To: Union
HELP ADJUNCTS SURVIVE
We, the undersigned, call upon the administration of Union County College, Cranford, New Jersey, to bargain a fair and equitable contract with its adjunct faculty.
The Union County College Chapter of AFT Local 2222 and the Union County College administration have been meeting for more than 16 months to negotiate a contract. The parties are now in mediation, where the union has compromised substantially. The outstanding issues are pay and the insistence of Union County College on limiting adjunct faculty members to a maximum of 9 credit hours of teaching per semester- for some dedicated adjunct faculty this means a 50% pay cut per year.
The proposed pay cut is unnecessary and threatens the incomes- and the lives-of the faculty who will be subject to it. One of Union County College’s adjunct faculty members wrote: I have chemotherapy therapy every three weeks for a blood disorder that I suffer as a result of lupus. Between the chemotherapy and the other medications that I have to take for health issues I spend the entire amount of money I make every month! I am working just to pay for the chemotherapy and prescriptions so that I won’t bleed to death. A cut in pay means that I will have to decide between pain medication and medication that will keep my health from declining.
The college should respect the ruling of the IRS with respect to the Affordable Care Act and allow adjunct faculty to teach up to 12 credit hours a semester, since many adjunct faculty depend on course assignments to make their living- and, in some cases, to save their lives.
Nearly half of the classes at the college are taught by adjunct faculty. Putting our students first means making adjunct faculty positions livable situations for the professors who teach these students. We urge the Board to direct the college’s administration to settle a contract NOW that preserves the ability of adjunct faculty to teach 12 credit hours per semester and also pays a living wage.
The Union County College Chapter of AFT Local 2222 and the Union County College administration have been meeting for more than 16 months to negotiate a contract. The parties are now in mediation, where the union has compromised substantially. The outstanding issues are pay and the insistence of Union County College on limiting adjunct faculty members to a maximum of 9 credit hours of teaching per semester- for some dedicated adjunct faculty this means a 50% pay cut per year.
The proposed pay cut is unnecessary and threatens the incomes- and the lives-of the faculty who will be subject to it. One of Union County College’s adjunct faculty members wrote: I have chemotherapy therapy every three weeks for a blood disorder that I suffer as a result of lupus. Between the chemotherapy and the other medications that I have to take for health issues I spend the entire amount of money I make every month! I am working just to pay for the chemotherapy and prescriptions so that I won’t bleed to death. A cut in pay means that I will have to decide between pain medication and medication that will keep my health from declining.
The college should respect the ruling of the IRS with respect to the Affordable Care Act and allow adjunct faculty to teach up to 12 credit hours a semester, since many adjunct faculty depend on course assignments to make their living- and, in some cases, to save their lives.
Nearly half of the classes at the college are taught by adjunct faculty. Putting our students first means making adjunct faculty positions livable situations for the professors who teach these students. We urge the Board to direct the college’s administration to settle a contract NOW that preserves the ability of adjunct faculty to teach 12 credit hours per semester and also pays a living wage.
Why is this important?
Adjunct faculty make up a vital component of Union County College’s teaching staff, and should be compensated fairly and treated with respect for their tireless efforts on behalf of the students and the college. Adjunct faculty should—like all workers—be paid a living wage and be allowed to teach the maximum teaching load allowed under the Affordable Care Act.