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Performance Evaluations

The Contract and Recent APC/CSU Settlement on Performance Evaluations (The APC Advocate, Spring 2002)

The performance evaluation process has grown in importance over the past few years, as more and more of employees' salaries are linked to evaluations. APC therefore worked very hard to negotiate into our contract specific criteria on which Unit 4 employees are to be evaluated. The fruits of that labor are primarily reflected in Article 18.1A, which was first added to the 1998-2000 contract. The CSU attempted to gut that language in the current (2000-2003) contract, but the union prevailed in its fight to retain it intact.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, the ink was barely dry on the signatures to the 1998-2000 Collective Bargaining Agreement when each of the 23 CSU campuses began implementing the specified evaluation criteria in different ways. The union was faced not only with 23 different approaches, but 23 approaches all of which we believed were in conflict with what we had negotiated.

So we began pursuing this as vigorously as possible: the implications of what was happening were too important to be ignored.

After many months, a case involving several campuses was about to come to its final hearing. As is often true, it was at that point—and only at that point—that the CSU was willing to discuss a possible settlement. As always, APC was more than willing to work collaboratively toward a settlement, as long as the underlying principles we had negotiated were not compromised.

In November 2001, we were finally successful in reaching a settlement (more aptly called a compromise) with the University—a settlement that included an evaluation form that was agreeable to both APC and the CSU. This is not to say that either side is entirely happy with the form, but rather that it was the best compromise to which both parties could agree. APC knew full well that there were problems with the form which would need to be addressed in future negotiations—but by this time the evaluation process had become such a potentially contentious issue throughout the system that, during the final days of working out the settlement, a number of campuses joined in and became signatories to the settlement.

The following ten campuses agreed to utilize the form that was part of the settlement: Channel Islands, Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Fullerton, Long Beach, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, Sonoma and Stanislaus. Following the settlement, APC urged the campuses that had not signed the agreement to utilize the form and, as of this writing, four additional campuses have agreed to this: Hayward, Humboldt, Los Angeles and Sacramento. If you work at one of these 14 campuses, your APC steward will be working to ensure that the appropriate evaluation form is used. On the other campuses, APC stewards will be working diligently to ensure that whatever form is used is in compliance with the APC/CSU contract.

What can you do to make sure your next evaluation complies with the contract and/or the settlement? First, know your contract! Read Article 18 before your next evaluation! Second, approach your steward with any questions, or to see a copy of the form that must be used if you’re at one of the 14 campuses listed above.

And then, if your next evaluation isn’t in compliance, do something about it! If your supervisor isn’t willing to make the necessary changes, or if you’re in doubt about what should be done, call your steward immediately! The clock is ticking, and you have limited time before you lose your ability to protect your rights!

This hasn't been an easy struggle: APC's efforts to improve the performance evaluation process began some years ago, and are still continuing. But we've persisted, and this is an excellent example of how, standing together through our union, we're able to accomplish much more than we can individually.

Remember, though, that we haven’t fully succeeded until each of us, as individuals, applies the terms of our contract to our own situations. Unfortunately, the contract doesn’t enforce itself—you and your union must work together to do that!

Questions? Concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns about this Alert!, please contact your campus steward (for information on how to contact APC, click here).

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11/14/03

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