ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 137

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED JUNE 23, 2014

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  THOMAS P. GIBLIN

District 34 (Essex and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER

District 28 (Essex)

Assemblyman  RALPH R. CAPUTO

District 28 (Essex)

Assemblywoman  SHEILA Y. OLIVER

District 34 (Essex and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  ELIANA PINTOR MARIN

District 29 (Essex)

Assemblywoman  L. GRACE SPENCER

District 29 (Essex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Urges Commissioner of Education and State District Superintendent of Newark School District to take immediate steps to resolve longstanding contract dispute with unions representing non-instructional staff of district.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

 


An Assembly Resolution urging the Commissioner of Education and the State district superintendent to resolve the longstanding contract stalemate with the non-instructional staff of the Newark School District.

 

Whereas, Unionized non-instructional staff of the Newark School District have been without a new collective bargaining agreement or salary increase for more than five years; and

Whereas, The Newark School District and the Department of Education have made no meaningful effort to negotiate with the affected bargaining representatives; and

Whereas, These vital employees continue to perform difficult and important duties in a challenging environment; and

Whereas, A significant percentage of the non-instructional staff are women and minorities earning less than $10 per hour; and

Whereas, Despite the lack of a new contract for more than five years, the non-instructional staff have made increased pension and benefit contributions resulting in a direct salary reduction; and

Whereas, Over the past five years, the Newark School District has received hundreds of millions of dollars in private and public funding but administrators claim that no funds are available to negotiate with bargaining representatives; and

Whereas, The non-instructional staff of the Newark School District deserve to be treated by their employer with dignity and respect and to receive compensation that enables them to support their families; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.  The Commissioner of Education is urged to:

     a.  take immediate steps to resolve the longstanding contract dispute between the unions representing non-instructional staff and the Newark School District; and

     b.  direct the State District Superintendent of the Newark School District to initiate negotiations with the respective bargaining representatives to conclude new labor agreements within 90 days of the approval of this resolution.

 

     2.  Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education, and the State District Superintendent of the Newark School District.


STATEMENT

 

            This Assembly resolution urges the Commissioner of Education to take immediate steps to resolve the longstanding contract dispute between the unions representing non-instructional staff and the Newark School District.  The resolution also urges the commissioner to direct the State District Superintendent of the Newark School District to initiate negotiations with the respective bargaining representatives to conclude new labor agreements within 90 days of the approval of the resolution.  Unionized non-instructional staff of the Newark School District have been without a new collective bargaining agreement or salary increase for more than five years and no good faith efforts have been made to try to resolve the contract dispute and arrive at a fair settlement.