As some of you know firsthand, the state collects unemployment insurance from every adjunct, but, depending on where you live, and the eligibility determination hearing officer you might have, it is 50/50 chance you might be found eligible to ever collect.
A bill has been introduced in both the Senate and the Assembly during this lame duck session to finally address this.
Summary of the Bill:
S-2495/A-4119 "Provides unemployment benefits to certain college and university adjunct faculty members".
The legislation may be read in it’s entirely by going to the following link: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/A4500/4119_I1.PDF.
Pete Guzzo, our lobbyist, recommends that all adjunct faculty immediately begin a campaign during the current lame duck legislative session calling upon both Senate and Assembly leaders to post Senate Bill No. 2495 (Sen. Sweeney) and Assembly Bill No. 4119 (Assemblywoman Wagner--who has left the Assembly but the bill is still listed under her sponsorship) in their respective committees--S-2495 is in the Senate Labor Committee and A-4119 is in the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
The CNJSCL State Council recommends adjunct faculty members and friends email Senate President Sweeney and ask him to post S-2495 for a hearing in the Senate Labor Committee, and do the same with Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, to post A-4119 for a hearing in the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
To make this task simple the Council has drafted two letters. All you have to do is copy paste them into an email, and email them off to their respective intendee. You may feel free to tweak them as you feel so inclined.
For Senator Sweeney, the best way to contact him is by e-mail: SenSweeney@njleg.org
Honorable Senate President Sweeney:
I am contacting you to ask that you post Senate Bill No. 2495 in the Senate Labor Committee for a hearing before the end of the current Senate legislative session. This bill, of which you are the sponsor, provides unemployment benefits to certain college and university adjunct faculty members. We pay into the unemployment fund but are denied benefits in most cases. This bill helps correct the problem.
The message below should be sent to Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver. Please make sure to reference Assembly Bill No. 4119 which is in the Assembly Higher Education Committee. The best way to contact Speaker Oliver is by e-mail: AswOliver@njleg.org
I do not expect A4119/S2495 to pass in the legislature before the expiration of the current legislative session on January 14th. 201, however, I am hoping we can have a hearing on the bill in one or both of the legislative committees during the current lame duck session so that when the bills are reintroduced in the new legislative session starting on Jan. 14th 2014 we will have a better opportunity to move them along much quicker.
We pay into the unemployment fund but are denied benefits in most cases. This bill helps correct the problem.
WE NEED EACH OF YOU TO TAKE ACTION NOW!!!
In solidarity,
Kate Henderson, President, KUAFF (AFT Local6024)
unemployment_pending_legislation_11-15-2013.pdf