A Call to Wear Your Blue Shirt and Button

We are currently working to negotiate Contracts that provide comparable gains with our Rutgers and CWA brothers and sisters. While the Union cannot promise that we will achieve what Rutgers or CWA achieved, our Local negotiators and all those at the bargaining tables promise that we are committed to negotiating Contracts that provide meaningful, significant salary increases and protection of worker rights.

In order to achieve these gains, the Executive Board of our Local needs your help.  We need to show solidarity and support for what the Union is working to achieve.  We are asking you to join us in the following symbolic but important actions:

  • Wear your AFT blue t-shirt or carry it at all meetings where administrators are present (i.e. Enrollment and Budget, Senate, Chairs’ Meetings with Deans and/or Provost; any and all meetings where management is present)
  • Wear the Local 1796 “No Contract: Still Working, Always Caring” button in class so that students will make inquiries about what it means.  Spend a few minutes of class time explaining what is going on regarding our Contract status.
  • Attend AFT General Meetings and wear or carry the AFT blue t-shirt (and the button).
  • At the bottom of your email, add the following language to mirror the button:

AFT Faculty and Staff Working
Without a Contract

*Still Working
*Always Caring

Please show your support by engaging in the aforementioned symbolic actions.  Please note that other Locals are also engaging in similar symbolic actions.

Posted in Action Request | Comments Off on A Call to Wear Your Blue Shirt and Button

AFT Local 1796 Buttons Are Now Available

We distributed our new AFT Local 1796 buttons at our general meeting on September 19th. If you weren’t able to attend, please stop by the AFT office in Grant Hall #233 or contact the office to make arrangements to pick one up.

Together, let’s make it known that even when we’re working without a contract, we’re always doing right by our students.

Posted in AFT Accessories | Comments Off on AFT Local 1796 Buttons Are Now Available

2023-2024 Professional Staff Representatives

9/19/23 UPDATE: The second and final round of nominations for the three (3) Professional Staff representatives to the AFT Local 1796 Council has concluded. Because we received three nominations for the three available positions, an election will not be held. The 2023-2024 Professional Staff Reps are Stephanie Kuran, Steven Colon and Theresa Bivaletz. Congratulations!

The duties and responsibilities of the Professional Staff Representative include:
1. Attending the General & Local Council Meetings held on the third Tuesday of each month during common hour for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters (a total of eight meetings).
2. Disseminating relevant information from those meetings to professional staff on campus.

Please refer to our Leadership Team page for Local 1796’s full list of representatives.

Posted in Local 1796 Representatives | Comments Off on 2023-2024 Professional Staff Representatives

Faculty Mentoring Pilot Program Agreement

Our Local has reached an agreement with the Administration on the Faculty Mentoring Pilot Program for the 2023-2024 academic year. Read the full Memorandum of Agreement.

Highlights of what we negotiated:

  • Mentors will be compensated 0.125 credits for participating in the 5/23/23 workshop and for any additional workshops thereafter in preparation for the Fall 2023 pilot launch
  • Mentors will be provided at least two weeks advance notice of additional workshops
  • Mentorship during the pilot period will generally not exceed 20 hours per semester
  • Mentors will not be responsible for degree audit reviews
  • Mentors’ responsibilities in Navigate are limited rather than extensive
  • Faculty mentorship will be counted toward department, college, and university service
  • Faculty mentorship will be taken into serious consideration during retention, promotion, range-adjustment, and post-tenure review process

We encourage you to read the MOA for complete details.

Posted in Faculty Mentor Program | Comments Off on Faculty Mentoring Pilot Program Agreement

Important Message to Take Action!

Dear AFTNJ members:

For the past two years, William Paterson University (WP), a majority minority-serving university, has faced a financial crisis that resulted in two rounds of employee layoffs, department and program restructuring, and program eliminations. Additional economic support from state or federal funds is desperately needed to help stabilize our university, maintain quality faculty and staff, and protect academic integrity. Without this support, WP students will confront increases in tuition that they and their families cannot sustain.

With time running out on finalizing New Jersey’s fiscal year 2024 budget, we must act now. By clicking here and entering your name and address, then tapping the start writing button, you will automatically be ready to connect with the representatives in your district. From there, you can customize a letter requesting funding for WP (or you can send the letter as it is worded).

Please take a minute to send a message informing your state representatives about the important role William Paterson plays in the Wayne and Paterson communities and its importance to our state’s higher education system.

Click here to send your letter today.

AFT Local 1796 and the WP community appreciate your support.

Posted in Action Request, Funding WPU | Comments Off on Important Message to Take Action!