Bill Text: NJ SR82 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: 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.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-06-26 - Filed with Secretary of State [SR82 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-SR82-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RONALD L. RICE
District 28 (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.
A Senate 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 Senate 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 Secretary of the Senate to the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education, and the State District Superintendent of the Newark School District.
STATEMENT
This Senate 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.
