers on a three-year cycle, cases in which the software upgrade requires a hardware upgrade for the software to run shall be treated as a special circumstance for those affected faculty only. Affected workstations may be upgraded with additional RAM or other internal/peripheral components as necessary or replaced outright as conditions warrant.

4. The Employer will provide training in the new software package to those affected faculty members who request it.

4.1. Training may be offered on-line, through guided tutorials, as classroom instruction (in-house or elsewhere) or some combination of the three.

4.2. The number of faculty members who request training may determine the training method however every effort will be made to accommodate individual schedules so that all faculty members who request training will receive it.

4.3. The school will assist faculty in the acquisition of reference texts.

At the end of the spring quarter, faculty in the Digital Media Production program where surprised when their AD arrived at portfolio review and insisted a student who’s work wasn’t very good be failed. The student had met all the requirements of the portfolio class, and while all agreed that while the student wasn’t the most talented, the faculty and outside judges all defended the student’s right to graduate. The student’s talent and the student’s ability to meet course requirements may not match.

We’ve all had students who manage to get through our classes with a low C or a D and just keep the GPA high enough not to be asked to leave. Even when we know students aren’t going to make it in the professional world, it may not be our job to derail them here.

The union has heard anecdotes about students visiting their AD to complain about a grade and having the AD suggest that the student return to the instructor and ask the instructor to reconsider the grade, implying that grades are negotiable. It may be that the AD is merely trying to return the student to the source, but suggesting the grade might be open to negotiation is not a good thing.

The union leadership has begun investigating this issue.

The union’s position is that grades are the prerogative of the instructor. The teacher has a better understanding of the student than the AD, who may only see one project. We believe it is overreaching for the department director to demand a student fail or that a grade be changed.

Phil Zuchman and his wife, Deborah Gross-Zuchman, have been selected for 6-week fellowships at the Julia and David White Artist’s Colony in Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica.

The Julia and David White Artists’ Colony was established by Dr. White in 1998 as a memorial to his children, both of whom died tragically as young adults. Julia was an astrophysicist and accomplished poet and playwright; David a highly talented composer and woodwind player.

Phil is an Associate Professor here at AiPH, teaching in General Education. His work represents America as a “Cultural Ambassador” for the United States Art in Embassies Program. His work is exhibited internationally.

Debbie retired as an Art Demonstration Teacher from the School District of Philadelphia and presently is a project manager for Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Her paintings are in many public and private collections.

Summer’s here and the time is right for extending the class day an extra 25 minutes?

It’s another short quarter. Administration wants a week to process the fall start, which is always the largest incoming group, so summer quarter gets shortened from eleven weeks to ten.

The problem is, we’re licensed to provide 44 hours of instruction per quarter, and lopping off one week shortens the instructional time to 40 hours. Fortunately—or not as the case may be—four hours equals 240 minutes which, divided by 10, equals 24 extra minutes per class. It’s been rounded to 25.

New faculty should note that morning classes begin at 7:35 a.m., afternoon classes run until 4:55 p.m., and evening classes begin at 5:35 p.m. Office hours, however, only need to be scheduled for four hours.

After almost a year with the inconvenience and hardship of faculty having to miss a pay week right after the Fall and Spring break, we now have a new pay schedule that took effect in January 08. Faculty now are paid 26 times a year instead of 24 times a year. Although this method will ensure steady, uninterrupted paychecks, some of faculty paycheck amounts will be slightly lower because of the added two weeks. All faculty members should have received a sample comparison of the current pay schedule and the proposed new pay schedule of how the amount in pay checks will change. A copy of the new pay schedule with a sample of how your pay check amounts will be altered is available HERE.

As summer approaches, here are a few books that would be worthwhile reading for anyone with an interest in the labor movement and the struggles of American workers, whether in today’s economy or in America’s past.

State of the Unions: How Labor Can Strengthen the Middle Class, Improve Our Economy, and Regain Political Influence – Philip M. Dine, an award-winning investigative reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, combines a strong narrative of the lives of union members with insightful analysis of American labor’s triumphs and recent struggles.

The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker – New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse gives readers a behind-the-scenes view into the lives of American workers being squeezed by low wages, disappearing benefits and a lack of job security.

Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign – Noted labor historian and University of Washington-Tacoma Professor Michael K. Honey tells the story of the 1968 AFSCME sanitation workers strike in Memphis. Honey analyzes a strike that was a defining moment for our union and the modern labor and civil rights movements. Princeton University Professor Cornel West calls the book “A magisterial treatment of this neglected period.”

Administration So Far Silent on Union Software Proposal

Last quarter administration launched Adobe Creative Suite 3 over the objections of those faculty who are required to teach it. The union grieved, arguing that the upgrade to CS3 was a major change and faculty had no time to prepare. The union withdrew its grievance on the promise that the Chief Steward and Dean of Education could negotiate a comprehensive settlement to the whole issue of software distribution.

The union delivered its proposal on November 28 of last year. To date, the union has heard nothing, despite requests for a response. The school’s latest response was that something will be forthcoming “by the end of winter quarter.”

By the end of winter quarter will be four months from the date the union first made its proposal, We can’t imagine the logistics on management’s side are all that complicated. In the silence from the other side, we can’t tell whether management is working out a way to meet our proposal or is simply ignoring it, If the union does receive a reply by the promised date, and makes a counter proposal, management won’t have another four months to respond, since we have agreed to a 120-day window before bringing in a mediator.

On another note: Administration has created a request form for software upgrades. Faculty who have filled out the form to have their workstations upgraded have been consistently ignored, with some waiting since the middle of last quarter. One wonders why faculty who need the software to prep but don’t have access at their desks aren’t doing their office hours from home?

Last Contract Year—Raises Due March 20

The final year of our contract begins March 20, 2008. It’s also the date on which annual salary increases are awarded.

This year, the annual salary increase will be $2.12 per hour. This represents 5% based on the median salary in 2006, which was $42.40. Obviously, individuals who earn less than the median will receive a greater percentage while those who’s hourly rate is more will receive a lower percentage.
The union took this route to attempt to bring up those at the bottom of the salary range so that any future across the board percentage increase will have a greater effect.

Historically, raises aren’t awarded immediately on March 20. In the past, the raise has been figured in early in April, with faculty receiving retroactive pay back to March 20. As of this writing, we haven’t discussed the pay distribution with management, but we expect this year will follow others.

Scheduling: What the Contract Says

So we’re all on the same page, your AD cannot compel you to submit a schedule request prior to the third week via email. The contract states emphatically that schedule requests are submitted in week three, and the practice of submitting paper to the Education office is so regular as to be considered part of a working condition. An AD can ask for something else, but faculty who submit via paper in week three must be honored. The union encourages faculty to use the paper system, and keep a copy.

Incidentally, there is no contractual provision preventing an AD from divulging a faculty member’s schedule prior to week eight. The school waits until after students register to release schedules, in case something has to be changed, but the contract only specifies that faculty receive schedules in week eight. It doesn’t prohibit earlier announcement.

Dickerson Recieves Ballinglen Fellowship

Brian Dickerson has been awarded a Ballinglen Foundation Fellowship. The Ballinglen Arts Foundation was created in 1991 to bring together established international artists and emerging artists of recognized ability from Ireland and abroad to live and work in North Mayo, to benefit both the artists and the community. Operating from the Ballinglen Centre in Ballycastle, a village in the remote seacoast of North County Mayo, Ireland, the Foundation supports serious artists making important work in ideal, inspiring conditions.

The Fellowship Program is highly competitive. Award based, the Fellowship provides artists with a house and studio for periods from four weeks to several months. The Foundation also curates international exhibitions of works produced by Fellows of the Foundation.

Photo Department Boycott Gets Results

The photo faculty have been trying for the past year and a half to get room 504, the main photo classroom, upgraded with a new projector and blackout shades. The projector provided was so dark students couldn’t see subtle Photoshop manipulations, and the room leaks so much light the image on the screen is often unviewable.

This past quarter, one photo instructor who routinely does open house decided he would no longer participate until the room was updated. One conversation led to another, the initial instructor sent out an email to colleagues, and before long a boycott of open house was taking place. The department had nearly unanimous support, including individuals who don’t teach in that room.

Jay Pastelak, photo steward, informed Dean of Education Ray Becker the Monday prior to open house that no photo faculty would work open house until the room was repaired.

On Tuesday afternoon Dean Becker told Jay that the new projector was being installed between afternoon and evening classes that day. The blackout shades would take a bit longer, since budget money couldn’t be reapportioned until sometime in March, but the blinds would be in place during the Spring.
Photo faculty worked open house. Shows what we can do as a group.

Another Faculty Soiree Announced

Save the date: the Faculty Federation is hosting another cocktail party on April 16 between the hours of 4:45 and 7:00 p.m.

The party will take place in the Walnut Room at AFLA, 1709 Walnut Street. The event will include open bar and hors d’ourves.

We’ve intentionally scheduled the party for between classes so those who have evening classes can attend.

Business Cards Available

The Art Institute can provide business cards to any faculty member who requests them. Ask in the Education office, 1610 Chestnut street. Business cards must contain an AiPH email address and telephone.

Rumor: Fiction, not Fact

Somoe people have been up in arms over a story that faculty attending school must attend an EMC-owned school. This is not true. While individuals may be encouraged to attend an EMC school, people may still attend the institution of their choice. Payment is still made at state school rates.

Recycling Efforts Gain Traction

Last quarter, in response to faculty questions about why we don’t do it, Linda Karp (GD) began a petition asking the school to begin recycling. She and Animation faculty member Colin Merlo handed Dr. Bill Larkin over six pages of names from faculty, students and staff.

Dr.. Larkin’s response was positive. He said we will recycle, it’s a goal of his for the end of this year. The prospect is expensive, he said, but he wants to do it.

Linda and Colin are working on ways to make the recycling effort a school-wide event. She had offered to run some kind of contest in the Graphic Design department for the sineage, and there was a suggestion to have a similar contest in animation for a short video promoting recycling.

Those who have been here some time might recall we did have a recycling effort in place about ten years ago. That program seemed to die off for reasons unknown to us. But with all the paper we generate, we can’t afford not to have it.

Cronin Heads Comey Institute for Labor Relations

Many of you have already heard that Tom Cronin, recently retired president of Council 47, has been chosen to head the Comey Institute of Labor Relations at St.. Joseph’s University. Tom has three years to make this happen, and is soliciting support among Philadelphia unions.

The Philadelphia AFL-CIO is helping out. Classes are only $60 per course and run four to eight weeks. Spring sessions will be held at the AFL-CIO offices, Philaposh, or the SEIU, Local 1201 offices.

Courses being offered this semester are: Conflict Resolution; Building Trades Labor Law; Grievance and Arbitration; Public Relations; Occupational Health and Safety; and Public Sector Labor Law.

The executive board is entertaining a proposal to cover the tuition for three members per term who wish to enroll in any of these classes. This is an excellent opportunity for stewards or others who wish to learn more about the union and how unions can work effectively.

Classes begin the first week of March, so we may not get anyone in this term, but we’ll keep everyone appraised in future terms.

Your Vote Matters!

February 7, 2008

A Special Meeting was held February 6, 2008 to ratify the newly proposed title language to be added to the contract. The meeting took place at District Counsel Office, 1606 Walnut Street at 4:45 PM.

Although several faculty members attended the meeting, there were not enough in attendance to qualify for a vote. The faculty constitution language does not allow a motion from the floor and vote unless there is a quorum: 10% of the union members.

One more faculty member was required in order to qualify as a quorum.

The vote to ratify the new title language will now have to wait until the 12th week union meeting.  Faculty members are advised to review the language before the meeting so that an informed vote can be cast.

The new language can be found HERE.

To those faculty who took the fifteen minutes to attend Wednesday evening’s meeting, Union President Cheryl Leone and the rest of the Union Executive Board extend their appreciation for their participation.

American Young Ambassadors Program

Dear Colleagues:

Over the weekend I attended the AFL-CIO Conference in Atlantic City. While
there I met a lot of new contacts and learned some of the services our union
provides to our faculty through AFL-CIO. I am expecting a PDF file on new
services provided to you through AFSCME/AFL-CIO

I picked up a newsletter from United Way and found this article and thought
some of you may be interested.

"Youth Leaders Sought for Young Ambassadors Program
The American Young Ambassadors program is a global leadership program for
thirty exceptional U.S. High school students (ages 15-18) who have been
recognized for the work they have accomplished in their communities.

The Youth selected for the program are of significant accomplishment
academically, athletically, and/or through public service efforts in their
community They will represent the United States as Young
Ambassadors-at -Large at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. All
applicants must be U.S. citizens. Visit the AYAL website for complete
program.

I am not sure what the AYAL web site means. Possibly you do. The
newsletter is published by the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. If
you are interested possibly you can do some research to contact the right
agency.

Cheryl L. Leone, Prof.

Faculty Storage Space Committee

Many of you know that Gemma Cretella has worked very hard at trying to
resolve the faculty storage space issue. Committee is being creating and we
need help to resolve this overwhelming charge.

Here are the "Proposed" expectations of members serving on this committee. Faculty Work Space Task Force Proposed Members:

a.. Administration/Staff: Two AD's (one being Donna Daley - Interior
Design); one Asst. AD; Randi Howard
b.. Faculty: One from 1610, 1622 & 2300
a.. Charges:
a.. Review current workspace and storage being utilized by all faculty
b.. Ascertain needs of current faculty
c.. Propose a process for allocating workspace and storage for all
faculty
d.. Recommend layout changes for more effective and efficient
utilization of space
e.. Develop a plan for additional workspaces and storage for new faculty
f.. Propose a process for faculty to request additional space,
relocation, etc.
Like to hear your thoughts and if any of you are interested in serving on
this committee. Contact Cheryl L. Leone

AiPH Granted Middle States Candidacy

If you haven’t heard, The Art Institute of Philadelphia has been granted candidacy status by Middle States. That means we’re headed to regional accreditation. It also means a lot of work over the next few years.

What this does for us is increase our stature. It’s a boon for our graduates, whose degrees will now have more value. We have heard stories of graduates being denied entrance to graduate programs because the schools to which they applied refused to consider their degrees valid because the school was not regionally accredited. Middle States means we’re a college not a trade school.

What won’t happen: Middle States will not magically change course loads or hours of work. Class sizes won’t suddenly shrink. And while MSA is not as strict as ACICS when it comes to degrees, it may still be necessary to hold an advanced degree to teach upper level courses.

The middle states steering committee, chaired by Heather Ramsey and co-chaired by Jay Pastelak, now begins work on the self study. Over five years the committee will look at what we do and how we meet MSA requirements. This will involve input from many people and needs to be faculty-driven. If asked to participate, please consider doing so. The more people who participate the more valid the study and the greater our chances of full acceptance.

Jackie Jackson, steward for the General Education department, has resigned effective the end of fall quarter 2007. Jackie has served her department well in her tenure. She leaves to devote more time to her degree and other projects.

The union conducted a steward election at the Union Fall Quarter meeting, and Jim Schreyer was elected to the position of Gen Ed Steward. Please take the time to congratulate Jim and to thank him for volunteering his time to fill the position.

The steward is the person in the department responsible for serving as liaison between the union leadership and the individual members. Stewards process grievances, poll union member, bring issues to the executive board and generally serve as the leadership’s “eyes and ears” in the department. Stewards are invited to join twice quarterly executive board meetings to present issues from their department. There is also a quarterly steward meeting, where issues and strategies can be shared.

Occasionally the union runs into issues where a faculty member hasn’t gotten the schedule s/he requested. Often, when the schedule request is reviewed, it’s too generous or too vague.

Remember the contract doesn’t mandate that administration grant all schedule requests, but if there are days on which one cannot come in, a “NO” in the appropriate box is required. And if there is a class you really don’t want to teach, state that emphatically. Again, there’s no guarantee that class won’t show up on the schedule, but the more emphatic one is the better the chance of not seeing the subject turn up. A series of emphatic “Noes” can help the union pursue the case if the class keeps showing up.

Finally, keep a copy of the schedule request until the schedule is released. If there are any serious discrepancies—the schedule conflicts with outside work—alert the AD promptly, and copy the appropriate steward.

AFSCME’s International Executive Board voted to endorse Senator Hillary Clinton following an extensive 10-month, member-driven endorsement process—including candidate appearances, interviews and membership polls. The union’s polls show that Senator Clinton enjoys deep support among its members.

“We’ve looked at these candidates closely,” Gerald McEntee, International President, said. “We looked for the candidate who will fight for working families and who has the greatest ability to win, the candidate who will motivate our members to make calls, knock on doors and talk to their co-workers like never before.”

AFSCME plans to spend more than $60 million on the 2008 campaign, and will mobilize a 40,000-member army of volunteers to elect Senator Clinton.

It’s snowing and you really can’t get in to class. But school is open. The contract covers that situation: individual faculty members get to make the determination to take a snow day. Article 13, Section 15 states, “…no faculty member shall be penalized financially or otherwise should inclement weather prevent that person from performing his/her normal duties, provided that person…gives reasonable notification of his/her absence.…” This means individuals do not have to call in sick or use a personal day. All that’s required is a timely call in.

SCHOOL CLOSING NUMBERS:
1044–Day Classes 2044-Evening Classes
Listen to KYW NewsRadio 1060 for announcements or check online at www.kyw1060.com
or on
www.artinstitutes.edu/philadelphia.

If the college is closed due to inclement weather, the message on the college’s switchboard at 215-567-7080 will be changed to include this information.

A number of faculty at the 12th Week Union Meeting asked for Bill Hooper's mailing address: 

Bill Hooper
4729 Cedar
Philadelphia, Pa 19143.

I am sure Bill would appreciate get well cards and or a small note to let him know he is thought of.

October,30, 2007

Massive Miscommunication with the Installation of CS3

A series of unfortunate events lead to miscommunication concerning the installation with the upgrade of Adobe Design Studio CS3.  The tech department had serious issues with labs not able to run the software, thus leaving them unsure of when they would be able to successfully have the labs properly equipped to run the upgrade.  Rumors circulated as to when the upgrade was to be implemented, but no written official announcement was ever given.

When faculty found out that the upgrade was to happen for the Fall Quarter (almost by accident, mind you), it was already 10th week of the Summer Quarter, giving faculty members less than three weeks notice to alter syllabi and lesson plans.  The attitude of the tech department and administration seemed to be that even though the faculty had no knowledge of when the upgrade was to happen, we should have been prepared when given a moments notice. 

Blame for the miscommunication bounced from the tech department to the technology committee to Administration.  Richard Jackson and administration seemed to think that the installation of CS3 on the computer behind Lil in the Education Office at the beginning of the Summer Quarter was sufficient notice and provided adequate training.  The tech department also seems to have the misconstrued notion that faculty workstations are only for email and word processing and does not require any design software the Art Institute possesses.

If there is any positive effects that come from this situation it is that the union has recognized a better communication plan regarding software upgrades needs to be implemented.  Jay Pastelak had met with Ray Becker and is negotiating clear language as to exactly how much notice faculty will have for changes in software, what training will be provided and prompt installation of said software on faculty workstations.  Be assured that the union is working to make sure incidents like this will not reoccur. 

After almost a year with the inconvenience and hardship of faculty having to miss a pay week right after the Fall and Spring break, we now have a new pay schedule that will take effect in January 08.  Faculty now will be paid 26 times a year instead of 24 times a year. Although this method will ensure steady, uninterrupted paychecks, some of faculty paycheck amounts will be slightly lower because of the added two weeks.  All faculty members should have received a sample comparison of the current pay schedule and the proposed new pay schedule of how the amount in pay checks will change.  A copy of the new pay schedule with a sample of how your pay check amounts will be altered is available HERE.

The comminication problems surrounding the upgrade to CS3 prompted faculty to share horror stories with their experiences with software upgrades installed in labs without sufficient notice.  There has been incidents were faculty have walked into a computer lab on week one and found the software they were teaching had been upgraded without any notice what so ever. 

There has also been talk of faculty being deprived of reliable, working equipment, and securing computer access in labs needed to teach sections of classes.  Many faculty consider this an inconvenience, find ways to work around problems, and do not take the proper demands to their AD’s or alert the union.  This is counter productive.  By letting ‘little’ problems slide, this sets the stage for larger problems. 

The first person you should take your concerns to is your AD.  If he/she is not aware of a problem they cannot help solve it.  If your AD is uncooperative, then you should alert your department steward or any executive board member of any problems in the classroom.  Reasonable requests should not be ignored by administration.  Not every complaint leads to a grievance nor should any faculty member be afraid of retaliation for demanding the proper equipment/software/computer lab needed to do their jobs.  Many problems can be solved with open and honest communication.

Remember the purpose of the union is not only to protect your rights, but to ensure a safe and productive classroom environment.

After much speculation, Health Care will remain as it is, without changes.  It seems Administration deemed any changes unnecessary and plans will remain the same.

Also note: November is enrollment for Health Care.  Expect packages mailed to your home soon with instructions on how to change health care options or how to retain your current selections.

There are a few personnel changes on the Union Executive Board.  While Bill Hooper recuperates from surgery, Jay Pastelak will serve as Chief Stewart.  Linda Kudzmas will fill Jay’s seat as Vice President at Large until Bill returns.  James Morningstar has stepped down due to business and personal commitments and Brain Dickerson has agreed to serve as Vice President at Large until the next election. 

Faculty wishing to obtain software for training or for courses they currently teach are able to check out software from the library.  Forms for software loans are easily acquired from Richard Jackson and a signature from your AD is required.   The completed form is then presented to the library front desk where faculty will receive a copy of the requested software. Faculty then has seven days to return the software to the library.

Titles Update

Those who declared their intentions to seek an academic title in this first go-around should remember the window for submitting application materials runs from March 9 to April 10. Applicants were notified by letter that the process has changed. The Academic Directors have been removed from the process as the committee felt their participation was unnecessary (not to mention they have enough work) and some ADs had reservations about having their advice misinterpreted by their faculty.

Individuals are free to discuss their applications with their ADs, but titles materials should be presented directly to the committee through Michael Alleruzzo, Director of Training and Development, located on the second floor of 1622.

Expect a number of revisions to the titles policy as a result of this experience. The Academic Directors’ participation seems unnecessary, and while there probably won’t be any kind of “pro forma” application for future years this experience will give the Promotions Committee some basis for sound advice thanks to the “pioneers” participating in the program this first time out.

It should be noted that 61 individuals have submitted their intention to seek a title. That’s something over one-third of the total faculty, a pretty good showing for the first time.
It’s expected that titles will be granted initially in July and the next round will begin as stated in the document in October. Between July and August appeals will be heard; hopefully everyone will qualify and this step will be unnecessary.

Read the titles document.

City-poisoned rats crawled into 1622 Chestnut and died this quarter, rendering the basement largely unusable for two weeks. That, of course, didn’t keep the basement from being used, it just made teaching (and learning) merely intolerable.

Davio’s dumpster is drawing the rats. A complaint to the city led to the city putting out poison. Rats eat the poison, then crawl into our walls to die. The problem was complicated by the power outage in week seven; the generator brought in spewed diesel exhaust so the air handlers couldn’t bring in fresh air.

Faculty members were allowed to reschedule classes to other available classrooms, but the school made no public comment. The odor permeated the 1622 lobby. It’s not like no one noticed. We hope there’s no next time but if there is we suggest the school be more proactive in communicating with the school community.

When was the last time you looked in your personnel file? What you find there might surprise you.

Recently, a faculty member preparing his title application found documentation from a resolved grievance stored there. While this is unusual (and the school has agreed to remove the grievance materials) it’s a reminder that mistakes sometimes happen so It’s a good idea to review your file periodically.

All faculty members have the right to look at the contents of their files as described in Article 35, Personnel Records. You only have to make an appointment prior to the review. You may also have anything of interest copied for you by the school.

Keep in mind that the school has a right to keep other files, in the AD’s office as well as the Dean of Academic Affairs, and you don’t have a right to look at those files. But the personnel file is the big kahuna. You also have the right to insert rebuttals or other commentary.

Small student-teacher ratios are good for education while large ratios are good for profit. But really tiny sections—two or three—aren’t good in either case. So we batch.

The union agreed to allow different subjects to be combined in one class (batching) to save the ironically now-defunct illustration program. Management agreed to allow the union to approve batches. If the union withheld it’s approval, the classes would be made into separate sections.

We have more batches this quarter than ever. And the numbers aren’t small, either. Combinations like 21 and 2 or 19 and 1 are routine.

Granted, it makes no sense to run a section of one or two. And yes, a section is allowed to go as high as 26. But teaching two different subject to two different groups is not an easy thing. So a large section of batched subjects can be unmanageable. Students in one or the other section could legitimately complain about a lack of instructional time. What if a student in a batched section asks for a refund? Legally, he may be entitled.

The union makes its decision based on the faculty member’s response. If you have too large a section in a batch, you have the right to say no. There is no consequence to denying a batch, it actually may make a class for someone else to teach.

Last January’s union anniversary party and winter siree at Bistro San Tropez was a rousing success. About 40 faculty members gathered for drinks, snacks and conversation to celebrate the union’s turning 20.

Attending the event was union founder Larry Palmer. Larry began working on the union back in 1985 with a small cadre of co-workers after attempts to solve myriad problems internally were rebuffed by management. Larry served as president and chief negotiator in that first contract, negotiated from the fall of 1986 to the spring of 1987. Larry stepped down from the union presidency in 1988, and left the Art Institute a year later to run a real estate development company in Valley Forge.

20 years and a number of contracts later Larry’s creation is going strong, with a big celebration this past winter.

[In the conversation about management’s proposed changes in the health care package, part of the discussion has been about reducing the waive credit offered to those full-timers who choose not to participate in the plan. What follows is one opinion.]

Health care benefits are offered as a package to all new employees. Every employee has the option to participate in a health care plan. The waive credit is part of a benefit offered with employment. To reduce this benefit is to reduce a particular amount in a faculty member’s paycheck.

Looking at the cost of the family plan, an employee who opts out of the health care plan saves the Company $233.81 per month ($470.17 employer contribution for family – $236.33 waive credit) . Think how much it would cost the company if all employees enrolled in the family plan or single plan.

Health care is part of an employee’s earnings. When the union negotiates with the company the company comes to the table with so much money. The company doesn’t care how it is divided as long as it is the amount they planned to spend.

Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman-Sach’s CEO, received $54.3 million in salary and bonuses last year, plus benefits. If the Company wants to “help families” perhaps Lloyd Blankfein ought to pony up. There’s nothing in the contract that prevents the employer from contributing more to the health care pot.

Think about this: a faculty member is hired and earns $32.00 per hour, is married with two children and a spouse who earns less than $12.00 per hour. The spouse has a better health care plan so the faculty member opts out of our plan and receives the $236.33 each month. Is it fair to this faculty member who has accepted the terms of employment to lose the benefit, causing his/her family to suffer, because s/he depended on this additional income?

So management wants us to accept the same health plan as the other Ai schools. The rationale is that, because those here who take the family plan pay on average $75.00 per month more than Ai faculty nationwide, if everyone pays something those who take the most expensive care can pay less. It sounds all nice and egalitarian but the question is why? What’s in this for management to make this suggestion?

It’s interesting to note that staff and management receive the same benefit monies as the faculty. Could it be that the motivation to adjust the cost structure comes from the fact that the benefit structure here may make it more difficult to hire young administrative and staff personnel?

Management says it’s not interested in reducing its contribution to the health care pot. But by accepting the same benefit structure of the other Ai schools we’d be allowing that to happen since the company contribution at the other Ai schools is around 63% while here it’s closer to 70%. And if the goal was simply to reduce the cost to families, management could simply put more in the pot for families. There’s an egalitarian gesture, but you’ll probably not see it since health care is rising at three times the rate of inflation. You can’t blame management from wanting some relief from a constantly escalating cost.

So they want the costs shifted to us. The cost doesn’t go away, we just gore a different ox and maybe no one will notice the blood. Or maybe that’s not the thought; maybe we’re just cynical. But it’d be nice to know what prompted management to put this on the table.

Federation Election Held in June, Pastelak Wins by 3 Votes!

The election is over. And unlike most other years where the president was elected by acclamation, we actually had an election when Karen Girton-Snyder challenged Jay Pastelak for the presidency of the union. Jay won by only three votes of the 81 ballots cast.

In the other races, Cheryl Leone was re-elected Executive Vice President, Judy McAnulla was elected Secretary and Linda Kudzmas, Cherie Haines and Dan D'Angelo were all elected as Vice Presidents at Large. Bill Hooper and Wayne Urffer are the Chief Steward and Treasurer respectively. There was no election for those positions as there were no challengers.

At the end of spring quarter a faculty member informed his AD that he would be taking personal time during the first week of the summer quarter to care for his children. The employee was subsequently called back into the AD's office and told he would not be allowed to take personal time.

Even though the contract does not provide management with any explicit right to deny personal time to an individual who requests it, management felt justified in denying the time to this faculty member. The argument: that the time was anticipated and therefore fell outside the definition of personal time. We believe the denial was based on the fact that the time was requested during week one of the quarter.

But if the administration has the right to deny personal time, what would prevent the administration from denying an individual sick time? Would the school insist an instructor come in to teach if he/she were ill? And if not, why should an individual who has a pressing need, anticipated or not, be required to deny that need so he can shuck and jive for management? [Incidentally, the language at the end of the section on personal time says it should be used for "...personal business that cannot be scheduled outside of a faculty members assigned teaching schedule or could not be anticipated," (italics added) meaning that the personal business might be anticipated but cannot be rescheduled.]

We believe administration has far over stepped its privilege in this instance. The fact is, there is no specific right of approval granted to management in the contract. In fact, there is no mandate for a faculty member taking personal time to divulge the nature of the need for the time. And so we offer the following:

• Personal time belongs to faculty members to use at their discretion provided the faculty member has the time coming (hasn't already used the time allotted). No one who has the time available can be denied.
• Faculty members are advised not to divulge the nature of the need for the time. If asked, the reply should be that the nature is personal and leave it at that.

Anyone who might have been denied personal time in the past is asked to contact his union representative.

The contract requires administration to set aside a pool of $20,000 for faculty to attend seminars and other professional developmental activities. The maximum amount allowed is $2,500 per event and the money is to be distributed on a "first-come, first-served" basis.

Wow, what a mistake—not that we did it but how we determined the distribution. People began lining up for the money (which was allocated in June, at the end of spring quarter) at 5:30 in the morning! One faculty member who was there described it as lining up for concert tickets.

When we negotiated this benefit last spring, the previous $10,000 pool had never been exhausted, so we thought that doubling the pool and making the pool school wide would work for everyone. We were surprised when the money went quickly last June and even more surprised at this quarter's turn of events.

Needless to say, we have to revise the system as well as increase the amount of the pool. A number of ideas have been floated, including returning the money to the the departments and allotting it on a quarterly basis. The executive board is discussing the issue and it's been broached with administration who agreed the process needs to be changed, including increasing the amount in the pool. But don't expect it to change before next year. Both parties are cool to reopening the contract and renegotiating the benefit since any re opener has the potential to put other unrelated issues on the table as well.

It was decided by the membership, and agreed upon by administration, that the union would present an award to a graduating senior in memory of faculty members Ralph Malatesta and Bob Arufo. The award will be for $250.00. Wayne Urffer will construct a plaque on which the student's name will be engraved and the plaque will hang in the school.

Students will apply for the award and a faculty committee will make the determination. The union president or his designee will make the presentation.

Karen Girton-Snyder has agreed to chair the review committee. Please help Karen and her committee publicize the award to graduates.

OK, we know this is difficult to hear, but you can't end your class early without opening yourself up to disciplinary action. We know, we know: technology doesn't work, students don't show up, students seem to really like being dismissed early (heck, some of them dismiss themselves early on a regular basis).

We don't believe there has been widespread abuse but lately administration has been on a tear about this, checking classrooms to see if class is still in session. Night classes seem particularly targeted. Now, administration has the right to set class times and we, because we're paid to be there, have the obligation to be in class. And, as juvenile and demeaning as it feels, they do have the right to check on us.

Obviously the parties will have to discuss what might constitute an appropriate early dismissal of class—if all the students leave of their own volition, are we still obliged to sit in the empty room—but unless something happens to force the issue that's for the next contract in 2006. The best advice we can give at this point is, if your class is in diaspora, leave a note on the board stating where you can be found or where the class is supposed to be. Stay in the building and keep yourself available.

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