Stay in the know.

Take a minute to join our mailing list. We send out the lasted professional development, events, conferences and so much more.

Sign up

Spring 2026 Newsletter

Welcome to Spring 2026!

View this email in your browser

A Letter From The President

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back to the Spring term. I hope you had a restorative break and are beginning the semester feeling grounded and supported. As we start a new term, I want to welcome our returning faculty, greet those who are new, and speak honestly about the importance of our union—especially for part-time faculty—during this critical moment.

Part-time faculty represent the largest group of instructors on campus. Collectively, we teach a significant portion of the District’s classes and support thousands of students each term. If we were fully organized and broadly active, our collective power would be immense. Strong participation would give part-time faculty real influence over pay, working conditions, job stability, and institutional decision-making.

At the same time, we recognize the very real challenges part-time faculty face. Many of us work across multiple campuses, juggle unpredictable schedules, balance other jobs and caregiving responsibilities, and are often stretched thin just trying to make the semester work. These realities are not lost on us—and they are exactly why a strong union matters.

This Spring term is especially important because we are in an active negotiation cycle. During negotiations, membership is not symbolic—it is essential. Our ability to bargain, respond to District proposals, and advance any agreement depends on having sufficient member participation. Without strong membership, our leverage at the table is weakened, and the union’s ability to effectively represent part-time faculty is significantly limited.

Why Union Membership Matters:

Historic legal victory for part-time faculty: CHI won a landmark wage-and-hour lawsuit affirming that LBCC must pay part-time faculty for all hours worked. Faculty who taught between 2019–2025 may be entitled to back pay (please see updates below).
Real raises secured: CHI negotiated a new salary schedule based on 51% full-time parity (up from 44%). New salary schedule effective February 09, 2026.
Retroactive pay: Newly approved agreements include retro pay to August 25, 2025. Non-Instructional faculty will see this on April 10, 2026 paychecks and Instructional faculty will see this on May 10, 2026 paychecks
Paid office hours: Part-time faculty now receive compensation for office hours—recognizing the time spent supporting students outside the classroom.
COLA protections: Wage increases tied to state-funded COLA help keep pay aligned with rising costs 2023-2026.
Health care access expanded: CHI has negotiated improved access to health care options for part-time faculty.
Looking ahead: Regular contract negotiations resume in Spring 2026, and the strength of those negotiations will depend directly on membership participation.

If you are already a member, thank you. Your participation strengthens our collective voice and protects the gains we have fought hard to achieve. If you are not yet a member, I strongly encourage you to join. Membership is one of the most direct ways to protect your own working conditions, support your colleagues, and build the power we need—especially during negotiations.

👉 Join your union today and strengthen our collective voice during negotiations: Join.CTA.Org

Your union exists because of you, and it is strongest when we move together. Please reach out with questions, concerns, or ideas, and consider how you can stay engaged this semester, even in small ways.

Wishing you a successful Spring term. We are many—and together, we are powerful.

In solidarity,
Crystal Huckabee (She/Her)
Certificated Hourly Instructors Union, President
Instructor, Anthropology
Academic Senate LBCC, Associate Senator
California Community College Association, Director District I
FACCC Board of Governors
CSUF Ed. D Community College Leadership, Doctoral Candidate

Important Settlement Update

We’re pleased to share an update on the class action settlement. On February 4, 2026, attorneys filed a motion for preliminary approval, which means the full settlement agreement is now public and officially on record with the court. Members are free to review and share this information. All documents are available online under Roberts, et al. v. Long Beach Community College District (Case No. 22STCV11381). https://www.lacourt.ca.gov/pages/lp/access-a-case/tp/find-case-information/cp/os-civil-case-access.

The court has scheduled the preliminary approval hearing for July 1, 2026, the earliest date available. If the judge grants approval, class members will receive another mailed notice explaining next steps, including the option to opt out or raise an objection if they choose.

For members who want to participate in the settlement, no action is required—checks will be automatically mailed. If the court timeline stays on track after the July hearing, attorneys are hopeful that settlement checks will be sent out by fall 2026.

We will continue to keep members informed as this process moves forward and appreciate your patience and solidarity.

Professional Development Opportunity!
FACCC Advocacy & Policy Conference

We have 3 more PT faculty we can send to attend and represent CHI (Registration will be waived for our representatives, Reps are encouraged to apply for LBCC conference funding Conference Information - Long Beach City College up to $800)
This conference will end with Lobby Visits with legislators
Please submit your request to be a representative here: FACCC Advocacy & Policy Conf CHI Rep Request
Hurry conference is Sunday February 22 to Monday February 23 Sacramento, CA.

Professional Development Opportunity!
2026 CCA Winter Conference - California Teachers Association

We have 4 delegate spots remaining (Delegates receive reimbursement for attendance*, vote in elections and at council meetings)
Please submit your request to be a delegate here CCA Winter Delegate Request CHI
Friday February 28 to March 1^st Costa Mesa, CA

A message from past President:

Hello Colleagues,

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to request your support in advance of the upcoming National Education Association lobby visits in Washington, D.C. Thursday February 12, 2026.

To strengthen our advocacy efforts, I am seeking stories or short videos from faculty and students that speak directly to the following NEA lobby topics:

The impact of ramped-up immigration enforcement on students, educators, and communities
Illegal transfers of Department of Education functions to other federal agencies

Personal narratives and lived experiences are especially powerful in illustrating the real and immediate effects of these issues on our campus community. I would greatly appreciate it if you could share this request with your members and encourage participation.

Stories or videos may be emailed directly to me at kmoorelbcc562@gmail.com. Please feel free to reach out if there are any questions or if additional context would be helpful.

Thank you in advance for your collaboration and continued advocacy on behalf of our students and educators.

In Solidarity,

Kashara

State Legislative Advocacy Update:

FACCC-Sponsored AB 1171 (Patel) Moves Forward to the Senate!

Great news from the Capitol! On Thursday, FACCC-sponsored AB 1171 (Patel) successfully passed out of the Assembly and is now headed to the Senate—an important step forward in our ongoing work to advance equity for part-time community college faculty.

AB 1171 takes on a long-standing inequity in our system. Across California, part-time faculty often teach comparable instructional loads as full-time faculty but do not receive the same level of compensation, benefits, or access to essential tools and resources. This bill would help close that gap by strengthening the existing Part-Time Community College Faculty Health Insurance Program.

Specifically, AB 1171 would establish a statewide participation standard, requiring all community college districts to take part in the program. It preserves the current reimbursement-based model, allowing eligible part-time faculty to self-purchase health insurance for themselves and their dependents while receiving reimbursement through the program.

Without this legislation, districts can continue to opt out—resulting in unequal access to health care for part-time faculty depending on where they work. Through this bill, Faculty Association of California Community Colleges is working to ensure state-allocated funds are fully used and that part-time faculty across California have fair, consistent access to health care.

FACCC will continue advocating at every step of the legislative process to move AB 1171 forward and to strengthen equity, stability, and dignity for part-time community college faculty statewide.

AB1171 found here: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1171

SAVE THE DATE!
CHI Leaders will be on the LAC campus Monday March 16 - Thursday March 19 for Membership Blitz Days. Want to help us? Provide your contact information to volunteer here: https://forms.gle/jEWWghehrzGCbkRu8.