Frank W. Viggiano, who served as president of AFT New Jersey in the late 1990s, died March 16 at age 88.
Raised in Jersey City, Viggiano received his bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University and his master’s degree from Rutgers University. He was an English literature teacher for 30-plus years at North Bergen High School, and he served as president of the North Bergen Federation of Teachers for multiple terms in the 1970s and 1980s. Viggiano was also a longtime member of Laborers Local 325.
Elizabeth Lynch, NBFT’s president from 2009 to 2020, described Viggiano as “an excellent educator who touched the lives of thousands of students.”
She added, “As president of the North Bergen Federation of Teachers, Frank worked tirelessly to ensure that the working conditions and quality of life of his members were always improving.”
“In my mind, Frank Viggiano will be the person who changed the trajectory of our organization,” said AFTNJ President Donna M. Chiera. “He built the structure to be more inclusive, democratic and flexible to change with the times. He was the right leader at the right time, and he will be missed by all who knew him.”
ABOVE: Former AFTNJ President Frank W. Viggiano (left) with former Perth Amboy district representative Norm Tankiewicz (center) and AFT national representative Mel Dribin in October 2022.