City College of San Francisco Teachers Could Strike Over Contract

City College of San Francisco faculty say they could strike if the college doesn't offer them a fair contract.

The American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 announced Thursday that members had voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if an impasse in contract talks is not resolved. The faculty has been without a contract for nearly nine months and in contract negotiations for about a year.

Political science professor Tim Killikelly, who is also president of the local, says the CCSF administration should make raises for all faculty part of its strategy to keep the college open.

"The proposals, at the end of a three-year contract, would have over half of our members still below a salary that they were making in 2007," Killikelly said. "How they can they possibly think that that kind of proposal is reasonable and that we would agree to it?"

He says part-time faculty weren't offered any ongoing pay increases, something he says is untenable.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of City College's long battle to maintain its accreditation as an institution of higher learning.

Citing ongoing concerns over CCSF's fiscal accountability, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges put the college on notice in 2012 that it could lose its standing, then moved to strip its certification in 2013. That decision was put on hold at the order of a San Francisco judge, and the commission subsequently gave CCSF until later this year to address the issues that had been identified. A final decision on accreditation could come early next year.

That's about the same time CCSF will see budget cuts because of declines in enrollment and the loss of stabilization funding from the state, Board of Trustees president Rafael Mandelman noted Thursday.

Although student numbers have held steady over the past year, Mandelman said, the school lost about 30 percent of its students over the past five years.

At the same time, teacher pay has been cut. Mandelman conceded the administration's last contract proposal would pay some teachers 3.7 percent less than they earned in 2007.

"The college has a lot of challenges," Mandelman said, adding that while he understands the faculty's frustration, there's only so much the administration can do, given the decline in funding.

"I'm optimistic that we can offer them a little hope, but it's looking pretty grim," Mandelman said.

Union leader Killikelly says keeping quality teachers happy will help make the school more viable.

"It needs a rethinking by the board of how they're going to move forward, and that includes thinking about how they're going to compensate the people who work there to make sure they can afford to really live here in the city," Killikelly said.

In a statement, City College administration said it was disappointed by the strike authorization. A walkout "will have a severe impact on our students by disrupting class schedules, graduation, and possibly their ability to transfer to four-year institutions," the statement said.