Sussex County Community College approves new contracts for staff, faculty
NEWTON — Sussex County Community College has come to a contract agreement with its staff members and faculty, both full-time and adjunct.
The college's Board of Trustees passed a trio of resolutions at its meeting on Tuesday.
The board, as part of the meeting's consent agenda, unanimously approved separate memoranda of agreement on contracts for three union groups belonging to the American Federation of Teachers: Local 4780, which represents SCCC faculty; Local 6374, which represents professional staff; and Local 2222, which represents adjunct faculty.
The full details of the contracts were not immediately available, but Anthony Balzano, president of Local 4780, said the faculty agreement is a two-year deal that includes a 2% increase in base salary among other provisions. He said Tuesday's vote is a "win-win" for the college staff and administration, as both groups saw some of their stipulations met, but also made sacrifices for the benefit of the school and its students.
"We're looking for continued transparency to build the best college that we can," Balzano said. The two groups "set the basis for a continuing dialogue" about other issues, such as how to continue through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
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SCCC President Jon Connolly said the staff and faculty contracts still need to be officially signed, although the board's vote makes the signing a mere formality.
"We are very pleased to have these contract agreements reached," Connolly said. "The college is happy to have signed the contract and gotten it moving."
Prior to Tuesday's agreement, SCCC employees had been working under the terms of their previous contract, which expired June 30, 2021.
The college and union leaders met once or twice a month during the past year to negotiate a new contract, said Deb Henegan, president of Local 2222. After the two sides reached an impasse, Balzano read a joint union statement at the September Board of Trustees meeting expressing hope of working through the issue.
The groups then moved on to a mediation session, which Henegan said was more productive because it involved "more give and take" than previous negotiations.
Henegan acknowledged the difficulties of operating a community college, especially as COVID has resulted in numerous schedule adjustments over the past two years. SCCC started the spring semester this week with virtual classes due to an increase in cases.
Henegan said the contract agreement was the result of staff and administrators recognizing the importance of finding a compromise in order to move forward.
"Everyone has the same goals," Henegan said. "We want the best for the school, we want the best for our students."
This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Sussex County Community College approves new staff, faculty contracts
