Workload: Removal of section caps and the 8-hour workday
On September 11, your Local Executive Committee (LEC ) passed the following motion:
The LEC of Local 415 recommends that the membership vote to reject the memorandum of settlement.
Here is another look at why.
Article 11: Removal of the cap on total teaching sections
This is the first negative concession in the history of our bargaining.
If this agreement passes, management will be able to assign you as many repeat sections as they can fit onto your SWF. This opens the door to a significant, and devastating, restructuring of our workload and the implications for students are enormous. The college could
. Split online and classroom teaching
. Split theory and practice
. Add more sections to your workload
. Split lectures and labs into a university model and staff labs with instructors or technicians, faculty who are much lower-paid and typically non-full-time.
For example, full-time faculty could be forced to teach a number of large, one-hour theory courses, while instructors, technicians,and part-timers would be responsible for labs placements and online teaching.
Students do not benefit from-nor do they prefer-this style of learning. Teachers know that working with the same students regularly, in smaller classroom settings,and across semesters contributes to higher-quality education. This settlement erodes the conditions necessary for good teaching and learning.
When you cast your vote, think about the future of your work and your students learning conditions.