The spring 2017 membership meetings took place on February 6, on the Yamba Campus, and February 8, at the West Essex Campus (WEC).
Highlights of the meetings included:
Joanna McAvoy, AFTNJ State Representative, reported cautious optimism with the latest developments in our negotiations with the Essex County College (ECC) Administration. When a settlement is reached, the membership will have an opportunity to ratify the new agreement.
John Smith, Vice President and Grievance Chair, encouraged members to inform him or the other officers when they have a complaint or are experiencing difficulties. He went on to clarify the differences between gripes and grievances.
Mark Brodsky, Secretary/Treasurer, reported the last available number of Adjunct Faculty, 405, assigned in the fall 2016 semester.
Our Accountant, Natalie Pitts, has relocated from Samuel Klein and Co. of Newark NJ to Aurora Non-Profit Solutions in Oradell, NJ.
He outlined our monthly per capita dues obligations to the AFT, AFTNJ, United Adjunct Faculty NJ, and AFL-CIO.
Two members were reimbursed by our optical benefit program.
The reimbursement forms are available on this website.
Lynne Peterson Cummins, President, reported on the AFT Adjunct/Contingent Faculty Caucus. There is now a website: www.aftacc.org. New members are being recruited. A primary goal of the Caucus is to focus national attention on Adjunct Faculty and Contingent Faculty challenges. Bill Lipkin, President of the Caucus, discussed this at the WEC meeting.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) sent a letter to the individual state Departments of Labor, which attempts to clarify “reasonable assurance.” “Reasonable assurance” is the vague term which prevents Adjunct Faculty from getting unemployment insurance. AFT is trying to interpret “reasonable assurance” and clarify its impact on Adjunct Faculty, who are not assured of being assigned classes, especially from the spring to the following fall semester. The USDOL letter is available on this website.
Lynne sent an email to ECC Adjunct Faculty on February 4, 2017 asking for accounts of their experiences while attempting to get unemployment insurance assistance. The goal is to collect information to prepare a case to present to the state DOL.
The full 2016-2017 Legislative Session Report was made available for members to peruse.
Scholarship opportunities for AFT members, ECC Adjunct Faculty, and ECC students were discussed.