[Click Here to view the SCFT Negotiations Website]

STATE CENTER FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

1,000 STATE CENTER FACULTY AUTHORIZE STRIKE DEMANDING COMPETITIVE CONTRACT 

With a historic 97% YES vote and a turnout of over 1,000 faculty, we have overwhelmingly authorized the SCFT Executive Council and Negotiations Team to call a strike if a fair contract is not reached. This unprecedented mandate demonstrates our absolute unity and commitment to securing a competitive agreement that protects both faculty and students.

The Union's Goal: We want to be at work, supporting our students. Winning a fair contract allows all faculty to focus fully on student success, free from the exhaustion of unfair working conditions and lagging pay.

The Leverage: This strike authorization does not mean an immediate walkout. It gives our leaders the ultimate leverage to force the District to take our demands seriously at the bargaining table.

The Financial Reality: SCCCD is sitting on nearly $300 million in reserves while paying faculty approximately $10,000 less per year than College of the Sequoias (COS).

Healthcare Inequities: SCCCD lags behind COS by roughly $6,000 per employee per year in District healthcare contributions, shifting steep out-of-pocket costs onto faculty.

Public Accountability: If the District forces a strike, we would be only the 6th community college in California history to walk out, exposing their financial hoarding and skewed priorities to national media scrutiny.

The Academic Calendar: If a strike exceeds two weeks, the semester will not count and students will not receive credit. The District cannot afford this catastrophic failure, creating intense pressure to settle.

TAKE ACTION NOW

1. Become a Member Today

Your voice is our leverage. Join your colleagues to uphold our contract and secure the conditions we need.

👉 Join the Union Here

2. Protect Your Communication (Update Your Info)

Do not rely on District email for union business. Ensure we have your most current personal email and cell phone number so you don't miss critical updates.

👉 Update Your Contact Info Here

4. Follow Us on Social Media

Stay connected with real-time updates and show your solidarity online.

👉 Follow SCFT1533 on Social Media



Fact vs. Myth: Strike Readiness and Student Impact

• 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%.

Management Retaliation & Faculty Protections

Voting Anonymity: The election was managed digitally by an independent third-party company. The District will never see how any individual voted.

Tenure Job Security: It is illegal for the District to use strike participation against new instructors when evaluating teaching or determining tenure.

Part-Time Job Security: Retaliating against part-time faculty for union activity is strictly illegal. If administration attempts to pull assignments due to strike participation, the union will fight the District 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.

Individual Exposure: Collective action provides safety in numbers. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) protects every faculty member across the District, regardless of tenure status or union membership.

⚠️ 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 strike business or union organizing. Do not attempt to register for the upcoming GMM with your District Zoom account. Create a free personal account to register and access the meeting. If you need assistance getting off District platforms and/or creating free personal accounts, please email ashleigh@scftunion.org for support.

🛑 KNOW YOUR WEINGARTEN RIGHTS

If you are suddenly pulled into a meeting with administration, you have the right to union representation. Save or screenshot the following statement to your phone so you can read it directly to a supervisor if needed:

"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."

Contact us immediately by filling out this contact form. W e will get a representative to reach out to you asap for support.