Know Your Weingarten Rights!

It is important to know and utilize your rights as a union member.
Did you know that you have the right to Union representation during an investigatory interview? If you think you are going to be interviewed by your supervisors, that it could result in some kind of discipline, you have the right to union representation during interview.
But these" Weingarten rights" should be claimed by you because depending on the terms of your contract, your supervisor may not have an obligation to inform you of your right to Union representation.

What is an Investigatory Interview?

An Investigatory interview is one in which a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his/her conduct.
If employee has a reasonable belief that discipline or discharge may result from what
sh/he says, the employee has right to request Union representation.

An employee should state to the employer that he/she wants a Union representative present; depending on the terms of the bargaining unit contract, the employer may not have an obligation to ask the employee if she/he wants a representative.

Weingarten Rules

When an Investigatory interview occurs, the following rules apply:
Rule1-You must make a clear request for Union representation before or during interview. You can't be punished for making this request.

Rule 2- After you make the request, your supervisor has 3 options. S/he must either:
a. Grant the request and delay the interview until the Union representative arrives and had a chance to consult privately with the employee: or
b. Deny the request and end the interview immediately; or
c.Give the employee a Choice of: 1) having the interview without representation or
2) ending the interview

Rule 3- If the supervisor denies your request and continues to ask questions, this is an unfair labor practice and you have the right to refuse to answer. You cannot be disciplined for such refusal but are required to sit there until the supervisor terminates the interview. Leaving before this happens may constitute punishable insubordination.

While this is an important right to have, it is not always applicable. An employee has NO right to the presence of a Union representative where:

1. The meeting is merely for the purpose of conveying work instructions, training or communicating needed corrections in the employee's work techniques.

2. The employee is assured by the employer prior to the interview that no discipline or employment consequences can result from the interview.

3. The employer has reached a final decision to impose certain discipline on the employee prior to the interview, and the purpose of the interview is to inform the employee of the discipline or to impose it.

4. Any conversation or discussion about the previously determined discipline which is initiated by the employee and without employer encouragement or instigation after the employee is informed of the action.
Even in the above circumstances, you can still ask for representation. Most employers will permit a representative to attend even when not required to.

Member Service Request

https://bit.ly/2T2viI1

Members Only - Please fill out this form to request assistance. 

If you are a nonmember* but are interested in joining, please contact the office between the hours of 9 AM - 5 PM, Monday - Friday, to speak to a representative. Our phone number is (210) 536-3700. 

*If you are seeking advice for a concern but are not a member, we are limited in the assistance we can offer for any situations that began prior to joining Northside AFT. 

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Meet Your Legislators

Saturday February 29th (yes, it's a leap year!!!), AFT-CT is hosting a legislative conference at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford (you can park in the LOB garage for free).  It is a private event held at the LOB for A&R/AFT-CT members to meet and listen to State Senators and Representatives about the current legislative agenda.  This is your opportunity to hear and interact with legislators directly to see what they intend to accomplish in this legislative session.  The event is free and runs from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 29, 2020.  Breakfast and coffee are se

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RCG BOCES TA T-shirt Fridays to begin soon!

As we prepare for negotiations, as a sign of solidarity, we will once again ask our members to wear their union T-shirts on Fridays. We are asking for you to submit your T-shirt size so that we have enough of your size available when we place our order. Please take a moment to share your work location and size information in the questions below.
 
 
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Scholarship Honoring Larry DeVaro

The Executive Board of the Adjunct Union is in the process of establishing a scholarship in memory of Larry DeVaro, long-time adjunct professor of history and secretary to the union board, who passed away in January.   Several people have asked about making contributions in Larry's memory.  If you wish to donate to this scholarship fund, please make out your check to UAFNJ - Camden Chapter and note on the check "for DeVaro scholarship."  Checks can be mailed to UAFNJ, PO Box 143, Blackwood, NJ  08012 or can be given to any member of the Executive Board.  

In solidarity,

Karen Feldman and Robert Hammond
Co-chairs, UAFNJ Camden Co Chapter

and Board members: Ernie Kiesel, Ed Carroll, Robert DelSordo, and Greg Wheeler

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Unemployment Bill

Dear Fellow Adjunct Faculty Members,

For several years, our union, United Adjunct Faculty of New Jersey,  has been attempting to make it easier (or at least possible) for us to collect unemployment compensation when we are not working.  We now have bills in committee in both the NJ Assembly and Senate.   We urge you to contact your state representatives and the chairs of the Higher Education committees in the two houses of the NJ legislature.  Email addresses are shown in this forwarded email from the secretary of our state affiliate.

Do yourself a favor and send an email now!

Karen Feldman and Robert Hammond
Co-chairs, Camden Co Chapter, UAFNJ

________________________________________

Subject: Unemployment bill

Good evening,

I am happy to report that our Unemployment bill, that can hopefully help adjunct faculty collect during the Summer, has been submitted to committees in both house of the NJ legislature. We need to get the bills on the floor for a vote. The bills are identical.

We need to begin an e-mail campaign to the Chairs of the respective higher ed committees (Asw Mila Jasey in the Assembly--AswJasey@njleg.org<mailto:Assembly--AswJasey@njleg.org>

and Sen Cunningham in the Senate--SenCunningham@njleg.org<mailto:Senate--SenCunningham@njleg.org> ) asking for A-2718 and S-801 to be scheduled for a vote. The more emails sent the better chance of the bills being posted. They should be separate emails with the bill number indicated.

Please spread this to as many adjunct faculty, members and potential members, so we can get the bills posted. Once we have a date for the vote I will inform you so you can ask your people to contact their assemblymen(women) and senators and ask them to support it.

Thanks and please get the word out there.

Bill Lipkin

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