Policy Statement

Procedures for Charitable Contributions
in Lieu of Fair Share Service Fee Deductions
for Those Who Claim a Religious Objection

The Cuesta College Federation of Teachers ("CCFT" or "the Federation") is committed to non-discrimination of a faculty member's religious practice and respect for all religions. In accordance with Government Code 3546 et al. and the procedures outlined below, faculty members with bona fide religious objections shall be exempted from the CCFT fair share service fee.

Notwithstanding any other fair share service fee policies and/or procedures, any faculty member who is a member of a religious body whose traditional tenets or teachings include objections to joining or financially supporting employee organizations shall not be required to join CCFT or to pay a fair share service fee. Such a faculty member shall have an amount equal to the fair share service fee deducted from his or her salary and paid to CCFT or the district, at CCFT's discretion, for payment of the same amount to one of four non-religious, non-labor, non-profit IRS code 501(c)3-eligible charitable organizations, according to the procedures below.

Prior to exemption from paying a fair share service fee based upon religious objections, a faculty member shall provide to CCFT the following:

1. A written and dated statement from the faculty member asking for an exemption of the fair share service fee based upon religious objections.

2. A written statement naming the religious body, organization, or church of which the faculty member belongs.

3. A written statement outlining the traditional tenets or teachings that include objections to joining or financially supporting employee organizations.

4. A written and dated statement identifying to which of the following four non-religious, non-labor, charitable organizations he or she wishes to have his or her deduction paid:

A. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of San Luis Obispo County

B. The CCFT Katy Tomes Memorial Scholarship Fund (c/o Cuesta College Foundation)

C. The CCFT Lenore Erickson Scholarship Fund (c/o Cuesta College Foundation)

D. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast (SLO, CA)

E. Planned Parenthood of SLO County

Any faculty member who qualifies as a religious objector will have an amount equal to what he or she would have had deducted from his or her salary for the fair share service fee to be deducted to CCFT or the district, at CCFT's discretion, exclusively for this purpose. CCFT or the district will pay on a regular basis the same amount that has been deducted from the faculty member's salary to the non-religious, non-labor, charitable organization that has been chosen by the faculty member.

All payments to CCFT and/or the district and the charitable organizations described herein shall begin as soon as possible upon review and approval by the CCFT Executive Board of the documentation required of the faculty member for his or her application for the exemption of the fair share service fee (described herein). No payments to the charitable organization shall be made retroactive to the approval of the exemption. CCFT and/or the district shall provide proof of payment to the non-religious, non-labor, charitable organization upon request by the faculty member.

It is recognized that the Federation is required to represent all faculty members without regard to Federation membership. Any faculty member who holds religious objections pursuant to this policy and requests the Federation to use the grievance or arbitration process on his/her behalf shall pay the Federation for such representation. The Federation shall charge the faculty member for the reasonable cost of using such a procedure.