SDS Protests against Tuition Hikes

On July 26, the Board of Trustees of Montclair State University unanimously voted to raise tuition (including the so-called "elected" Student Trustee Alex Bychkov) by 3.9%... but not without a fight.


The video includes AFT Union President Richard Wolfson speaking against tuition hikes unless the administration considers "managerial cuts" in the administration aka "Chopping from the Top." This is something that SDS has been advocating the entire year in light of Susan Cole's bonus along with other perks (free housing, free car, free housekeeing, free driver, free credit card, extra compensation after her resignation etc.) The FULL contract can be found here.

SDS members along with supporters shouted "SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!" repeatedly to express their disapproval. And as is standard practice with this Board of Trustees, they completely ignored the students and continued with their bureaucratic meeting.

AFT Local 1904 Day of Action Address--Lisa Grab

Today, I am speaking on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society and New Jersey United Students. Both of these groups advocate for student rights and accessible education, among other causes--all of which are directly connected with the AFT’s struggle right here at MSU. 

On a side note, I would like to mention that today is the day that nation-wide student debt has reached 1 trillion dollars. This too is connected with the workers struggle at MSU--they are all a result of an attack on the public service of higher education. 

Last week, Dr. Cole stood before a small audience of 500 and insulted our vision of education by explaining how this university should be operated like a business. 

A university that is “operated like a business” only serves to mass produce robotic workers rather than create educated citizens. Dr. Cole’s agenda of nontransparent reckless expansion drains not only the students, but also the faculty and staff, of their every last penny. 

A university that is “operated like a business” does not care about its foundations. Attacks on the AFT union at MSU are attacks on higher education itself. If the AFT cannot secure a fair contract, the quality of education will drop. Professors, staff, and students will no longer be able to explore intellectual freedom or expand their knowledge easily. 

Last week many of you saw the tents that we set up in the quad. This weeklong occupation was part of NJUS’s statewide week of action to raise awareness about tuition hikes and student debt. The occupation successfully created an alternative community that offered free education, food, and a place to stay. 

The occupation reminded me how we all need to stick together here at MSU. We are all part of the same struggle. All of our problems here come from the same source--a broken society. To be more specific, we all suffer from a government that values imperialism more than the right of education and basic care for all of its citizens; we all suffer from Christie’s attacks on higher education; and we all suffer from an administration that does not take the voice of the students, workers, and faculty seriously. 

While the separate unions on campus give different groups statewide power, they can only do so much for the problems here on campus. We need to unite with all workers at MSU--all the community here--and we need to learn about one another’s struggle. 

For example, did you know the maintenance workers are suffering borderline racist attacks? They are the only workers who are required to fingerprint every day because the administration does not trust that they are fulfilling their hours. Similarly, you should reach out to others to educate them on your issues with the campus. 

We need to bridge our gaps and stand in solidarity. When the maintenance workers are facing discrimination, when the Sodexo workers are unhappy with their working conditions, when the faculty and staff cannot secure a fair contract-we all need to help one another because so many of our problems come from the same source. 

Let’s unite and fight back!

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.  

   2

   

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. 

12/15/11--AFT President Rich Wolfson's Board of Trustees Statement

It’s nice to see members of both the faculty and the student body here tonight to observe this meeting. I say “observe” because that’s all they can do. There are no procedures for anyone besides you, the trustees, to speak on an issue that may be of great importance to one or more constituencies on campus. They are being denied what is, in my opinion, a basic right to be heard at a public meeting of a public university. Rutgers allows public participation, and many of the institutions in our sector allow public input. I think the time is overdue for Montclair to allow public input as well. 

No trustee ever asks a question in public, and there is never any dialog. There are only general, and positive, comments during the President’s report about this sports team or some new residence hall. There is no substantive information presented at these meetings. It would be nice to know, for instance, when we can expect Science Hall or the Business School to be started. Or hear some comments about the fiscal health of our institution other than that the state has not fulfilled its obligations. Substance and dialog would be welcomed by everyone. 

You should know that I don’t take my contractual rights to speak on agenda items lightly, and while I appreciate your indulgence on my occasional diversion, I am well aware that I speak mostly for the members of Local 1904. But there are also other important voices to be heard here in your public session. And I’d like to note that while I get to speak, and ask questions, I rarely get answers, or even acknowledgment. For instance, I still haven’t received a copy of the audit as passed at last month’s meeting. 

But I am encouraged by what I characterize as a new awareness by our students for the social justice issues that plague our country and economy. Many of those students were at your last meeting and are again here tonight. I encourage you to talk to them when you can, and get their perspectives on issues that concern them. You’ll find it’s not only the cost of tuition that concerns them. Or the price of beer. Their issues are significant and real. 

There is another group of people here tonight worth mentioning. You are conferring tenure on 18 faculty members. Some are here to celebrate that vote. Each has undergone 5 years of intensive scrutiny. They are gifted scholars, many have significant grants, they are well published, and all are excellent teachers. They have worked hard for this richly deserved moment that will provide them with job security and protection against summary dismissal. Many of these people have opportunities outside of academia but for various reasons—and perhaps the idea of tenure is one of them—they chose the life of an academic. Tenure does not diminish the flexibility of an institution like ours. It strengthens it, allowing faculty who have demonstrated their academic abilities through rigorous review to enter into areas of inquiry that are not always popular or well-traveled, and they can do so without worrying that such a line of inquiry will cost them their jobs. Their academic agendas can be dictated by their interests rather than the flavor-of-the-month as determined by a Dean. 

You probably know that our state legislature has started a discussion about changing the tenure statutes, something Governor Christie has publicly stated is one of his goals. You all have been appointed by this governor, or a previous one, but if you get Christie’s ear, here are some of the things I’d like you to say. 

Universities are not like businesses, where the employer has a stake in the success of the business. Our administrators work for our students, just as the faculty do. Their jobs are to facilitate the academic mission, not to turn a measurable profit. 

Faculty with tenure have all gone through rigorous vetting, and this current tenure cohort has exceptional credentials. Senior administrators at our public universities undergo no such scrutiny. They get hired, some at exorbitant pay levels, and as I have pointed out here before, with no routine yearly evaluations. Are you aware that both President Cole and Provost Gingerich have tenure in academic departments? And that tenure was granted without peer review, and on an expedited time line? The conventional wisdom is that the President serves at your pleasure and the Provost at the President’s, but if you wonder why faculty should have the protection of tenure, don’t forget that our senior academic administrators are afforded the same protection, but without the rigorous review. 

Montclair State University is known for its excellent faculty. Our ability to attract the best and the brightest, hinges in part on our ability to offer the protections of tenure. Allow the State to erode tenure, and those best and brightest will consider positions at other institutions, or in private industry, where they can make more money and have increased opportunity. Tenure is not broken. There is no need to fix it. 

But if you want to know what is broken here at Montclair, allow public input at these meetings. You’ll hear a perspective that is not sanitized, and not top-down. Sure, some people might be angry, but others will tell you about some great things that are going on. Yes, your meetings will be longer. But it is the right thing to do, and doing the right thing is why you agreed to serve in the first place. 

I wish you all a very merry holiday season. I’ll see you all here again next year. I hope you’ll bring a new, more enlightened, sense of purpose.