LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES 2008
Updated November 21, 2008
The Council strongly supports the following legislation:
Restoring the Ranks of Full-Time Faculty (FACE legislation)
- S-803, sponsored by Senator Sweeney (D-3)
Requires public institutions of higher education to ensure that by the 2013-2014 AY 75% of undergraduate courses in departments with at least eight full time faculty members are taught by full-time tenure track faculty. Adjunct and part time faculty must receive priority consideration in filling newly created full-time positions.
Current Status: Senate Education Committee
Adjunct Faculty Equity (FACE legislation)
- A-2711, sponsored by Assemblyman Diegnan (D-18)
Requires that salaries of adjunct/part-time faculty be prorated to that of comparable faculty positions
Current status: Assembly Higher Education Committee
- S-819, sponsored by Senator Stephen Sweeney (D-3)
Allows adjunct faculty to collect unemployment benefits between semesters unless the College/University has already offered the adjunct an employment contract for the next semester.
Current Status: Senate Labor Committee
Employee Representation on Boards of Trustees
- A-361, sponsored by Assemblyman Diegnan (D-18)
Adds two employees, chosen by campus unions, to every state college/university board of trustees. Employees would have full voting rights, except on personnel matters.
Current Status: Assembly Higher Education Committee
Fair Bargaining
- A-1533, sponsored by Assemblywoman Greenstein (D-14)
- S-660, sponsored by Senator Madden (D-4)
These bills prohibit public employers from unilaterally changing terms and conditions of employment, after an impasse has been reached in negotiations. Whereas now a public employer can ultimately impose its final offer on public employee unions, under this bill the terms of the expired contract would remain in effect until a the parties reach agreement on a new one. In sum, these bills would level the playing field in contract negotiations.
Current Status: A-1533 is in Assembly Labor Committee
S-660 is in the Senate State Government Committee
Note: This bill is also a priority of the NJ State AFL-CIO Public Employee CommitteeScope of Bargaing
- A-2590, sponsored by Assemblywoman Greenstein (D-14)
- S-1137, sponsored by Senator Van Drew (D-14)
Expands the “scope of bargaining” to include all matters not expressly excluded by statute
Note: This bill is also a priority of the NJ State AFL-CIO Public Employee Committee
Tuition Assistance
Tuition Aid Grant (TAG)
- S-1345, sponsored by Senator Turner (D-15)
- A-2397, sponsored by Assemblyman Diegan (D-18)
Expands Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) program to include part-time undergraduate students at the senior public institutions
Current Status: S-1345 is in the Senate Education Committee
A-2397 is in the Assembly Higher Education Committee
Subcontracting
- A-1181, sponsored by Assemblywoman Oliver (D-34)
Prohibits subcontracting of unit work in public education/higher education sectors during the term of a collective bargaining agreement. After the contract expires, public employer must give union at least 90 days advanced notice and agree to discuss its intent to subcontract and negotiate over its impact on the bargaining unit.
Current Status: Assembly Labor Committee
Accountability/Governance
- A S-1609, sponsored by Senator Lesniak (D-20)
Makes various statutory changes to improve the structure, financing, and fiscal management of higher education in New Jersey. Specifically, the bill implements many of the recommendations contained in the October 2007 Report of the State Commission of Investigation (SCI) entitled “Vulnerable to Abuse: The Importance of Restoring Accountability, Transparency and Oversight to Public Higher Education Governance.” In addition, the bill includes numerous provisions that will improve the capacity of the Commission on Higher Education and the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority to aid in the planning and development of higher education in New Jersey.
In response to the SCI recommendations, this bill includes provisions to:
- establish effective and efficient State oversight of public higher education;
- strengthen State college and university governing boards;
- implement Sarbanes-Oxley style standards to improve public higher education fiscal accountability; and
- enact controls on higher education lobbying.
The bill requires the governing board of a public research university or a State college to establish:
- an audit committee;
- a nominations and governance committee;
- a compensation committee; and
- an executive committee.
The bill provides for the creation of a new cabinet-level position, the Secretary of Higher Education. The secretary will be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and will serve as executive director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education. The bill increases the number of members serving on the commission from 11 to 15.
Note: The Council is seeking amendments to strengthen the authority of the Commission over the state colleges/universities
Current status: Senate Education Committee
Mileage Reimbursement
- A-263, sponsored by Assemblywoman Vanderwalk (R-39)
- S-872, sponsored by Assemblywoman Turner (D-15)
Increases mileage reimbursement rate for a State employee driving a private automobile on State business to the IRS rate, as adjusted periodically for inflation, to reflect the significant increase in the price of gas
.
Current Status: A-263 is in the Assembly State Government Committee
S- 872 is in Senate State Government Committee
Note: This bill is also a priority of the NJ State AFL-CIO Public Employee Committee.
