After more than three years of protests, student petitions, community criticism and PCCFA legal actions with the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB), we have prevailed! Officially a six-week Winter Session will be back in 2017. And faculty will be compensated for their losses. It is the single most significant victory for students and faculty in the history of the college. The PERB ruling is a landmark decision.

Our last Winter Session was 2012, but the Board of Trustees, following the advice of then-president Mark Rocha, unilaterally and illegally cancelled Winter 2013. Thousands of students were denied access to their education during the worst economic recession in 80 years. Hundreds of faculty were denied the opportunity to teach. Historically, it was one of the college’s darkest times.

The college’s egregious posturing, its clumsy decision-making, and its hostility to faculty, students and staff created a toxic work environment. However, it paid a heavy price for its gross mismanagement. It received very negative marks for collegiality and shared governance in its recent Accreditation. It also lost the largest PERB settlement in the college’s history.

Recall that the PCCFA won the first PERB decision in December, 2014. Inexplicably, the college contested the PERB decision and wasted tens of thousands of tax dollars on the appeal process. Those funds could have been utilized for classes, more counseling, improved facilities, or any number of student support services. It lost the appeal July 30th, 2015 and was ordered to pay out a negotiated sum to compensate faculty.

Make no mistake, a united faculty, staff, and student coalition, which refused to capitulate to the college’s bullying, ensured the victory. Because of your extraordinary and steadfast position on saving Winter, we have prevailed.

The total amount the college has agreed to pay is $1.4 million. Each affected faculty member is entitled to $4672 (minus taxes and other deductions) plus $1051 for interest penalties (a lump sum with no deductions taken out).

Who is eligible?
1) Any faculty member who taught Winter 2011 AND Winter 2012.

2) Any faculty member who spent time modifying curriculum (paid on an hourly basis).

3) Any faculty member who lost money because of cancelled vacations, conference attendance etc.

Receipts are required to document losses.

If you received an email from the college instructing you on your Winter payout, follow its instructions.

If you did NOT receive an email, how do you know if you are eligible? Your dean has records of your Winter 2011 and Winter 2012 schedules. You may also have pay stubs or copies of grades for Winter 2011, 2012. These also constitute documentation.

Once you have documentation, fill out the form: Request for Compensation—PERB decision No 2444 available in Paul Jarrell’s office. You may email all documentation to pejarrell@pasadena.edu but hand delivery to his office (C-229A) is also an option.

All forms can be obtained at www.pccfacultyassociation.com

If you have any questions, call Suzanne Anderson, PCCFA Grievance Officer at 7495. The deadline for filing for reimbursement is Monday May 16th, 5 PM (note that is the first day of Summer Session).