Our letter to Assembly Speaker Rendon and Assembly Member Rivas in support of AB-1550.
May 28, 2021
Speaker Anthony Rendon
California State Assembly
State Capitol, Room 219
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 319-2163
RE: Assembly Bill 1550 (Rivas); Position: Support
Dear Speaker Rendon:
We are the Council of UC Faculty Associations, the collective bargaining representative of the UC Santa Cruz Faculty Association that UC mentions in its letter opposing AB-1550. We support AB-1550 and want to respond to UC’s letter.
Specifically, UC states its concern that AB-1550 threatens shared governance because “supervisorial responsibilities for Senate members, make it inappropriate and incompatible for Senate members to be in a bargaining unit that includes non-Senate members who they may directly supervise.” But the Academic Senate already comprises faculty who manage and supervise other faculty. Senate faculty serve as department chairs and on promotion committees all the time and still coexist with other Senate faculty in the department they chair or to whom they have granted or denied promotion. Moreover, lecturers with security of employment are already members of the AS, so there is no way to draw a general distinction between lecturers and the Academic Senate.
In its letter, UC says it is also concerned about language in AB-1550 that would prevent UC from creating new job titles with substantially similar duties as represented employees. They claim this “puts the Senate in a permanent stasis, prohibiting the Senate from extending membership to broaden senate membership or to help faculty maintain a work-life balance.” But it does not do this. If UC and the Academic Senate want to modify eligibility, they can do so. The only new limit is on creating a new eligibility category that is the same as an existing one. In that case, the remedy is simple: just add that title into the Academic Senate (they would, of course, bring their union representation with them). This language is only in the bill to prevent UC from creating a new, unrepresented job title that did the same work as a represented class of employees as a way to eliminate union representation.
For these reasons, we urge an “AYE” vote on AB 1550 (Rivas) when it comes before you on the Assembly Floor.
Sincerely,
Constance Penley,
President, Council of UC Faculty Associations
and Professor of Film and Media Studies, UCSB
cc: Assembly Member Luz Rivas