American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, AFL-CIO

Month: July 2011

PhotosPolitical Education
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Save Our Schools Rally Calls for End to Teacher Bashing

Save our Schools rally
Thousands of parents, students, teachers and education advocates gathered in Washington, D.C., on July 30 to stand up for public education and send the message that the nation’s public schools are the cornerstone of our democracy. Speaker after speaker at the “Save Our Schools” march and rally called for less teacher bashing, less emphasis on standardized tests and more support for education reforms that work, such as smaller class sizes and improved teacher preparation.…

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Contracts for presidents of N.J.’s public colleges packed with lucrative bonuses and perks

But students facing steep tuition hikes and professors dealing with pay freezes and budget cuts are angered their presidents — whose annual base salaries range from $134,990 to $570,000 — don’t seem to be sharing the pain.

“It’s outrageous. It’s insulting,” said Susanna Tardi, a William Paterson University sociology professor and executive vice president of a statewide faculty union.…

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Education union files unfair labor practice charge

[…] Donna M. Chiera, president of AFTNJ, suggested the administration was engaged in union busting.
She asked, “Why would Ocean County College refuse a settlement proposed by a neutral third-party based on an independent analysis of an institution that continues to grow in every area other than salaries for unionized workers?”

Michael Putnam, president of the OCC Federation of Professional Administrators, said in a prepared statement that his union had offered several different contract proposals and each was met with a resounding “No” from the administration.…

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Press releases
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Ocean County College Staff Standing Up as Management Fails to Bargain

Unfair Labor Practices Charge Filed: 51-member unit passed over for raises executives award themselves

EDISON…The largest higher education union in New Jersey has filed unfair practices charges against Ocean County College (OCC) faulting resistant management there for ignoring an impartially recommended contract settlement while continuing to take raises for themselves. Despite having the highest paid community college president in New Jersey in the $222,200 Jon Larson, OCC management rejected the recommendation of an impartial factfinder that suggested the school grant modest increases in a three-year contract and maintains an inflexible position.…

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Rutgers Unions Tell Board to Honor Contracts

Coalition approach wins concessions limiting tuition increase
AFT Rutgers members of the Union of Rutgers Administrators staff local and the Rutgers AAUP/AFT faculty local coalesced with students and other campus unions to call on the Board of Governors to honor agreements executives breeched by cancelling negotiated raises and limiting tuition increase. The Board responded by cutting outgoing Rutgers President McCormick’s proposal for a tuition increase in half and promising to further examine the unions’ position.…

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Press releases
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Classroom and Campus Professionals Call for Public Hearings In Wake of Higher Education Cuts

Stakeholder Input Needed Before Considering Kean Task Force Recommendations, Bonding and Mergers
TRENTON…Governor Christie’s last‐minute higher education budget vetoes will force many New Jersey students out of school and limit opportunities for others to start. New Jersey educators have a better plan than increasing college and university tuition while bonding instead of budgeting. A working group of unions representing more than 30,000 public and private higher education faculty and staff are calling for controls on tuition, more public oversight and stakeholder representation on governing boards to improve accountability from executives.…

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Anxiety in N.J. over college-aid funding

Officials with the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, the state conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees said Thursday that in addition to its effect on tuition and aid, Christie’s budget would result in fewer faculty and programs, less research, and larger classes.
Already, they said, New Jersey ranks near the bottom nationally in state funding for higher education.…

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Kean University, Essex County College issued warnings after failing reviews

James Castiglione, president of the Kean Federation of Teachers, said the faculty union has been warned for years the administration was not being transparent and accreditation may be in jeopardy.

“This is a big deal,” said Castiglione, an associate professor of physics. “It’s a fairly serious action that they are taking here.”

The professors will work with the administration to meet the Middle States requirements, Castiglione said.…

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Higher Ed News
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Higher Education Leaders Call on Legislature to Restore Governor’s Damaging Cuts

A statement from the higher education coalition distributed to legislators: “The Governor has reneged on an already “austere” February budget plan which held financial support to New Jersey Higher Education flat at 2010 levels. We are the leaders of the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey (AFT NJSF/AFL-CIO), the New Jersey Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE/AFT-AFLCIO), and represent 30,000 Higher education faculty members, librarians, staff, mental health clinicians, research scientists, pharmacists and other professionals.…

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