The NCCFT Political Action Committee
Those of you who have read the NCCFT blog posts on Janus or listened to Secretary Richard Newman’s presentation at the NCCFT Spring 2018 union luncheon/meeting understand what we, the NCCFT, a public sector union, are up against. These are volatile times for unions, and public education is clearly under attack. One of the things we can do is to have strong relationships with both local and state legislators so that they will support both Nassau Community College and the ideals of the NCCFT.
The NCCFT Political Action Committee works hard on this front throughout the academic year. They meet regularly with state and county officials to insure we get the support we need from them. They attend both Democratic and Republican events, because we need the support of both parties. They attend legislative breakfasts at the college and on April 13 they invited legislators to visit the Greenhouse to see for themselves the importance of maintaining financial support in their budget for that crucial part of our retention effort.
Since politics affect every public higher education institution and therefore affects the terms and conditions of our employment, our NCCFT PAC works in conjunction with NYSUT to insure local and state legislators know the importance of what we do and what we need from them to continue our mission. Every year, the NCCFT PAC participates in NYSUT’s Higher Ed Lobby Day. Members go up to Albany, participate in forums with other higher ed union members, and then visit assembly people and senators, making them aware of issues affecting our college. The importance of these efforts cannot be overstated. During the Spring 2018 semester, for example, your PAC was able to, during Lobby Day, help get a boost of $100 per full-time-equivalent student for community colleges, as well as helping to get numerous policy initiatives written into the state budget, including labor protections to help mitigate an adverse Janus decision.
The NCCFT PAC also maintains relations with our K-12 NYSUT brothers and sisters by attending monthly meetings with the local Election District (ED) where K-12 union presidents and PAC chairs meet to discuss important issues. Because we have demonstrated our sensitivity to their issues, our PAC has been able to educate them on issues that affect higher ed and have asked and gotten their support on several county races that were important to the NCCFT.
It is important to remain vigilant in our support of unions. The NCCFT PAC does this in all they do. If you have any interest in joining the NCCFT and contributing to this worthwhile mission, please contact Audrey in the union office.