College Council Contract

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More N.J. adults are flunking the GED. Here’s why.

By Kelly Heyboer, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

When test makers overhauled the GED nearly four years ago, they said the new computerized version of the high school equivalency test would be a better, more accurate exam than the old pencil-and-paper version.

But, fewer New Jerseyans are taking the GED — and significantly more are failing — in the wake of the 2014 makeover of the test, according to a new report by Rutgers University researchers.…

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April 12 Day of Action for Higher Education and a Fair Contract

The Council of New Jersey State College Locals held a “Day of Action” on April 12 in support of its demands for a new contract. Hundreds of faculty, adjunct faculty, librarians and professional staff, joined by students and activists from sister unions, rallied and marched at campuses across the State, drawing attention to the fact that we have been working without a new contract since July 1, 2015.…

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College Professors Fed Up with Lack of Contract

By Michael Aron
Chief Political Correspondent

State college and university professors and staff are fed up. They haven’t had a raise in nearly two years. Today they marched in protest on seven college campuses around the state, in some cases delivering a New Orleans style funeral dirge as they marched.

Montclair State University Adjunct Professor Union President Bob Noonan helped lead his campus’ march.…

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Stockton faculty join statewide rallies for new contract

Diane D’Amico, Staff Writer

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — About 200 Stockton University faculty members, staff and students joined their counterparts at public colleges across the state Wednesday in protesting their lack of a contract after almost two years and what they called an overall lack of support for higher education.

“Our message is simple,” said Tim Haresign, a Stockton professor and president of the Council of State College Locals, AFT/AFL-CIO, which represents the faculty.…

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William Paterson AFT On the March for a Fair Contract

Quality Faculty Deserve a Quality Contract

Photos: Milton Eng

More than 150 full-time and adjunct faculty, professional staff and students demonstrated at William Paterson University calling for a fair deal for workers in state contract negotiations and protesting the lack of shared governance and transparency at the university. AFT members have been working without a state contract since July 1, 2015.

The March 2 rally helped raise awareness on campus that faculty, librarians and professional staff at NJ public colleges and universities have suffered economically for years due to health insurance costs exceeding minimal non-competitive salary increases.…

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N.J. Supreme Court enters fray over pay hikes for public workers

By Samantha Marcus, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

TRENTON — Public employee unions and government officials clashed Monday in a case before the state Supreme Court that could determine whether workers across New Jersey will get pay raises.

The state’s highest court heard oral arguments over the whether “step” increases — raises in pay when workers reach annual milestones in years of service — should be granted after a contract has expired.…

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Princeton grad workers vote to join AFT

By Stephon Johnson

Graduate workers at Princeton University have followed the lead of their University of Chicago and Cornell University peers.

Last week, members of Princeton Graduate Students United voted to join the American Federation of Teachers and its state affiliate, AFT New Jersey, after the recent National Labor Relations Board decision to classify private colleges’ graduate teaching and research assistants as workers.…

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College Council Adjuncts Ratify Contract

College Council adjuncts, who teach at the nine state colleges and universities, voted to accept a new contract granting salary increases and better procedures in accepting teaching assignments.

The ballots were counted on April 19. The Council considers this an overwhelming validation of your negotiation team’s many months of hard work to get the best deal possible during a very long period of very difficult bargaining with the State on your behalf.…

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College Council Adjunct Faculty Reach Tentative Agreement with state

After over a year of difficult negotiations with the State and the State College/University presidents, the Council of New Jersey State College Locals reached a tentative agreement late Friday, January 25. This agreement provides for a per credit hour base salary increase of 8.33% for more than four thousand adjunct faculty over the life of the Agreement.…

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New Jersey locals fend off take-backs

State’s demands were ‘onerous’ and ‘unprecedented,’ say negotiators

After 14 months of difficult negotiations with the state, and with state college and university presidents, the Council of New Jersey State College Locals reached a tentative agreement on July 2. The contract, which will cover more than 4,000 full-time faculty, librarians and professional staff at nine institutions, is retroactive to July 1, 2011, and runs through June 30, 2015.…

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Questions remain about sabbaticals for state college faculty

By David Karas/The Times

EWING — Although a tentative agreement was drafted last week between the state and the bargaining agent for faculty at New Jersey’s nine state colleges and universities, questions remain about the issue of sabbaticals.
A freeze was put on sabbaticals for all state colleges and universities during the past academic year as faculty members worked without a contract, according to Steve Young, president of the Council of New Jersey State College Locals-American Federation of Teachers.…

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Video: State Colleges Reach Tentative Labor Contract; Union Rep Says State Workers Not Greedy

The union representing faculty and professional staff at nine state colleges and universities has reached a tentative contract after 14 months of working without one. While the agreement, reached last Wednesday, was a relief for the Council of New Jersey State College Locals, the council’s president, Nicholas Yovnello, was killed in a car crash Saturday. Council of New Jersey State College Locals Executive Director Steve Young told NJ Today Managing Editor Mike Schneider that Yovnello’s passing was a tragedy for all involved.…

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College Council reaches tentative agreement for contract at state colleges and universities

Member activism helped achieve accord for full-time faculty, librarians and professional staff

EDISON… The Council of New Jersey State College Locals reached an accord late Monday that protects working conditions for more than four thousand full-time faculty, librarians and professional staff at all nine state colleges and universities, according to College Council President Nick Yovnello, the Assistant Director of Library Services at Rowan University.…

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Video: Rowan Professor Says Union Is Neutral On Rutgers-Rowan Merger

Watch Rowan Teachers’ Union President Says Group Neutral On Merger on PBS. See more from WNJT.

With Gov. Chris Christie’s deadline for merging Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden approaching, debate is still raging over the plan. There have been some questions about the position of the teaching staff at Rowan University. Professor Karen Siefring, who is the president of Local 2373 of the New Jersey American Federation of Teachers (AFT), spoke with NJ Today Managing Editor Mike Schneider about the merger plan and ongoing contract negotiations for teaching staff.…

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