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Bargaining Update #3: FAMCO Tentatively SEALs Key Non-Economic Deals!
This week, the FAMCO bargaining team is pleased to announce that we have come to a tentative agreement with the administration on our platform of non-economic proposals, marking a significant turning point in our nearly four months of negotiations on key issues that we know are important to our membership. As we move closer to negotiations around the squarely economic issues of healthcare and compensation that continue to resonate most deeply with faculty, we are encouraged by this recent positive momentum.
In our work to protect and promote stability, accountability and professional autonomy, we have successfully tentatively agreed to:
- establish full-time faculty’s right to first refusal in the scheduling of courses in all terms;
- re-establish the formal labor-management committee to examine fair and effective teaching evaluation tools;
- ensure faculty’s right to decline eCampus adoption for in-person classes beyond posting syllabi or when choosing to communicate any grading or assignment information electronically;
- provide greater contractual assurances against the outsourcing of the academic mission through a written declaration of “no intent” to engage in contracts with online program management corporations (OPMs) and requirement to provide notice if otherwise.
In our work to protect and promote equity and fairness, we have successfully tentatively agreed to:
- re-establish the formal labor-management committee work to promote equity and diversity in faculty hiring and promotion;
- ensure appropriate and fair mechanisms for rebuttal for faculty moving through the reappointment, tenure and promotion process;
- strengthen both parties’ contractual commitments to shared values in ensuring a non-hostile, non-toxic workplace.
In our work to protect and promote professional respect and livelihoods with dignity for all our members, we have tentatively agreed to:
- sustain the COVID compassionate review provisions for faculty whose trajectory toward reappointment, tenure and promotion may have been negatively impacted by the pandemic;
- clarify and strengthen important due process procedures in the formal grievance process;
- ensure protections for faculty against investigation without notice to the Office of the General Counsel;
- improve the mechanisms for timely and responsive communication between faculty and the administration through the establishment of a regularly standing labor-management committee.
Kudos to FAMCO Observers!
Thank you to the members below who have turned out in person to support us during our sessions! All are welcome to observe the work of bargaining our collective agreement, and your presence matters. See below for how you can join us!
What’s Next?
In the days and weeks ahead, we may hear concerns from senior administrators about current enrollment numbers and the potential impact on the university’s financial health. We encourage you to stay closely connected to FAMCO for a full understanding of the fiscal landscape, including the reality that Monmouth University continues to be financially able to support faculty and staff with the compensation increases and healthcare benefits we deserve.
As we have done with the non-economic proposals, we will be looking to the University to continue our momentum of finding a path forward on the economic issues at stake for our members.
Do Your Part to Win a Strong Contract!
A union’s bargaining team at the table is only as strong as the members who are doing their part away from the table to win a fair contract for themselves and their colleagues! Let us know you are willing to do your part in the next round of economic negotiations by reaching out to FAMCO field team coordinator, Sanjana Ragudaran (sragudar@monmouth.edu), or FAMCO lead negotiator, Johanna Foster (jfoster@monmouth.edu).
Stay tuned for more opportunities for upcoming action trainings this summer and be sure to follow us on Facebook (Monmouth University FAMCO) and on Instagram @ mu_famco.
Go FAMCO!
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Happy Memorial Day!
We gather on Memorial Day to honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Their courage and commitment remind us of the values we hold dear: freedom, justice, and the relentless pursuit of a better future for all.
As we enjoy time with our families and friends, let’s remember that the benefits we often take for granted—like weekends, overtime pay, and safe working environments—were not handed to us freely. They were fought for by those who came before us, many of whom were veterans who carried the spirit of service and sacrifice from the battlefield to the workplace.
On this Memorial Day, let’s draw inspiration from their legacy. Unions are part of a long tradition of fighting for what is right, ensuring that the values that fallen heroes defended are upheld in every aspect of our lives, including the workplace. Their sacrifice impels us to stand firm in our resolve, knowing that the progress we achieve today will shape the future for generations to come.
As we honor the memory of veterans who have fallen, we also renew our commitment to each other. We are stronger together, and collective action will pave the way for a more just and equitable workplace. This Memorial Day, let’s remember that our struggle for workers’ rights is a way to honor the sacrifices made for the freedoms we enjoy. Happy Memorial Day!
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Bargaining Update #3: May 15
This Wednesday, May 15, the FAMCO Bargaining Team conducted our sixth negotiating session that lasted 7 hours. Present for the administration’s team were Provost Rich Veit, Associate Provost Susan Gupta, VP Christine Benol, VP Joseph Pingitore, VP Jim Pillar, MU General Charlene Diana, and Senior Paralegal Karen Morrow. As a reminder, leading the negotiations for the administration, despite the substantial allocation of senior management time and university resources to their bargaining team, is attorney John Romeo from Gibbons Law, an external law firm President Leahy has retained to negotiate against the MU faculty.
First, the good news is the FAMCO bargaining team has made some important progress on non-economic proposals we have presented to the administration in previous bargaining sessions. Among others, we have signed tentative agreements on a number of proposals that provide increased accountability in ensuring due process in grievance proceedings; continued COVID compassionate review provisions; expanded contract language that asserts the parties’ shared values in ensuring a non-hostile, non-toxic workplace; and protections for faculty against investigation without the notice to general counsel. In addition, the administration agreed to accept our proposal on priority scheduling that will now protect full-time faculty’s right to have first priority in all course selections in all terms, not just the summer sessions, before administration can consider calling on adjunct labor.
However, the FAMCO bargaining team has also shared proposals important to our members that the administration has yet to fully address, at times arguing that they are holding their counters until the parties have entered deliberations over more squarely economic matters, and at other times, simply not coming prepared with a full response. At the last bargaining session, we put significant pressure on the administration to respond to our proposal to address the specific needs of our clinical faculty that the administration initially deemed economic, and a preliminary discussion was able to begin. We will continue to press for a substantive response in upcoming sessions.
Similarly, FAMCO’s proposal to create a more stable work environment by decreasing the number of adjunct faculty, increasing the number of tenure track lines, and providing a pathway to tenure for our full-time non-tenure track faculty who choose to apply, has also been deemed largely economic, and a full response from the administration has yet to be provided. In providing preliminary feedback on this proposal, the administration has insinuated that overreliance on contingent instructional labor at Monmouth is a result of necessary cost-cutting measures the administration needs to make to offset their willingness to allocate course reductions to full-time faculty and to permit tenure stream faculty to retain a 3-3 load (as opposed to a 4-4). We will continue to listen closely for any circular reasoning that suggests that Monmouth University has little choice but to save the institution of tenure by undermining it through the persistent overreliance on contingent labor.
Additionally, FAMCO shared a proposal that would afford our senior lecturers and senior specialists an appropriate level of professional respect and dignity in the review process, a proposal that, at present, the administration has found to be unacceptable to them. We await their counter to that proposal, or a confirmation that they are refusing to engage further here.
On our list of troubling developments, the administration shared several non-economic proposals that would limit academic freedom of our faculty and expose our students further to the predatory practices of EdTech companies. On key items here, the administration has acknowledged that “we have a fundamental disagreement” when it comes to these proposals.
Overall, on the positive side, we have been able to make recent progress on non-economic proposals that we know will benefit our members. We are committed to resuming our discussions on a number of proposals that the administration continues to slow walk or hold, for the time being.
WHAT’S NEXT?
In anticipation of upcoming discussions of our economic proposals, the FAMCO team has been reviewing financial and healthcare benefits data provided by the University. In doing so, it is clear that MU faculty salaries have not kept up with inflation in the period covering our current contract (2021-2024). Collectively, MU full-time faculty lost a total of 1.3 million in salary, with an average individual loss of $6,573, in just the single academic year of 2023-2024. For context, for the three-year period between 2019-2022, President Leahy, alone, received $2,767,217 in total compensation.
SHOWING UP TO S.E.A.L. THE DEAL!
A special shout out to our members who have been willing to step up as observers and support us all in our efforts to win a fair agreement (check out some of our committed members below!). Their presence in the negotiating room has been our strength!
Finally, did you see that FAMCO sent congratulations gift packages to the renowned artists honored during the 2024 Bruce Springsteen Center Awards Ceremony this April? This year, the Center selected award recipients for, among other amazing contributions, their notable commitments to social justice. In our notes of congratulations, we welcomed the award winners into the Monmouth community, and assured them that Monmouth has a faculty union that also shares their recognized and important commitments to equity and fairness!
If you’d like to support us by being an observer during bargaining, or you are ready to do your part in some other way to win the strong contract that you and your colleagues deserve, please contact our field organizer Sanjana Ragudaran at sragudar@monmouth.edu
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Happy May Day!
May Day is a day steeped in the history of workers’ struggles and victories. It’s important for us to reflect on the significance of this day and harness its spirit in our everyday life, including current contract negotiations. This international workers’ day reminds us of the enduring power of unity and the successes we can achieve when we stand together.
May Day this year comes amid, among other things, our ongoing contract negotiations. These bargaining sessions are not just about numbers and clauses; they are about Stability, Equity, Accountability, and Livelihoods with dignity, conditions that allow us not just to survive but to thrive.
May Day is a call to every working person to remember the victories of those who came before us. From the eight-hour workday to health benefits and beyond, our predecessors fought hard to win what we enjoy today. Their battles, often faced with formidable resistance, were fueled by the kind of solidarity we must continue to cultivate.
Let us draw inspiration from the resilience and unity exemplified on May Days past. Here are a few ways we can embody this spirit:
- Stay Informed and Involved: Make sure you’re up to date with the latest negotiation developments. Attend union meetings, read updates, and ask questions. An informed membership is a powerful membership.
- Show Up: Whether it’s a rally, a picket line, or a meeting, your presence matters. Physical attendance sends a clear message of unity and resolve to both our employers and fellow workers.
- Spread the Word: Talk to your coworkers about the importance of our demands. Use social media to raise awareness about our goals and the importance of solidarity. The more support we garner, the stronger our position at the bargaining table.
- Support Each Other: These times can be stressful. No one should feel alone. Check in with your colleagues, offer support, and share resources. Solidarity extends beyond negotiations—it’s about fostering a supportive community.
As we mark this May Day, let’s recommit to the ideals of solidarity and collective action. Remember that each of us plays a vital role in the strength of our union. Together, we have the power to not only negotiate but to win fair and equitable contracts that reflect our hard work and dedication.
Happy May Day, and let’s continue to fight the good fight, together!
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Good News! Monmouth University Remains Financially Healthy! Where Does the Money Go?
Amid rising educational costs, Monmouth University’s recent announcement of a tuition increase sparked concern among students and faculty, with calls for more financial transparency coming from both. The Faculty Association of Monmouth University (FAMCO), alongside AFT-NJ and AFL-CIO state leaders well as students, convened to discuss these pressing financial issues on April 10. As the graph with this post shows, the value of Monmouth University’s assets overall has risen consistently while financial liabilities remain stable and low, meaning the university’s financial health is great. Despite this, the University antagonizes faculty in contract negotiations (paying a high-priced outside lawyer to do so) and students don’t see this financial health showing in their daily experience. In a piece in the Monmouth Outlook, Kristen Frawley gave the following testimonial:
Kristen Frawley is a junior social work student and one of the students who spoke at FAMCO’s recent meeting. She said, “The recent tuition increase concerns me greatly because students cannot clearly see where this money is going and how it will benefit us. I question the school’s morals and ethics surrounding money allocation when I think about the fact that the top 15 administrative members earned a collective $4.4 million in 2022 while Counseling and Prevention Services are so underfunded and understaffed that students are limited to seven sessions per semester.”
These financial findings, set against the backdrop of ongoing contract negotiations and increased scrutiny over administrative salaries and resource allocation, underscores a growing discontent with how student fees are utilized and the tangible impact University budgeting has on the quality of education and services provided to students.
Check out the whole Outlook article below for a more detailed student take on the situation:
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Bargaining Update #2: Progress Made Despite Employer’s Shameless Attack
On Tuesday, April 16th, the FAMCO bargaining team held our fourth negotiating session with the MU administration, lasting 8 hours. Present for the administration’s team, but largely inactive during the session, were Interim Provost Rich Veit, Associate Provost Susan Gupta, VP Christine Benol, VP Joseph Pingitore, VP Jim Pillar, HR Director Kathy Stein, and MU General Charlene Diana. Leading the negotiations for the administration, despite the substantial allocation of senior management time and university resources to their bargaining team, is an attorney from Gibbons Law, an external law firm President Leahy has retained to negotiate against the MU faculty.
Not only has President Leahy chosen to divert resources that could be used on instruction to outsource the important work of negotiating the successor contract with faculty, the lawyer he has hired has come late to every single session, including the first session where the administration came without a single proposal.
But this week’s behavior by President Leahy’s attorney of choice takes the cake: In an outrageous and chilling example of well-worn anti-union tactics, the administration’s team engaged in what appeared to be a premeditated attempt to conduct an ad hominem attack on one of our members, Professor John Comiskey, falsely accusing him of inappropriately canceling his classes to attend the bargaining session.
When pressed on how they came to believe this, management’s external counsel made misleading comments that suggested students had complained, and even went so far as to blame the lawyers’ lateness to the session on the premise that they “may have been” dealing with student complaints against Professor Comiskey, who just this semester received a national award from The Center for Homeland Defense and Security as educator of the year. When pressed further by FAMCO, the administration’s external counsel failed to confirm that there was, in fact, a real student complaint, or that their lateness was related to any need to address an actual student concern.
Instead, it appears to us that the university’s lawyers, both internal and external, chose to traffic in unsubstantiated claims about a faculty member’s adherence to professional duties as a way to distract attention from their own bad form, and to escalate a campaign to intimidate faculty who have stepped up to protect their colleagues and our academic mission.
This shameless behavior is a new low.
The FAMCO team made our outrage known, prompting the administration’s external counsel to make the absurd claim that they “did not come to the session to be attacked,” noting that, after all, the university has made significant investments in a management team to negotiate with faculty.
On their point that the university is incurring a serious expense in hiring high-priced lawyers, on top of the cost of releasing a provost, an associate provost, three vice presidents, and a human resource director from other university work to bear witness to outsiders bullying their own faculty, we can only agree.
The good news is that despite the shocking and flagrant attempt to falsely discredit one of our own team members, and amidst repeated attempts to delay responses to proposals FAMCO, the FAMCO team has been successful in moving us forward on expected tentative agreements on several non-economic items, pending review, including:
- establishing greater clarity in procedures for graduate faculty status appointment and continuances
- retaining faculty protections from unwarranted administrator access to eCampus shells
- providing for increased accountability in ensuring due process in grievance proceedings
- protecting COVID compassionate review provisions for faculty moving through the reappointment, tenure and promotion process
- expanding contract language that further asserts the parties’ shared values in ensuring a non-hostile, non-toxic workplace
There is additional good news to report, as members who attended the April meeting will know: FAMCO has been heartened to receive the support of concerned MU student leaders, as well as the support from our state leaders from AFT-NJ and from the New Jersey AFL-CIO.
Check out the terrific shout-outs and great photos in recent issues of the AFT statewide newsletter, as well as the jaw-dropping coverage of administration’s orientation toward our students’ concerns over the latest tuition hikes in this week’s Outlook below.
Going forward, the FAMCO bargaining team is back at the table on May 7 and May 15,and the time is now for you to do your part to win the strong contract we all deserve- for us and for the good work we know we are doing with our students!You can take the next step with us by marking your calendar for our upcoming May Day celebration on Wednesday, May 1st from 2:45pm-4:15pm in the upper level lobby and Pozycki patio for a chance to gather for some end-of-the-semester socializing and solidarity on this year’s International Workers Day!
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Monmouth University Students Share What They Want from Bargaining
Students and members of the Monmouth University Social Justice club shared their concerns about the University with Faculty at the April 10th FAMCO Meeting on Campus. Student’s learning conditions are faculty working conditions, and students have a vested interest in things the bargaining process deals with, particularly in the areas of:
Money: Tuition keeps going up. As students, they want more transparency in how its spent, particularly since it looks, to them, like athletics get most of the benefit, and non-student athletes are starting to feel overlooked by the administration. Students want rising tuition to translate to better conditions for all students and their faculty.
Classes: Low guarantees of tenured or even full-time faculty positions means the University is relying more on contingent, part-time faculty who teach at multiple schools and can’t be as available or personable to students because they are pulled in multiple directions already. Faculty also have less time for research, which improves and updates their teaching. Overall, it’s getting harder for students to find required classes for their majors and minors because academic departments are short-staffed.
Graduate Programs: The University has been cutting down graduate scholarship and assistantship funding, turning graduate study at MU something that only wealthier people take on. Advanced degrees increase earning potential and workforce value, and should be available to people from all walks of life.
Campus: In general, it seems like many sectors of campus are short-staffed. Besides the academic side, campus clerical and upkeep seems short staffed and underfunded, meaning dorms are deteriorating faster (especially since all students must live in dorms for two years). Building, grounds, and maintenance staff need more funding to hire more people.
Advising: Departments across campus have lost faculty in the last few years, and with the University administration reluctant to replace them, it’s getting harder for students to get ahold of their major advisers because faculty are spread thinner.
Overall, students said they feel like they are not being set up for success and missing out on foundational knowledge because their professors are not being set up for success.
Administrators may prefer to think students don’t notice or care about things like this, or that campuses are trapped in sitcoms or retro movies where students and teachers only care about antagonizing each other, but the truth is that students and teachers share the most time together on campus, and we want what’s best for each other. We’re all here to make a difference and do our best. These students want the Monmouth University Administration to improve faculty working conditions AND student learning conditions with an equitable contract!
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SEAL the DEAL Full 2024 FAMCO Platform!
FAMCO is stepping into this pivotal contract year with a strong, progressive bargaining platform designed to uphold the dignity and security of our faculty and students. Our focus is firmly on SEALing the deal for a fair and equitable workplace, ensuring stability through the protection of full-time positions and tenure-track lines, and advancing equity with improved salaries and balanced workloads for all faculty members. The platform also prioritizes accountability, advocating for the faculty’s right to professional autonomy and timely grievance resolutions. We are also committed to protecting our community’s livelihood with robust healthcare benefits and reinforced anti-harassment and anti-discrimination measures. This comprehensive approach represents FAMCO’s dedication to fostering an academic environment where excellence and fairness go hand in hand. Join us as we work together to champion these essential changes and build a stronger future for our academic family!
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Consultants at the Gates: The Future of Higher Education when Decision-making is Outsourced
Financial turmoil and potential academic restructuring at the University of Connecticut (UConn) has prompted a deeper examination of the influence of outside consulting firms in educational institutions. The faculty’s apprehensions center on Huron Consulting’s involvement in UConn’s cost-cutting measures, illustrating a broader, disconcerting trend in higher education: the increasing reliance on corporate strategies that sideline faculty input and prioritize efficiency over academic integrity. This article delves into these dynamics, the implications of Huron Consulting’s recommendations regarding faculty positions and academic programs, and the wider consequences these actions portend for higher education. Stakeholders and educators (including our own Marina Vujnovic) voice their concerns, showing why this issue demands our attention.
The Faculty Association of Monmouth University
Monmouth University Faculty for Academic Freedom
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The Faculty Association of Monmouth University 