COURT DENIES COLLEGE'S BID TO FLIP RULING.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

VALENCIA - A state appellate court denied College of the Canyons' petition to reverse a ruling that could allow the school's part-time faculty to form a separate union from tenured professors, according to documents obtained Monday.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal declined to further consider the case brought by the Santa Clarita Community College District in February. It alleged the state Public Employment Relations Board had erred when it back-peddled on a decision to allow the full-time teachers' union to also represent the part-time instructors.

``It's about time that the college got its foot off the part-time faculty, and the state Court of Appeal has allowed that to happen,'' said Linda Cushing, an American Federation of Teachers organizer.

College officials could not immediately comment, adding they have not been notified of the appellate court decision. Spokesman John McElwain said the Board of Trustees would confer with its attorney before deciding the next move.

``Whatever happens in the world, we try to not let it affect the product that we provide our students,'' he said. ``That's a solid education.''

The AFT is vying for the right to negotiate for some 380 part-time instructors - or adjuncts - despite moves by the competing California Teachers Association to expand its turf.

The CTA already represents some 160 full-timers through the College of the Canyons Faculty Association and was entitled to organize the part- timers under PERB regulations that group like work under the same union. It's also a position backed by the college and even won recognition from state regulators.

But the AFT argued it was up to the adjuncts to decide which union to organize under, and alleged the CTA had sidestepped that process when it failed to collect signatures of support. PERB reversed its decision after two separate appeals.

The college district challenged the reversal in state appellate court in February. But with the petition denied, the door is opened for an organizing election.

``We're going to ask PERB to go forward with the election, and we're looking forward to it,'' the AFT's Cushing said. ``We've already collected cards from a majority of the unit.

``Once the part-timers will be treated fairly, students will have a full-service faculty teaching them, and that's the way it should be.''

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com