A new contract addressing ACA issues was ratified by both parties as of September 17, 2013. This contract provides for approximately 60 current adjuncts to have "Affiliated" positions which carry health care for the adjuncts and, optionally, their families. They will be allowed to teach 33 hours per year. In return the "hard" caps on hours the administration wanted (27 hours per year) are imposed on the remaining adjuncts.

On May 14 the AFA and College negotiators agreed on an immediate implementation that will allow assignments for the coming academic year for those who taught and/or worked in excess of 27 LHE's for the period Summer 2012 through Spring 2013. These adjuncts will be contacted by their chairs, offered a position as an "Affiliated Adjunct Faculty" and asked to sign a committment letter. These positions include the offer of health care starting January 2014. More details to follow.

The Huffington Post on April 4 posted a blog on ACA related cuts to adjunct faculty nationwide which highlights the AAUP position on Obama Care but also mentions Oakton and links back to this site.

The NEA Higher Education Advocate highlights the AFA's successful opposition to cuts in hours for adjuncts.

Chicago Area Adjuncts at ICCCB Meeting
   
Barbara Dayton Introduces Speakers (left)   Steve Brody adresses ICCCB (right)

On March 22 a dozen adjunct faculty from several Community colleges in the Chicago area attended the ICCCB meeting held at Oakton College. The ICCCB was gracious and changed their agenda so we could talk at the midpoint of the meeting rather than wait until the regular public participation session at the end. We heard from representatives of three colleges, Oakton, Harper and Morraine Valley. Board member Randy Barnette, wearing our button in the picture above, spoke in our favor followed by ambiguous comments from Chair Alexi Giannoulias.

   
Left, Board Chair Jody Wadhwa and Margaret Lee Speak, Right Adjuncts in front Row

A number of AFA adjuncts again came to the March Board of Trustees meeting. Five adjunct faculty and 2 chairs spoke. The tenor of many of the speeches was the harm that the current ACA policy would have on students and the College if adjuncts were not allowed their current level of teaching and committee work. Both Board chair Wadhwa and College president Lee assured the audience that this would not happen, something would be worked out in negotiations between the AFA and College. We are holding our collective breaths.

About 40 adjuncts, 12 from Oakton, representing 9 area colleges rallied at the Illinois Community College Presidents meeting at the Westin Hotel in Lombard on March 8. Later we went inside where we were allowed to sit through their morning meeting with numerous reports. At the end of the meeting Beverly Stewart, IEA Higher Ed. Adjunct Representitive and IEA board member, gave a short presentation about the affects of the ACA to the board.

WBEZ reporter Lewis Wallace wrote an excellent article about our rally, see here.

There were two signifincant items. First several members had attended a meeting with Tom Hamel, Academic Vice President earlier in the day. He told them that the Memo of February 19 was NOT a directive to Chairs about how to staff classes, but merely an idea, asking chairs to give him feedback on what kind of problems they might encounter IF they implemented this idea. The chairs were to get back to him by March 1. He promised to share the data he collected with the AFA and agreed to work with us before drafting a new directive.

At the meeting the membership unanomously approved the following position to be taken by the AFA: Given the lack of information on the ACA and how it would effect Oakton, courses for Summer and Fall 2013 should be assigned as in previous years. After a trial period in 2014 the College and the AFA could negotiate any changes necessary.