AFT President Randi Weingarten took some time on January 27th to talk with members of AFT New Jersey and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees about the importance of getting actively involved in political education and advocacy.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is pushing an agenda filled with attacks on K-12 education through undermining tenure and promoting vouchers, as well as a hastily conceived plan to merge higher education institutions.

The economy has created an opportunity for the “scapegoaters and the demonizers,” said Weingarten. “Instead of taking the responsibility of governing in tough times seriously, they are pointing fingers” and attempting “to turn the very people who are trying to make a difference in the lives of others into villains.” It’s unfair, and our members see it, said Weingarten. “They want to know what we are going to do about this. How are we going to make it better?”

AFT affiliates in New Jersey are working on legislation to protect members. “We have to work together, not just with one another, but with state lawmakers to get the best possible legislation,” Weingarten urged. “We have to come together with a quality agenda to engage members.

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LEGISLATION MATTERS - One Union - One Voice for Working Families

Join HPAE and AFTNJ along with AFT National President Randi Weingarten.

Rutgers Labor Education Center, 50 Labor Center Way, New Brunswick, NJ.

5:00pm - Light Refreshments

6:00pm - Program "Moving Forward Together" with President Weingarten

Register at www.aftnj.org or (732) 661-9393

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While every grievance begins as a complaint, all complaints do not become grievances. In order to knowwhat complaints can be processed as grievances, you will need to refer to the definition of a grievance in the collective bargaining agreement between Passaic County Community College chapter of the United Adjunct Faculty of New Jersey and Passaic County Community College. As you will see in Article XVII of the contract, a grievance can arise from a violation, misinterpretation or improper application of the terms of the Agreement.

The purpose of the grievance procedure is to provide for the speedy, orderly and equitable resolution of disputes.

Inherent in the grievance procedure is the remedy sought which must be identified in order to make the grievant whole. In selecting an appropriate remedy, it is important to keep in mind that the purpose of the remedy is restoration not retribution. The remedy should be consistent with the collective bargaining agreement in order to protect the integrity of the contract.

If you feel that the conditions for a grievance have been met, please do the following:

1. Carefully document all facts including dates and times pertaining to the grievance.

2. Contact Cindy Simon at n2slf@aol.com for assistance.

Remember that there is a big difference between a gripe and a grievance. A grievance is a formal challenge to the employer that the contract has been violated.

Fortunately, most problems can be settled informally without filing paperwork. But it is imperative that you contact the local leadership as soon as possible when you feel you have a grievance. There are strict timelines for the filing process, and they start the minute the violation takes place.

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