Union faculty working together can accomplish important things. Los Angeles Trade Tech had an issue with ongoing infrastructure and operations issues on campus that negatively impacted student enrollment, learning environment, programs, accreditation, and campus morale. Chapter President Joe Guerrieri moved his Trade Tech E-board, campaign committee (Armine Javadyan, Edith Garnica Diaz, Jesus Guerra, Kathleen Yasuda, Lou Siegel, Martin Diaz, Marvin DaCosta, Tiffany Jackson), and Contract Action Team (CAT) (lead by Iris Zelaya) into action. The LATTC CAT team launched a one-year workplace campaign to address the campus issues. Their campaign plan of escalating tactics and unifying behind “widely held and deeply felt issues” led to the majority Academic Senate Vote of No Confidence (83%) of College President Dr. VanderWoude and her eventual transfer to her new role at the District office.

Additionally, this campaign allowed them to develop new leaders and strengthen their CAT team. Joe credits our Organizing Director, “Seo Yun Son’s leadership was key to our success in this campaign. She gave us the strategy and tools that we needed to win.” Seo Yun also complimented the LATTC faculty and Joe’s leadership, “I really felt the camaraderie from LATTC faculty throughout this campaign. It was a pleasure to organize with Joe, who kept us motivated and on track through weekly campaign meetings. His grounded leadership and trust of his faculty (and Organizer) was critical to our success!” As we so often say, when we fight, we win!

These are some of the active steps the campaign took:

1. They mobilized faculty via the LATTC Safe Return petition, reaching 167 signatures from faculty in every
2. They organized an in-person delegation led by Joe and other campaign committee leaders to deliver this petition in-person to VanderWoude.
3. Sent 546 letters to our Board of Trustees to increase pressure and prepped faculty speakers at every Board of Trustees meeting for four
4. Mobilized 13 faculty to an in-person Board of Trustees action on May 4, 2022, where Joe and Kathleen Yasuda presented the Vote of No Confidence results.
5. They leaned on the expertise of Relations Director John McDowell to help us elevate our campaign with Trustees. They acknowledge the support from former Guild President Joanne Waddell.
6. Joe worked with EVP Bill Elarton-Selig to secure side letters from all six employee unions on campus in an act of solidarity in support of the Academic Senate vote: AFT 1521A, AFT 1521, Building Trades, SEIU 99, Teamsters, and Teamster

In Unity,

A. James McKeever PhD

AFT 1521 Faculty Guild President