AFT President Rich Wolfson's Statement to the Board of Trustees

February 2, 2012 

Statement to the Board Of Trustees  

Given by Rich Wolfson, President of AFT Local 1904 

Tonight I would like to address the elephant in the room, or, actually, the elephant in 

the State. It’s the Governor’s proposal to restructure New Jersey’s University system, 

breaking up the state’s medical University and creating a major new public research 

campus at Rowan.  

You’ve all been appointed by this governor or one of his predecessors. You have 

access, and may find yourself in a forum where you have input. So, I’d like you to 

consider my perspective, which in some cases is consistent with the Montclair State 

University administrations, and in others, diametrically opposed. 

The first thing that came to mind when I heard the proposal was something the great 

philosopher Ross Perot said during his White House run in 1992, about the “giant 

sucking sound” of jobs heading south. I’m hearing that sound now. 

The previous two times State University restructuring was on the table, it stalled 

because of the costs. This time is different, as it not only has the full support of 

Governor Christie, but from a political perspective, it’s in the best interests of his 

good friend George Norcross so just like health care reform, it is going to happen this 

time. 

If the State were really interested in higher education, there would be a proposal to 

reorganize of the entire system based on a proven model like the University of 

California, and not leave Montclair to fend for itself. But that would not fit their 

political agenda.  I believe we agree on this issue.  

Make no mistake: the costs connected to this restructuring will be staggering. One 

estimate places it at $1.3 billion. That money can come only from our already meager, 

and ever-dwindling, State allocations. Of course, it can’t all come from us here at 

Montclair. The rest will come from the remaining seven State colleges and universities 

in our sector, state workers, and our students, who will endure double-digit tuition 

inflation as this process unfolds.  

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Another issue is that current talks seem to suggest that Rowan will not only eclipse us 

here at Montclair State University, as it becomes the State’s second “public 

comprehensive research University,” but that it will compete with us for faculty and, 

more importantly, grant and research dollars. While competition is good, it seems 

that Rowan will be the favored child, also getting the facilities necessary to attract 

those dollars and staff, while our proposed Science Building and School of Business 

sites remain parking lots.  

Of course, this reorganization may mean that we get the State Higher Education bond 

issue that we desperately need. But if the bulk of the bond issue resources go to 

Rowan and Rutgers, and much of the rest goes to UMDNJ, the real issue is whether 

there will be enough left for our for new construction and the considerable deferred 

maintenance that continues to pile up. We don’t have a politically connected 

advocate like George Norcross or Chris Christie, or even one like Ray Lesniack at Kean. 

We have you and we need you to help make sure that Montclair is protected in the 

upcoming maelstrom.  

Now, an area where we may disagree. You are undoubtedly aware that we are in the 

midst of difficult, protracted contract negotiations. Professional Staff, and Librarians 

and Faculty have been without a contract since July 1 and there are some significant 

differences in these negotiations from those in the past. The non-economic work-rule- 

related proposals from the presidents limiting grievance rights and due process for 

Professional Staff are unprecedented. I say “the presidents,” because I sincerely 

doubt that the Governor cares one bit about the non-economic work rules of 

University personnel other than to highlight his desire to show the country that, as a 

good Republican, his agenda is to “break the unions” and disenfranchise workers any 

way he can.  

Locally, our administration has chosen to suspend all contractual programs that are 

currently under negotiations, including sabbatical leaves and career development. 

The State wants to take them out of the Master Agreement and put them on the table 

for local negotiations. In my experience, that can take years, and it is particularly 

galling to our members to see their sabbaticals suspended, while sabbaticals for 

administrators are no problem. Other institutions have chosen not to suspend these 

programs. The decision to suspend these programs at Montclair was a local one. 

Dr. Cole and the President’s Council have repeatedly supported the breakup of the 

College Council, bringing local bargaining to each campus on issues that have in the 

past been state-wide. It is clear to us that this proposed reorganization would renew 

the push to make that a reality, as Rowan would clearly want to be like Rutgers, with 

complete autonomy. Dr. Cole and the other Presidents who so badly want autonomy 

and reduced oversight might just be thrown this bone in an otherwise dismal set of 

reorganization circumstances. Clearly our star here at Montclair is dimming, because 

otherwise we would be hosting NJN rather than its residing across the river in what 

was a bad deal for our students and the citizens of New Jersey and only a good one 

for the power brokers that negotiated it.