As we have all heard by now, several cars were vandalized. Acts of vandalism or any type of criminal activity is unacceptable on our campus. The NCCFT asks that everyone be aware of your surroundings; if you see something, say something.
Grievance Updates:
No one was surprised that the Administration has denied the NCCFT’s Step 2 Grievance in which we allege a violation of our contract, section 11, the Student-Faculty Ratio. In response, we have filed a Step 3 Grievance that will be heard before the Grievance Board.
The other pending Step 3 Grievance pertains to a violation of section 1 of our contract concerning the restrictions placed on the allncc email system by the Administration. We are challenging the Administration’s denial of the Union’s unfettered access to ALLNCC.
Finally, the Administration has violated yet another provision of our contract. This time it is a violation of section 22, whereby some faculty hired between September 1 and August 31 of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement were denied their earned step increases and we have filed a Step 2 Grievance in this matter.
If this were all not bad enough, we want to remind you, we still have a case pending before PERB concerning the status of Full Time Temporary faculty who are working in their 5th semester. Past practice dictates that these faculty lines be automatically converted to probationary lines during the 5th semester of employment.
Last, we are still in mediation concerning the working conditions of the LINCC lecturers. It is unacceptable that the LINCC faculty be treated as second-class faculty by this Administration. The treatment of our LINCC colleagues is yet another example of the Administration’s constant assault on the membership as well as their regular attempts to erode faculty rights under our contract and their denial of the importance and value of maintaining a large and vibrant Full Time faculty at NCC.
These are just some examples of the Administration’s role in creating and exacerbating the toxic environment that has come to define our quotidian existence. This cannot continue without devastating our educational mission. The NCCFT Executive Committee will persist in doing everything possible to protect your rights and uphold the highest standards of academic excellence our students deserve.
Vice-President Frank Frisenda recently attended the first Long Island Federation of Labor Delegate meeting of the new year. This provides us an excellent opportunity to network with other labor organizations. One of the topics discussed was the K-12 teacher evaluations and the proposed addition of a Tier 6 to the NYS pension system. LIU at Post College will be holding a rally in opposition to these initiatives on Wednesday, February 15, from 4:30-6:30. If you are interested in attending, please contact Audrey Silverman in the NCCFT office for details.
Another great networking and learning opportunity offered by the Long Island Federation is their Labor Leadership Class. To date, Prof. Frank Frisenda, Dr. Stephanie Sapiie, Prof. Jean Miller, Prof. MaryAnn Pervelis and Ms. Dawn Smith have registered for this class. We look forward to suggestions from LI Fed President John Durso on how to better organize against a hostile management team.
Vice-President James Hoyt attended the Board of Trustees Capital and Finance Committee meeting and noted that due, in part; to NIFA and Nassau County politics, many vendors are not being paid. This includes vendors on our Campus and some work has stopped. This is particularly troublesome as the Nursing and Chemistry Departments are scheduled to move into the Life Sciences Building this coming fall.
President Debra DeSanto and Vice-President Frank Frisenda joined our colleagues at the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday evening. The Board approved the new travel policy. Several faculty spoke to the Trustees regarding their concerns about shared governance, censorship, and other matters that have adversely impacted this campus since Dr. Astrab assumed the presidency. Some of their statements have been published on the allfaculty email system. In addition, several articulate students, including Gul Berktas (Student Trustee) spoke passionately in support of the New York State Dream Act. This Act would allow undocumented immigrants certain benefits (NYS driver license, financial aid, etc.) and there is a rally planned in Albany on March 6, 2012. If you are interested, please contact the SGA office. Both Debbie and Frank spoke in support of these students, their accomplishments, and the role played by the dedicated, professional NCCFT faculty in assisting these students achieve their dreams.
Finally, after being called to task by Dr. Kimberley Reiser, Dr. Astrab admitted at the recent Board of Trustees meeting that his so-called “vision,” as articulated in the Administration’s recent publication, “Channels,” was crafted using and referring to the work product of multiple Senate committees.
Please ensure that your NCCFT Department Representative is placed on the agenda of your department meetings so that they may communicate important updates and answer any questions you have.
And now for a little music… Amy WInehouse: Our Day Will Come
In solidarity
NCCFT Executive Committee