Happy New Year! As this New Year opens, there is a sense of optimism, anticipation, and frustration that pervades the atmosphere surrounding the members of the Adjunct Faculty Association at NCC.

The optimism flows from the knowledge and experience which is part of our union history. We have the strongest contract of any adjunct union in the United States. Our contract provides assurance that members have a “right to work” and seniority rights that pay deference for dedicated service. In addition, our contract, in section 14, provides jurisdiction over a body of work at NCC so there can be no question about whether the courses available belong to adjuncts.  Adjuncts who teach at Nassau know that they will be rehired from year to year and further know that they will teach the courses that they choose. This sense of security brings a normalcy to the campus. It provides a measure of peace and tranquility which eludes adjuncts who are employed elsewhere. It also provides a solid base of faculty that can be counted on to deliver the “goods” semester after semester and help to produce the results that keep Nassau at the top of the community college ratings year after year.

In addition, the contract provides the opportunity to participate in a tax sheltered annuity program which can be activated after retirement from a public employment position. Once retired from one employer any tax sheltered program already in existence will be closed, but this does not preclude opening a new program with a new employer such as Nassau County. This is a benefit that is worth examining.

The contract also provides three days paid leave a year which can be accrued up to 40 days. Any unused days are then converted into a cash payment at retirement from Nassau. This may be worth several thousand dollars to individual members. Finally, the contact provides for a grievance procedure in the event a member believes that his or her rights under the contract have been violated.

The sense of anticipation arises from two sources.

            We have a new president at Nassau Community College. We have welcomed Dr. Donald Astrab and now that he can take up the reins of leadership with a clear field before him we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship. While the past may be considered prologue,

the AFA does not consider this to be the state of affairs at the college. There are many areas that provide opportunities for opening channels of communication and developing a close working relationship between the new administration and the union. We will work to explore and expand these areas to the benefit of the students, the faculty, and the college.

In addition, the current contract expires this fall. We look forward to negotiations in the belief that all sides wish to come to the table with mutual respect. We don’t need hidden agendas, false promises, and egregious miscalculations that have characterized the past, poisoned the well, and left mistrust and anger in their wake.

The sense of frustration flows form the inability of the college to respond to several grievances that have been brought by the AFA. NCC 101 is a case in point.

 It was a full year ago that the AFA put the issue of NCC 101 before the college for resolution. After many holdups the matter was heard at step 2 of the grievance procedure some six months ago. The college attempted to put the AFA in the position of finding a solution. This amounts to renegotiating the contact. We will not do this. We also will not agree to waive the time limits set by the contact. Waiving these limits simply allows the college to continue the alleged violation. At this time we still do not have a written decision on this matter and the contract provides that a step 2 decision must be rendered within five working days of the conclusion of the step 2 hearing.

There are several other issues waiting hearings and decisions by the college at step 2. The AFA has the contractual right to move these issues to step 3 of the grievance process and fully intends to do so. We will not wait while the administration drags its feet in the hope that we will go away or that they can simply get away with the violation indefinitely.

We look forward to this year as one that may bring a breath of fresh air to the campus of NCC. The challenge is before all parties to put the past away as the old administration leaves the campus. The new administration will, we trust, find the means to open a dialogue and start with renewed vigor to work to meet the ever changing needs of students and faculty at NCC. They must look away from the way things were done to the way things should be done.