Michigan Lecturers Win Tentative Agreement

Lecturers at the University of Michigan reached a tentative agreement Friday that would raise their pay from currently untenable salaries, increase their retirement income, and improve healthcare access and job security. By the end of the third year of the proposed agreement, the minimum starting salary will increase by $12,700 to $16,500, depending on the campus. The agreement follows a long battle with administrators who argued that the school did not have enough money to pay lecturers fairly; students, alumni and the community rallied to prove otherwise. A vote on the agreement is scheduled for July. (via AFT Communications)

Understanding the Potential Impact of the Janus Case Upon Organized Labor, Collective Bargaining, and the General Public

The Supreme Court of the United States may render its ruling on the case, Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, as early as this Monday, June 25th 2018. The ruling, if in favor of the plaintiff (Mark Janus) would forbid public sector unions from collecting agency fees from those within its bargaining unit who choose not to join as full members--overturning a ruling by the Supreme Court in the 1970s that upheld the right of public sector unions to collect agency fees, based upon law in effect since 1935. This would mean that the so-called, anti-union "Right-to-Work" principle would be nationally enforced. The video below provides important background and details on the case, and how it will impact not only public sector unions, but the general US public and national economy.

My Latino Students Need Me--and I Need Them

An Article by in AFT Voices by Department Chair and Professor of Educational Foundations at Montclair State University (and AFT Local 1904 Member), Jaime Grinberg.

"For the most part, being Latino in college is still the exception rather than the rule. At MSU we have a large Latino student population and have been designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, but that doesn’t mean our students’ families have been coming to universities for generations. They need advice about everything from financial aid to housing. And they deserve it--when tuition is as much as the parent's salary, which was the case with one parent I spoke with, yet the family still prioritizes higher education, it’s essential we educators respect that and support those families as much as possible." -- Prof. Jaime Grinberg

For the full article, follow this link.

AFT Local 1904 Vice President for External Affairs, Jennifer Higgins, Honored by Essex-West Hudson Labor Council (AFL-CIO)

The AFT Local 1904 is proud to share that our very own Vice President for External Affairs, Jennifer Higgins, received a special recognition award this morning at the Essex-West Hudson Labor Council's (AFL-CIO) 31st Annual Scholarship and Awards Breakfast, at the Chandelier in Belleville, NJ. Jennifer has, over the years, been a tireless advocate for organized labor and collective bargaining, on local and state levels. Jennifer was honored along with three other colleagues, likewise acknowledged for their labor activism. We wish her the most heart-felt congratulations.

Also at the breakfast, A number of college-bound high school students were presented with $1000 EWHLC scholarship awards--including Akira Sessoms, son of Troy Sessoms from MSU Intercollegiate Athletics. Several prominent figures representing New Jersey in national leadership were also in attendance--including U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, U.S. Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (of the 10th Congressional District), and Mikie Sherrill (Democratic Candidate for the 11th Congressional District)--shared words of inspiration and support for the labor movement. The event was hosted by our perennial ally, State Assemblyman Thomas Giblin.