The Essex County College Adjunct Faculty Federation wants to inform you of the newest benefits offered by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

One of the benefits is Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance.

In the event of accidental death or dismemberment, the AFT will pay $5,000.00 to your designated beneficiary.  If the accident occurs on campus, the benefit doubles to $10,000.00.  There is NO additional cost to the member.  The only requirement is the completion and submission of the Designation of Beneficiary Form. 

Another AFT benefit is Child Identification Kits.  If a child up to 18 years of age is abducted or lost, the ID Kits will provide authorities with the child’s identifying characteristics for his/her recovery.  You can obtain the Kits at no cost.

If you are interested in either or both of these benefits, please contact John Smith or me.  We are both in Social Sciences and we have mailboxes there.  If you prefer to call or email us, our contact information is as follows:

Lynne P. Cummins, (973)856-0767, lynnepcummins@aol.com

John L Smith (973)856-1133, jlsmith119@yahoo.com

Just a note about negotiations.  We are still in the thick of it.  Hopefully, we will come to some reasonable resolution soon.

In unity,

Lynne Peterson Cummins

President

Essex County College Chapter 6370

United Adjunct Faculty NJ, Local 2222
 

Please click on the following link to view individual photos:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151244263@N04/d4G4aw

Attacks on public education in America by extremists and culture-war peddling politicians have reached new heights (“lows” may be more apt), but they are not new. The difference today is that the attacks are intended not just to undermine public education but to destroy it.

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.

Please click on the following to download the latest Unemployment Information:

http://eccaff.nj.aft.org/files/u_i_letter.pdf

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to a new academic year at Essex County College.  Each new year brings new expectations, new possibilities, new promises and a new energy to face them.

We are an integral part of the future of our students.  Each of us can remember a teacher who has had a significant impact on our lives.  Likewise, each of us has the potential to be that teacher for our students.  We are the practitioners of our disciplines. We transfer theory into practice.  Yes, we practice what we teach. 

The richness of the classroom experience is always enhanced by our willingness to learn from our students.  When they understand concepts, they see the relevance in their lives and are eager to share their knowledge.

Student success is our highest priority.  As educators, we strive to enable our students to be self-sufficient, positive contributors to our society and good citizens. 

A high priority of the Adjunct Faculty Federation is to ensure that you have the tools and support needed to deliver the best quality education to empower our students.  To that end, we want the teaching experience to be productive and pleasant.

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have.  We are members of an outstanding team that values your work and dedication.

Lynne Peterson Cummins, President, (973)856-9767

John L Smith, Vice President, (973)856-1133

Mark Brodsky, Secretary/Treasurer, (201)341-8811

We will do all we can to help you have a most fulfilling and dynamic experience here at Essex County College.

In unity,

Lynne Peterson Cummins

Essex County College Chapter

United Adjunct Faculty NJ

Local 2222, Chapter 6370