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"STANDING UNITED FOR OUR

STUDENTS & OUR COMMUNITY"

Welcome to the official contract watch page for the faculty of the State Center Community College District (SCCCD). Whether you are a student, a community member, a local taxpayer, or a faculty member, we are glad you are here.

Over 1,000 instructors across our district have delivered a historic 97% strike authorization mandate. We are fighting for a fair contract because we believe that faculty working conditions are student learning conditions.

• While recent union action forced the District to agree to essential healthcare protections for instructors, the District's administration is currently failing to implement those agreements smoothly—resulting in unacceptable paycheck errors and unnecessary stress. Our fight for a fair, competitive contract is far from over, and we need your support to hold the District accountable.

State Center Community College District is sitting on over $300 million in combined reserves, yet faculty compensation severely trails regional standards. Rather than funding classrooms, the District Office continues to hoard state-allocated funds.

We are standing firm on our core C.A.P. Platform:

• Compensation: Our faculty are paid roughly $10,000 less per year than peers at neighboring districts like College of the Sequoias (COS). We are asking for a fair increase so we can attract and retain top-tier educators for our students.
• Autonomy: We are fighting for protections over faculty-created course materials and clear workload boundaries for Dual Enrollment instruction.
• Parity (Equal Pay for Equal Work): We are demanding true equal pay for our part-time faculty—including paid prep, grading, and office hours—so they have the paid time necessary to fully support their students. We also demand that an hour of lab instruction is paid exactly the same as an hour of lecture instruction (the District currently only pays 75% for lab time).

STUDENT & COMMUNITY HUB: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Will my classes be canceled right now? No. The 97% strike authorization vote gives our union the power to call a strike, but a walkout remains our absolute last resort. We are currently in state-mediated negotiations with tentative dates set for October. We want to be in the classroom, but we need the District to negotiate fairly to avoid disruption.

How does this affect my education? When the District hoards over $300 million instead of investing it in instructors, it hurts educational quality. High turnover, stressed educators, and unpaid part-time office hours directly impact the support students receive. Securing a fair contract ensures you have stable, supported, and highly qualified instructors. Students will not be penalized academically during union labor disputes.

Will I lose my Financial Aid, GI Bill®, or course credits? No. A temporary work stoppage will not impact your financial aid eligibility, Cal Grant, Pell Grant, or veteran educational benefits. Financial aid is tied to your overall enrollment status. Additionally, your academic progress and earned units remain protected. If a strike occurs, faculty will provide clear guidance on updated assignment timelines and make-up plans upon return to ensure no student is academically penalized.

What happens to Canvas and grading if a strike is called? A strike authorization vote does not mean classes stop today. A strike is an absolute last resort and can only happen after state mediation is completed in October. If an official strike is called, faculty will pause all digital and physical work. During those specific strike days:

• Instructors will not hold classes or conduct online lectures.
• Canvas modules and grading updates will be temporarily paused.
• Professors will not answer district emails until the strike is resolved.
• Note: Deadlines will be adjusted fairly following the return to work.

HOW STUDENTS & COMMUNITY CAN TAKE ACTION

"Your voices are vital in showing the District Board of Trustees

that the entire college community values quality instruction."

1. Wear Union Blue on Wednesdays Join faculty and fellow students across all four campuses in wearing blue to demonstrate campus unity.

2. Talk to Your Friends, Family, & Community

If your family or coworkers ask what is going on, here is a quick way to explain it to them:

"My professors have been negotiating for almost two years. The District is hoarding $300 million in reserves, but pays our teachers thousands of dollars less than neighboring colleges. We are supporting the faculty because when teachers are paid fairly and get paid for their office hours, they can focus 100% on helping students succeed."

3. Email the Board of Trustees

The Board needs to hear directly from students and taxpayers. Use our quick template to send them an email demanding they invest in your classrooms.

[Send an Email to the SCCCD Board of Trustees]

We hear you, and we know you have questions. Students are the reason we teach, and our goal is to reach a fair agreement without disrupting your education. Here is exactly how negotiations and a potential strike impact you.



Myth: Fighting for this contract will hurt our students and take resources away from them. Fact: The District hoarding a $300 million reserve while faculty struggle is what hurts students. Investing in faculty quality and stability is a direct investment in student success.

Myth: Authorizing a strike means we are walking out immediately. Fact: The 97% YES vote simply gives the bargaining team the ultimate leverage to secure a deal without having to call a strike. A walkout remains a last resort.

Myth: The District does not have the money to match regional salaries. Fact: While most CA community colleges budget 85% to 90% of their general fund for employee salary and benefits, SCCCD budgets only about 75% to 77%. The District overbudgets and underspends on compensation; the money is absolutely there.

Myth: The 50% Law limits how much they can spend on support services. Fact: Every dollar spent on instruction mathematically frees up a dollar to be spent on non-instruction. Investing in faculty directly allows for more investment in staff and student services.

Myth: The District Office needs its current budget to function properly. Fact: The District Office consumes about 33% of the budget. We are asking the District to stop spending so much on top bosses and put that money back into the classrooms.



Myth: Faculty are just being greedy. Fact: Faculty compensation has not kept pace with inflation. We are asking for COLA plus 8-12% across the salary schedule just to match COS, while the District has only officially offered COLA plus 2%.

(If you are an SCCCD Faculty Member, please review the following critical information)

• Impasse & Fact-Finding: Mediation remains in a holding pattern. We are ready to work, but we are currently waiting for the District to confirm their availability.
• Administrator Accountability: If your administrators make threats about budget cuts regarding our contract, hold them to a standard of servant leadership. Remind them that their job is to fight the District Office for their college's fair share of funding, not to pass down intimidation.
• Job Security (Tenure & Part-Time): It is illegal for the District to use strike participation against new instructors when evaluating tenure. Retaliating against part-time faculty for union activity is strictly illegal, and the union will fight any attempts to pull assignments through the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).
• Work Directives: If the union is officially on strike, the law protects your right to withhold labor. You are not required to answer District emails, submit grades, or follow work directives until the strike concludes.
• Strike Wage Concerns: Historically, any pay withheld during a lawful strike is negotiated on the back end as part of the settlement and return-to-work agreement, often made whole through retroactive back pay.
• Communication Warning: Please ONLY use personal devices and personal email for all union communication. Do not use District email, computers, Canvas, or Zoom accounts for union organizing.
• Weingarten Rights: If you are suddenly pulled into a meeting with administration, you have the right to union representation. Save this statement to read to a supervisor: "If this meeting could in any way lead to discipline or affect my working conditions, I respectfully request that a union representative be present. Without representation, I choose not to answer any questions."

Download Complete Strike FAQ Sheet

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