Why is the campus abuzz with talk of renewed conflict between the AFA and the Fanelli administration? What happened? Betrayal, that’s what happened.

The document signed by the BOT, Fanelli, and Loiacono that agreed to return ELI instructors back to AFA jurisdiction has been breached by Fanelli and the trustees. There was a unanimous vote by all trustees to accept the agreement. After five months of pretending that they were working on the transition, the administration, with Jack Ostling on point, simply wrote a memo aimed at breaching the contract. NCC, it is claimed, cannot afford to pay a standard wage to those who teach foreign students. Of course, they can pay $500,000 for a security breach.

Unfortunately, the record shows many examples of Sean Fanelli breaking his word. Indeed, the AFA president says this is the last time we will suffer such dishonesty. Some history:

The setting is the old John Peel Room around 1983. The leadership of the AFA had just negotiated a successor agreement with the vice president of the college, who was the chief negotiator. Fanelli was new and not involved in negotiations. When Fanelli was called and told that there was an agreement, he drove to the parking lot at 3AM to confer with the then vice president. He said that he would not support the agreement and had the vice president come back and tell the AFA that there was no deal. Fanelli’s interference caused a prolonged strike. That was the first we knew of Fanelli’s propensity for betrayal.

             Some years later, Fanelli proved again that his word is deception itself. Seniority had traditionally meant “choice of course and time.” Fanelli didn’t agree, and asked to submit the question to an arbitrator for interpretation. His decision would be final and binding, he said. When the arbitrator found the

provision indeed meant a choice of course and time, Fanelli reneged and refused to live up to his agreement to accept the arbitrator’s decision. Again, his word was deception. He followed with an attempt to use the Middle States Association to coerce the AFA into capitulation. This came to an end when the union sued the college president, his co-conspirator at Middle States, and several members of the Board of Trustees.

Now we come to more current times. In March of 2005, Presidents Loiacono and Fanelli agreed that it was time to stop the usual posturing and simply come to an agreement like men of honor often do. To show good faith, the AFA president detailed the parameters of an acceptable agreement, and warned Fanelli that his honesty should not be used against him. When it came time to seal the deal, Fanelli stood by as the college negotiator used the information Fanelli had given him to try to negotiate the AFA down from those revealed parameters. Betrayal again. Fanelli now pretends that he doesn’t understand why the college’s negotiator did such a thing. Once again, Fanelli’s untrustworthiness brought us close to a strike.

We arrive at the present.  Another agreement negotiated in good faith and another betrayal. How can we be expected to deal with such dishonesty? What will be the cost of this new conflict?

For starters, cooperation ends now. We will police the contract with renewed vigilance. Other then the 4 or 5 credit course exceptions in the new contract, there will no longer be any waivers.  Chairs are advised not to ask for waivers because they will not be approved. Any attempt by this administration to sneak waivers through will be met swiftly and decisively.

            This administration has disqualified itself from the league of honest players. How will they function? They no longer have a word to give to seal a deal.