Nominees debate platforms for upcoming elections

Candidates debated in the Great Hall April 17 in order to woo faculty members in a campaign that will decide the next Pierce College union chapter president of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, American Federation of Teachers Local 1521.

Turnout was high as faculty gathered around tables for talk and lunch, with one executive board delegate remarking that she “had never seen so many at one of these meetings before.”

“Our guild could not function without thoughtful membership stepping forward to fulfill various leadership in the guild,” said former Chapter President Bill DeRubertis, who also served as a moderator for the debate.

First to speak was Fernando Oleas, department chairman of the modern languages department. Oleas recounted his four-year experience as a grievance representative, involvement on the union’s executive board and participation in various committees for over half a decade.

He also mentioned the Associated Students Organization’s decision to reward him with the teacher of the year award in 2011 and his political involvement, citing his support for proposition 30 being his “biggest accomplishment”.

“To vote for prop 30 was to save the education system,” Oleas said.

Joseph Perret, professor of computer applications and office technologies, spoke after Oleas in the debate. He mentioned his past committee work as well as his experience in the Academic Senate and as a Fortune 500 executive at Litton Industries.

Perret modeled his speech off of what he calls “the three P’s”: Peace, Participation and Progress.

“Peace” refers to Perret’s goal to harmonize relations between the Academic Senate and the union.

“Participation” involves replacing presidential appointments with input from the union and allowing membership to have a say in regards to the union’s political spending. “Progress” means increasing faculty pay and benefits from Pierce’s current position in the lower third of the state to the upper third.

“No matter which one of us wins, we’re going to have a great president,” Perret said.

Last to speak was Mitra Hoshiar, associate professor of sociology. A recurring phrase in her speech was