Constitution

Cabrillo College Federation of Teachers
AFT Local 4400

Article I - Name

This organization shall be called the Cabrillo College Federation of Teachers (CCFT).

Article II - Objective

We, the CCFT, shall be a democratically controlled faculty organization supporting quality education at Cabrillo College and working for the best interests of the Cabrillo College faculty.

Article III - Membership

Membership is open to any academic employee of Cabrillo College whose position does not require an Administrative Credential.

Article IV - Structure

The Council:

The membership will manage the union through the CCFT Council, which will consist of the Executive Board, standing committee Chairs and Council Representatives.

Executive Board:

The Executive Board will consist of six elected and four appointed officers. The elected officers shall be the President and two Co-Vice Presidents, elected together, each serving three-year terms, and a Treasurer, Historian, and Membership-Education Chair, elected on alternate years, each serving two-year terms. One Co-Vice President shall be an adjunct faculty member and the other shall be a full-time faculty member. The appointed officers shall be the Grievance Officer, the Chief Negotiator, the Adjunct Committee Chair and the Communications Director. The Committee on Political Education (COPE) Chair and the College Planning Council (CPC) Representative shall also be appointed; these representatives may attend Executive Board meetings as non-voting members.

The Executive Board will carry on the day-to-day running of the union under the direction of the Council and membership with the support of the Executive Director.

The Executive Board and/or the Executive Director will hire and supervise additional staff subject to the approval of the Council.

Any member who has served on the Council or on a CCFT committee, has been appointed by the CCFT to a campus committee, or has been an active participant in CCFT activities is eligible to run for an office.

Nominations and elections will be run according to the by-laws.

Committee Chairs:

CCFT Committee Chairs will be appointed by the Executive Board from the members of that committee and will serve a one-year term. Any member may be a Committee Chair.

Executive Director:

CCFT will employ an Executive Director. This position supports the day-to-day running of the CCFT under the direction of the Council.

Council Representatives:

Council representatives will comprise the Membership/Education Committee, be voting members of the Council, and will serve a two-year term. The number of Council representatives from each division will be specified in the by-laws. Any union member of a division may run for a seat from that division.

ARTICLE V - Committees

CCFT Committees will be overseen and directed by the Council, which can create or dissolve committees as appropriate. Any member of the union may serve on a CCFT committee with the exception of the Negotiating Team and the Grievance Committee. These two committees will be appointed by the Executive Board and approved by the Council.

Standing CCFT committees will be: the Membership/Education Committee, the Adjunct Committee, and the Committee on Political Education (COPE).

Ad hoc CCFT committees will be the Election Committee, the Contract Development Committee, the Grievance Committee, and any other committee needed as determined by the Council and/or the Executive Board.

Committees will operate as specified by the by-laws.

ARTICLE VI - Meetings

General Membership:

Meetings of the general membership will be held at least bi-annually. The Council, or ten percent of the membership, may call additional general meetings as needed. All members must be notified of general meetings two weeks in advance.

Council:

The Council will meet at least eight times per year. All Council members must be notified at least one week in advance of a meeting.

In urgent circumstances, the Executive Board may call a Council meeting on 24-hour notice, provided that every reasonable effort is made to contact every Council member.

ARTICLE VII - Finance

Regular dues will be fixed by a majority vote of members present at a general membership meeting, or by secret ballot of the membership, provided notice of any contemplated increase has been announced two weeks in advance. Mandated increases in required affiliation fees will be automatic.

The Council will approve an annual budget to be administered by the Executive Board.

The budget may include discretionary and/or emergency funds.

ARTICLE VIII - Amendment

The constitution of CCFT may be amended by a two-thirds majority of those voting in the following ways:

1) The proposed amendment is read at a regularly scheduled general membership meeting, distributed to the membership by mail, and voted on by mail or central ballot box.

OR

2) The proposed amendment is read at a regular general membership meeting and a vote is taken at the next regular general membership meeting.

OR

3) The amendment is submitted to the Council for a two-thirds vote of recommendation, and then distributed by mail to the membership with voting done by mail or central ballot box.

ARTICLE IX - Availability of the Constitution

Three copies of the Constitution and all future amendments shall be submitted to the National Office of the AFT.

Copies of the Constitution shall be made available to all members upon request after joining the CCFT.

The Constitution is available on-line at the CCFT website.

ARTICLE X - Negotiations

The CCFT Council will establish Contract Development Committee(s) as needed. The negotiating team will be appointed as needed by the Executive Board with the approval of the CCFT Council. Every effort will be made to create a balanced representation of faculty on the negotiating team in regard to divisions and Adjunct/Contract faculty.
After a negotiated agreement with the administration has been reached, the CCFT Council and the Executive Board each must recommend “for” or “against” ratification. The proposal(s) and the recommendations of both the Council and the Executive Board are to be submitted to the union membership for their consideration prior to ratification voting.