Category Archives: Upcoming Events

VOTING SCHEDULE

Thursday, January 26                Friday, January 27
9:00 am – 5:00 pm                             9:00 am – 5:00 pm
916 S. Wabash, Lobby                      623 S. Wabash, Lobby

For the Office of President:
Mike Bright 
Administrative Assistant/Sudent Worker Supervisor
Film & Video

Democracy in the workplace is crucial in these times. I have been and I will continue to be a strong advocate for the members of USofCC. I will be a voice for those who may not be comfortable speaking out. And as we head into negotiations for a new contract, my experience at the bargaining table will strengthen our negotiation team.

For the Office of Vice-President:
Nick Hoeppner
Engineer
Radio

I have been at Columbia College Chicago since May of 2005. I am running for Vice President of USofCC because I believe the staff of Columbia is a very important part of what makes the College great. However, recently the administration has seemed to have forgotten this. Collectively we need to be able to voice concerns, bargain for contracts, and protect Columbia’s work force.  I hope to be able to contribute to the gains that the USofCC has already accomplished. I will continue to fight for a cost of living adjustment for wages and meeting the needs of our members.

For the Office of Vice-President:
Oscar Valdez
Administrative Assistant/Office Manager
Humanities, History & Social Services

I first came to Columbia as an undergraduate student in the Journalism Department. In fall 2001 I was hired as a full-time staff.  Within a year of getting hired, our pension was frozen at Columbia. Staff and Full-time Faculty started getting together to talk about bringing in a union at Columbia.

The staff was able to form the USofCC, and I was asked to become a negotiator for the first contract between USofCC and Columbia College Chicago. From the stories that I heard from staff , I decided to join the negotiation team and work on our first contract.

I am happy that after a decade staff still see me as a person that they can trust to bring their issues and concerns to the College Administration. If I get chosen as VP of USofCC, my goals will be to create a great relationship between USofCC and the College Administration; to negotiate our second contract and add or improve benefits/work issues for the staff. Mostly importantly, I would like to continue to help out staff with their personal issues and concerns both with the College Administration and USofCC.

For the Office of Treasurer:
Craig Blakemore 
Catalog Assistant
Library

I have the skills, experience, and dedication to perform the duties of treasurer effectively. I am eager to represent you as an official of US of CC as we move into this next phase of growth, building upon the solid foundation created by those who worked so long and hard to establish this local.

For the Office of Treasurer:
Nina Campbell
Administrative Assistant
ASL-English Interpretation

I am a person who welcomes new experiences and challenges. I am committed and determined to fight for our rights. If elected Treasurer, I will fulfill my duties and commitments. Your support is greatly appreciated.

For the Office of IEA Ethnic Minority Candidate:
Mike Bright 
Administrative Assistant/Sudent Worker Supervisor
Film & Video

For the Office of Delegate to the IEA Representative Assembly:
Cat Bromels 
Print Services Manager
Art & Design

I am running because I am an active union member at Columbia, and I want to help spread the experiences we’ve had here with other locals and regions of IEA.

For the Office of Delegate to the IEA Representative Assembly:
Nick Hoeppner
Engineer
Radio

>>  Voting Eligibility. Voting is open to all union members. USofCC membership forms will be available at the vote for those who wish to join the union.

>>  Absentee Voting. Employees who do not report to a campus worksite or who are not scheduled to work on January 26 or 27 may vote by absentee ballot. To request a ballot, please email USofCC at usofcc@yahoo.com  asap but no later than Wednesday, January 18. A ballot will be mailed to the address you provide in your email, and your returned ballot must be received by USofCC no later than Friday, January 27, 2012 to be counted.

Elections Scheduled for USofCC Officers and IEA Region 67 Representative Assembly Delegates and Ethnic Minority Delegate

Members will vote for the leadership of USofCC in on-campus elections scheduled for Thursday, January 26 and Friday, January 27, 2012.

Continue reading →

Learn what you can do to help your union fight to prioritize education with smaller classes, fair wages, and strong contracts.

Lend a hand

The unrelenting war against working Americans continues. Columbia College part-time faculty (P- fac) has yet to settle a contract. Columbia College staff members (US of CC) do not receive annual wage increases. Continue reading →

Around the country, folks are starting to talk ELECTIONS—-and so is USofCC!

It’s time for the United Staff of Columbia College (USofCC) to elect officers for the next two years!

During this time period, a second contract between USofCC and Columbia will be negotiated. We’ll need good people to see us through — SO — as a first step, we’re asking you to consider nominating yourself or someone you know to help guide the union through this process and beyond.

Nominations will be accepted for President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. This is a great opportunity to get your feet wet in the union.  Who knows?  You might discover you’re a natural leader!

Please get back to us if you have questions.

In Solidarity,
Yolunda and Jamila,
Election Committee Co-Chairs

ykincade@ hotmail.com       jjaj82@yahoo.com

A member may nominate a colleague or him/herself for a two-year term position by completing the form below (also  on web site–www.usofcc.org). The nominee must agree to serve if elected, and the form must be signed by the nominator. Nomination forms must be received by regular mail or via email by December 12, 2011. Mailing address is USofCC, Columbia College Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL  60605; email address isusofcc@yahoo.com. Elections will take place in January, 2012.

from The Education Trust:

Game on. It’s Save Pell Day.

Visit our online action center and send a clear message to politicians in Washington: Cutting funding for Pell Grants is not an acceptable option!

Here’s how you can help today:

• Send an e-mail to the President and Congress.
• Tweet using the #SavePell hashtag.
• Change your Facebook profile image to the Save Pell logo and update your status to spread the word.
• Follow the #SavePell hashtag on Twitter to keep up with the day’s events.

Don’t wait — act now.  And when you’re done, ask five friends to do the same. Continue reading →

A call for support and action from the organized workers at Roosevelt U.:

Come  Thursday June 16 for a vigil from 11 am to 2 pm in front of the Auditorium building to save Roosevelt University from making a big mistake by balancing the budget on the backs of students, adjuncts, and full-time faculty.

Instead of asking everyone at Roosevelt to share the sacrifice, the administration is proposing that the students and faculty bear the load by eliminating  235 classes for the 2011-2012 academic year. This will increase class size and give students fewer course  choices to earn toward graduation.

If you can’t come, send letters to James J. Mitchell, III, Chairman of the Roosevelt University Board of Trustees, in care of Roosevelt University, 430 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605 or emailing him in care of apotenza@roosevelt.edu telling him to postpone a vote on the budget until a fair and prudent proposal can be developed.

Bring your friends.

Campus Vote Set for December 2nd and 3rd

The USofCC bargaining committee has scheduled a vote to determine if our members want to accept the College administration’s last wage offer. The administration’s offer for the 2010-11 wage increase is as follows:

•    A 1% across the board increase.
•    A 1% guaranteed one-time bonus.

The across the board increase is effective retroactively to September 1, 2010.  For full-time staff, the bonus will be 1% of employee’s annual base salary. For part-time staff, the 1% bonus will be applied to hours worked in all positions inside of the bargaining unit between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010. (This was an improvement over the original proposal to pay the bonus based on the employee’s regularly assigned hours.) Part-timers who would have earned a bonus less than $25.00, will receive a minimum bonus payment of $25.00.

Management stated that, due to the size and complexity of the bargaining unit, the bonus and retroactive pay could not be provided to employees until January 15, 2010. Management indicated that employees will receive three separate checks at that time—the regular payroll check, the retroactive pay, and the bonus payment.

The bargaining committee felt that the administration’s final offer was better than what the administration intended to give, even though it fell short of what the staff deserves. After first proposing no wage increase, the administration eventually proposed a 1% increase with a non-guaranteed ½% bonus, and then finally agreed to guarantee and increase the amount of the bonus. …read more…