After over a year of hard work by author Barbara Vallaly who went through piles of old records and clippings and interviewed present and past members of the AFA as well as IEA staff, the AFA History is almost ready for publicaton. An excerpt of this history is available here. If you would like to purchase your own copy for $5, to cover printing, contact the AFA office info@oaktonafa.org or stop by the office during office hours.
An appendix to the history chronicles the 2013 struggle to protect adjuncts at Oakton from losing hours to prevent them from being entitled to health care. As a result of the contract negotiated a few adjuncts were allowed to keep most of their hours and also receive the same health care offered to Oakton full time faculty and staff.
A 2009 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education about Oakton adjuncts has become a classic. It was recently republished in March 2015 as part of the Chronicle’s coverage of National Adjunct Walkout Day.
Barbara Dayton led the AFA as President from 1997 through 2016. Please enjoy the slideshow of her last membership meeting as President.
And, finally, the ongoing saga of ANNUITANTGATE. On November 13, 2014 Oakton announced they were “discontinuing”, that is, firing, 53 adjunct faculty, effective July 1, 2015, because the College had been assessed $167,000 by SURS because 3 adjuncts had been rehired after becoming “affected” under the Illinois “Return to Work Act”, otherwise known as the “Biss bill” (below). The AFA believes this was unethical, a violation of our contract, and a violation of state and federal laws and constitutions. We have been fighting this decision on various fronts. See a the history of the struggle so far (Updated 3-19-16).