NJIT Adjunct Faculty Get 1st Union Contract, Pay Raise

NEWARK, NJ — The adjunct faculty members at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have reached a milestone… their first union contract.

The 300-plus adjunct faculty members, who voted to form a union in May, are affiliated with the Rutgers American Association of University Professors - American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT).

A tentative agreement between the union and NJIT was announced last month. An AFT spokesperson confirmed this week that the union ratified the contract by a vote of 146-2.

The NJIT adjunct faculty members have been rallying for "better pay, recognition of their critical roles in the campus community and opportunities for professional development and career advancement."

• See related article: Newark Adjunct Teachers Rally At NJIT For More Pay, 'Recognition'
• See related article: NJIT Adjunct Teachers Unionize In Newark, Criticize School's 'Uber Driver' Approach

According to the AFT, under the new contract, the adjuncts’ pay per credit will rise to a $1,500 minimum for the spring semester and $1,550 for the fall semester, which starts in September.

The pay increase moves NJIT adjunct faculty wages from being the lowest of four-year public universities in New Jersey to second-only to Rutgers University, the AFT claimed.

The contract runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2019.

“This is historic because for the first time NJIT adjunct faculty have the same protections as many of the rest of our NJIT fellow workers,” said Jeff Reaves, an adjunct teacher with the Newark College of Engineering.

“In addition to pay increases to put us in line with our colleagues at Rutgers and New Jersey public four-year colleges and universities, the agreement creates an internal process to apply for full-time lecturer positions,” Reaves said. “The new contract gives us better recognition as part of the NJIT community and creates new opportunities for adjunct faculty that will ultimately benefit our students.”

NJIT Architecture Professor Susan Bristol said the agreement would create a professional development fund to reimburse expenses for adjunct faculty who travel and attend conferences or seminars. It also helps to recognize academic advancement and protects academic freedom for adjunct faculty, she added.

“This agreement is a significant improvement and we will continue negotiating over issues like long-term contracts for adjunct faculty, healthcare and career advancement,” Bristol said.

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File Photo: AFT-NJ