Faculty Rally To Get New Contract At Middlesex College In Edison Thursday

EDISON, NJ — In their third academic year without a contract, full-time faculty members (Local 1940 AFT) of Middlesex College will stage a rally Thursday to express their frustration at failed negotiations.

The rally will take place at 2 p.m. next to the Woodbridge Avenue campus entrance of the College in Edison.

The full-time faculty's contract expired on July 1, 2020, and since then, all attempts to negotiate a new contract with the Middlesex College administration have failed, union members said.

“Last academic year, our membership took a vote and authorized us to call a strike if we felt negotiations have been stonewalled,” said Pat Payne, president, Local 1940 AFT.

“The union has done everything within its power since then to avoid taking such serious action. We’ve spoken out at board meetings and county commissioners meetings, we’ve held an informational picket on campus, and we’ve bargained in good faith, yet here we are in the same situation as we were last academic year.”

On Sept. 21 Middlesex College filed a lawsuit against Local 1940 AFT and Payne. Around the same time, College President Mark McCormick announced a sick day policy and proposed a $300 “signing bonus” for full-time faculty members in lieu of raises. These actions by the administration have “complicated” contract negotiations, union members said.

“These anti-teacher, anti-union efforts on the part of the Middlesex College board and management and the Middlesex County commissioners are happening as unions are gaining strength throughout the country,” Payne said. “A rally is our next step, and it will let the community at large and our partners in labor know what’s at stake.”

AFTNJ President Donna M. Chiera said this is the second time in recent memory that Middlesex College has taken over two years to negotiate a contract with faculty.

“In a county and in a state where educators are hailed as heroes and our legislators claim to be pro-union, their words do not show up in their actions,” Chiera said.

“We are rallying to demand that legislators and college management demonstrate they respect the voice of labor and the voice of professionals by negotiating in good faith with Local 1940.”

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