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FAMCO is ready for October 2nd
We are scheduled to go back to the healthcare bargaining table Monday, October 2nd on Zoom. We have FAMCO members lined up to be observers. The ball is in the court of the administration to return to the table with a counter proposal.
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Progress Report: President’s Response to Our Call for Transparency
We’ve received a response from President Leahy regarding our open letter, and we want to commend all Monmouth faculty for your relentless commitment to this cause. While we have not yet received the complete “FEBP 2024” document, President Leahy has acknowledged our concerns and committed to providing us with the necessary information for fair bargaining promptly. He scheduled meetings with key individuals for today (September 5, 2023) and has promised to provide us with further details shortly. While this is a positive sign of progress, our work is far from over. We must remain vigilant and hold the administration accountable for delivering the transparency we seek. Your unity and determination are driving this change, and we have full confidence that together, we will achieve the equitable outcome we’re striving for.
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Honoring Our Collective Strength
Happy Labor Day! Today, we celebrate the hard-earned achievements of the labor movement and the contributions of workers across the nation.
Labor Day is not just a day off; it’s a day to recognize the power of unity and the results of collective action. Unions stand as a testament to what can be achieved when individuals come together with a shared purpose and a commitment to fairness. Unions have fought for our rights, championed equality, and ensured that our voices are heard in the places where decisions are made.
From negotiating better working conditions to securing fair wages and advocating for the best possible benefits, the impact of unions is woven into the fabric of our communities. The progress made did not come without effort, and it’s essential that we take a moment today to reflect on how far we’ve come, both as individuals and united.
This Labor Day, let’s also acknowledge that there is still work to be done. As we continue to navigate the challenges of an ever-changing landscape, we must stand strong in our commitment to one another. Our unity is our strength, and it’s what allows us to drive meaningful change that benefits us all.
In the spirit of this day, I encourage you to reach out to your fellow workers, share stories of union victories, and remind one another of the importance of the work we do. Your dedication and passion is instrumental in building a union’s legacy, and your continued engagement will shape the path forward.
As we gather with our loved ones, let’s also take a moment to honor the countless workers who have come before us, paving the way for the rights and privileges we enjoy today. Labor Day is a reminder that our progress is built on the shoulders of those who dared to dream of a better future.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our union and our community. Together, we are making a difference that will resonate for generations to come. Happy Labor Day!
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FAMCO Filing ULP After Repeated Delays from Administration
The Faculty Association of Monmouth University (FAMCO) today is filing an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) for the administration’s failure to provide necessary and important information for negotiating healthcare premiums for the upcoming final year of our current contract with Monmouth University. The data in question is the following document:
- The FEBP 2024
We need to review this information because we are committed to moving forward toward a settlement. We are concerned about the University’s continued delays in providing this information to fulfill the union’s request as best as the University is able–information that is available or can be made available to the University by Segal. This delay includes our agreement to postpone three bargaining sessions to allow the University additional time to obtain the Horizon claims experience as reviewed by Segal.
The information we have repeatedly requested is essential to bargaining premiums for 2024. FAMCO requested the information above be delivered on or before Wednesday, June 14 (after multiple previous requests) so that we can proceed with informed discussions. We also requested that the University confirm if parts of the information we have been requesting do not exist in any form by Wednesday June 14 so that we know the University can meet its obligation to provide the information requested, including in any preliminary or partial capacity as it pertains to understanding the costs of healthcare to the University.
FAMCO is taking action for fairness by filing an Unfair Labor Practice as Monmouth University fails to provide vital information for negotiating healthcare premiums, hindering progress towards a settlement and raising concerns about transparency and fulfilling obligations. Stay tuned for more!
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The Persistent Gender Pay Gap in Higher Education: The Troubling Reality for Faculty
According to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Annual Report, higher education faculty, after adjusting for inflation, saw a 2.4% drop in their real earnings despite a 4.1% increase in their pay in 2021-22. Shockingly, over the same period, presidents’ salaries rose by 9.6% and chief financial officers’ pay increased by 12.7%. The report also highlights the high level of precarity among teaching staff and the significant salary gap between female and male professors.
FAMCO President Johanna Foster makes a special appearance expressing deep concern over the widening gender salary gaps and the inexcusable persistence of such disparities despite 60 years since the signing of the Equal Pay Act.
Read and share this report to join the discussion on the persistent gender disparities and income inequality in academia!
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230621152458582%5C
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Monmouth University Hires New Lawyer, Still Won’t Deliver Health Benefits Info to Union
The Monmouth administration has delayed providing important and necessary information for negotiating healthcare premiums for the upcoming final year of our contract with Monmouth University. In addition, the University has hired a new lawyer just to negotiate with FAMCO: John C. Romeo, whom Rider University brought in to bully their faculty union, as well. Despite shelling out an unknown amount for Romeo’s services, the university is not moving any faster to provide the information we have requested multiple times since March. The Information in question are the following sets of documents:
- The 2021 and 2022 Horizon claims experience as reviewed by Segal, including the FEBP 2022
- Settlements received by Monmouth from Horizon for 2019-2021
- Summary of the meeting and all 2022 year end reports from Segal and Horizon from the April 12 meeting with Horizon and Segal
We would like you to join us on Zoom Tuesday afternoon to discuss what we can do about this.
We need to review this information because we are committed to moving forward toward a settlement. We are concerned about the University’s continued delays in providing this information to fulfill the union’s request as best as the University is able–information that is available or can be made available to the University by Segal. This delay includes our agreement to postpone two bargaining sessions to allow the University additional time to obtain the Horizon claims experience as reviewed by Segal, which we still have not received. John Romeo was also hired during this time.
The information we have repeatedly requested is essential to bargaining premiums for 2024. FAMCO requested the information above be delivered on or before Friday, May 19 (after multiple previous requests) so that we can proceed with informed discussions. We also requested that the University confirm if parts of the information we have been requesting do not exist in any form by Friday, May 19 so that we know the University can meet its obligation to provide the information requested, including in any preliminary or partial capacity as it pertains to understanding the costs of healthcare to the University.
To discuss what we can do about this delay, we request your attention on Tuesday afternoon on Zoom. Watch your email for an invite to this meeting. We are looking forward to seeing you there! Solidarity forever!
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Important Meeting May 9th on the Future of Healthcare
FAMCO’s Healthcare Bargaining team will resume negotiations with the administration on May 12th, 2023 at 9am. Despite our multiple requests for relevant information, such as Monmouth’s annual budget reports and settlements received from Horizon between 2019 and 2022, we are still waiting for this information. Our primary objective is still to secure fair premiums for our members!
Since our last bargaining session on March 24th, 2023, the administration has hired an external counsel, John C. Romeo, a labor law specialist who recently negotiated with Rider’s union. This decision raises serious concerns, including how much the university is spending on this consultant and what choosing this kind of lawyer says about the administration’s intentions in negotiations. We want to address these questions and more with you. Join us for an important FAMCO meeting on Tuesday, May 9th at 3pm via Zoom.
Let’s stand together and show our strength. Go Union! Go FAMCO!
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Solidarity with Rutgers Unions
After 10 months without contracts, the full-time faculty, post doctoral, graduate students, counselors, and adjunct faculty of Rutgers University are taking action by calling for a strike starting Monday, April 10 at 9am across all of Rutgers University’s campuses.
We, the member of the Faculty Association of Monmouth University (FAMCO), support our colleagues in their union’s historic first strike and what may become the largest public sector strike in New Jersey history.
We are united in our fight to make higher education more equitable, just, and sustainable for the workers that keep the campus operational. Student success is dependent on the overall wellbeing of employees and faculty who service and teach.
We call upon Rutgers University President Holloway to cease his threats and return to negotiate fair and just contract with the union so faculty can return to doing what they do best.
To our Rutgers colleagues, we stand in unwavering solidarity with you. An injury to one is an injury to all!
To those reading this and want to support Rutgers strike, you can donate to their fund at this link: https://rafup.betterworld.org/donate
Or sign-up to join a picket line at one of the Rutgers campuses: https://rutgersaaup.org/we-are-on-strike-to-win-a-fair-contract-and-a-better-rutgers/
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Healthcare Bargaining Resumes
On March 24th, the FAMCO Bargaining team convened with the administration to discuss healthcare in our first meeting since Fall 2022. Our primary objective remains securing lower premiums for faculty–who have been overpaying for healthcare–and we demand transparency and accountability over rising costs, given faculty’s critical role in fulfilling the university’s mission. Ahead of this meeting, FAMCO requested pertinent data, including annual budget reports and settlements received by Monmouth from Horizon between 2019-2022. We are currently analyzing this data with our expert consultant.
FAMCO leadership will keep its members updated on the developments in the bargaining process and organize future debriefing sessions after the meetings. The Union’s strength lies in its members, so we urge you to stay tuned and show your support. Go Union!
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FAMCO Wins AAUP Grant!
Great news: FAMCO has been awarded the 2023 AAUP Mobilization Grant for $20,000!
The funding from the AAUP grant will support our search for a new part-time field organizer who will help us coordinate next year’s contract campaign and our shift from business model unionism to social justice unionism focusing on 1-1 conversations, power analyses, and member education sessions. Take a look at the job posting here: FAMCO Part-Time Organizer.
We hope to have the staff person on board by the end of this semester to kick-off organizing efforts that will be critical to sustain our capacity as we prepare to negotiate the 2024-2027 contract.
We are very grateful to AAUP National for their continued support of our local chapter and look forward to the opportunity to strengthen our already strong union!
The Faculty Association of Monmouth University
Monmouth University Faculty for Academic Freedom
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