AFT Local 3782 has represented The Arc of Monmouth employees since 1978. Our first contract was settled in April, 1979, after a 23-day strike – and we never had to walk a picket line since. In the 1993 settlement, we gained Union Shop – every employee is a Union member and can take advantage of all the AFT Plus membership benefits listed in a brochure provided to members and available on AFT’s website (www.aft.org). In addition, our Union automatically provides every employee with AFT’s Occupational Liability Insurance coverage at no cost.
The American Federation of Teachers represents public and private sector employees in education, health care, college and universities, and public service. With over a million members, AFT is a powerful advocate for the rights of employees and the people they serve in all of these fields.
We are proud of what we have gained for our members over the years. As the first organized ARC unit in New Jersey, we have led the way toward better salaries, benefits, and working conditions for all ARC staff throughout the state.
This current four-year contract is the tenth collective bargaining agreement we have negotiated with Arc management. While we have had to make some small concessions on benefits in recent years, each contract has brought significant gains in employee rights, working conditions, and salaries. We could not have done it alone – our members have always supported our efforts!
People often take their Union for granted and assume that “someone from the Union” will come in and help when needed. But the Union isn’t something “out there” – it is all of us! Every member needs to know the contract and insist that it be honored.
When problems arise, contact your Union Rep or a Union officer promptly – don’t take any manager’s word for what the Union contract means. Your Union officers can’t know what is happening at your worksite unless you tell them!
Help us help you by getting involved. Volunteer to be a Union Rep or serve on a Union committee. Only by standing together can we preserve the gains we have made. In all the ways that matter, YOU ARE THE UNION!