Protests, vandalism and still no contract: Update on Federation and district negotiations

The El Camino College Federation of Teachers spoke out during the Sept. 6 Board of Trustees meeting in an effort to encourage college and district officials to reach an agreement in ongoing contract negotiations which have not been resolved in over a year.

Red-shirted union members packed the board room as Federation President Kelsey Iino and other faculty shared their frustrations to college administrators and the Board of Trustees during the meetings public comments.

“We’re very tired of the issue of having investment in faculty being kicked down the road like a can,” Journalism instructor Kate McLaughlin said to the board. “We’ve put up with it for a long time.”

Negotiations began on June. 29, 2022, before the Federation’s contract with the district expired on Dec. 31, 2022, leaving the faculty to work without a contract.

The public comments were an extension of a march and p rotest organized by the Federation to coincide with the meeting.

Art History Professor Ali Ahmadpour leads The El Camino College Federation of Teachers as they march through the campus to protest ongoing contract issues with the college district on Sept. 6. (Khoury Williams | the Union)

As public comments ended the college administration went into closed session, where they discussed negotiations as marked on the meeting agenda.

Closed session discussions are not open to the public but if a decision is made the board must report out. Later, as the meeting began the board said there was nothing to report.

California Federation of Teachers Jeff Freitas (left) stands with Board of Trustee Brett C.S. Roberts and history professor John Baranski during a Federation protest held outside of the Administration Building on Sept. 6. During an interview with The Union, Roberts said he supports labor movements and wants to "make sure the right deal is being made." (Khoury Williams | The Union) — California Federation of Teachers President Jeff Freitas (left) stands with Board of Trustee Brett C.S. Roberts and history professor John Baranski during a Federation protest held outside of the Administration Building on Sept. 6. Speaking with The Union, Roberts said he supports labor movements and wants to “make sure the right deal is being made.” (Khoury Williams | The Union)

Iino said a new concern has emerged beyond the issue of continuing to work without a contract.

According to Iino the Federation’s office on campus has been repeatedly vandalized.

The first act of vandalism occurred over the summer, when someone wrote “Toxic Whiners” in black marker directly on the Federation office door. She estimates the incident occurred during the last week of June as the graffiti was discovered July 1.

The El Camino College Federation of Teachers office door as it looked on July 1, an unknown person or persons vandalized it with black marker. President of the Federation Kelsey Iino says she suspects the words were written between the last week of June and July 1 when the scrawling were first discovered. More vandalism targeting the Federation has occurred since the fall semester began. (Photo courtesy of Kelsey Iino) — The El Camino College Federation of Teachers office door as it looked on July 1, an unknown person or persons vandalized it with black marker. President of the Federation Kelsey Iino says she suspects the words were written between the last week of June and July 1 when the graffiti was first discovered. More vandalism targeting the Federation has occurred since the fall semester began. (Photo courtesy of Kelsey Iino)

Another act of vandalism, gluing obscene and critical signs by their offices had occurred during the first week of classes.

The most recent incident occurred between 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5 and on Wednesday morning Sept. 6 where someone used glue to block off the key locks to the union’s office door, prohibiting access.

Iino said they filed police reports for all three incidents and are continually asking campus police for updates. She is concerned because police told her there was no video surveillance in the area after the first incident.

She requested increased video surveillance after the summer incident but police told her the process was ongoing and needed certain approvals before they could get more cameras. Iino said the police offered increased patrols.

The Union reached out to campus police but they were not immediately available for comment.

As closed session ended and the board meeting began most of the Federation activity had dispersed. Despite the demonstrations the board meeting still had business to conduct, including adopting the official 2023-2024 fiscal budget.

During the meeting, the board approved a maximum-payable-contract of $75,000 with School Services of California Inc. for services related to fact finding in the negotiations process with the Federation.

Vice President of Human Resources and district negotiator Jane Miyashiro said after the meeting that at this stage in the negotiation process, both sides are still in mediation.

If both sides agree they are at an impasse the next step would be fact finding, which is mediation by an impartial committee who gives a recommendation on the final contract.

Miyashiro explained the approval of the money for fact finding did not necessarily mean the process was heading there.

“It’s just to have the contract ready, if in the event we need to use it, if we don’t use it, we don’t use it,” Miyashiro said. “We have to think about the logistics, we only meet once a month for the board.”

Miyashiro said under mediation there is very little district representatives can publicly say. Both sides are basically under a blanket of confidentiality, as confirmed by Vice President of Administrative Services Robert Suppelsa and Iino.

The two sides will meet in-person for their fourth mediation meeting on Sept. 22.

“Often times with fact finding there can be an agreement on a successor contract, but there’s also the option that the district imposes the contract,” Miyashiro said.

The district has the power to impose their contract on the Federation regardless of any recommendations. But the Federation has an option as well.

“The bargaining unit has the option to go on strike if that happens,” Miyashiro said.

Days before the meeting, Iino said the Federation does have the authority to strike if they don’t like the district’s offer. She said conversations are ongoing and they are taking members’ opinions seriously.

The El Camino College Federation of Teachers President Kelsey Iino addresses the Board of Trustees about ongoing safety issues during the public comment section of their Sept. 6 meeting. (Khoury Williams | The Union)

“We’re definitely talking about it, right. Because we also need to know if [negotiations] get to this point, where are [individuals] at?” Iino said. “There’s a lot of stuff to think through, it’s not just a rash decision.”

Iino said if the majority of members were to vote to take a proposed contract that’s what they would do. But if members agree to exhaust all options, the Federation will do so.

“You never want it to get to those points, right? Hopefully, we can come to some sort of agreement,” Iino said.