revised January 2016
Federation of
NJARC Staff
Local 3782
AFT/AFL-CIO
Main P.O. Box 601; Long Branch, NJ 07740
Who are we?
We are Federation of NJARC Staff, Local 3782 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT),
an affiliated international union of the AFL-CIO. New Jersey State Federation of Teachers
(NJSFT) is the state AFT affiliate that provides us with staff assistance for contract negotiations
and grievances.
What Arc employees are included in the Union?
Arc staff positions designated as Bargaining Unit jobs are listed in Article 1, Rider A of the
Union contract. Permanent hires in these positions working 20 hours a week or more are
members of the Union.
Do I have a choice regarding Union membership?
Union membership is a condition of employment for Union eligible positions.
When do I start paying dues? What are the dues used for?
Dues are deducted from all Union members’ paychecks after 30 days of employment. Full time
employees pay $34.91 per month in dues to Local 3782. Part time employees pay $17.46 per
month. From a full time employee’s dues the Local pays out per capita dues in the amounts of
$18.78/month to AFT and $10/month to NJSFT. Additional monthly amounts of $.05/month
are paid to AFT for $5000 accidental death and dismemberment insurance and $.35/month for
occupational liability insurance for Local 3782 members. Therefore a total of $29.18 (84% of
dues collected) is paid out to AFT and NJSFT for per caps and Local sponsored benefits. The
balance, 26% of dues collected, is deposited to the Local 3782 treasury to cover expenses of
office rental, organizational liability insurance, postage and supplies, special events, and legal
defense costs. It is critical that the Local maintain an adequate balance in the event of
arbitration and legal fees associated with Members’ grievances. All expenditures must be
approved by the AFT Local 3782 Executive Board.
The national AFT constitution allows Local affiliates to pass through AFT dues increases
without a vote by their memberships. Although AFT increases dues every year, Local 3782 did
not increase dues from January 2003 to 2010. Primarily due to rising per capita dues from
AFT, we need to implement periodic dues increases to prevent further decline in the treasury
balance. The amount of dues is reviewed periodically and, if needed, approved by the
Executive Board.
How do I get on the Local 3782 mailing list?
We receive notices from Arc’s Human Resources Dept. of all new Bargaining Unit employees’
addresses and changes of address. We would like to transition from postal mailings to using
email as our main method of communication but cannot use Arc email for Union business.
Please send your personal email address to mbick.uni[email protected] to be placed on the Local
3782 email list.
FAQ
for Union Employees
at The Arc of Monmouth
revised January 2016
Where can I find out about my rights as a Bargaining Unit Employee at Arc?
Please refer to the Union contract booklet provided to you when you were hired. The contract
is a negotiated agreement between Local 3782 and The Arc of Monmouth. It describes the
terms and conditions of employment, rights, benefits and pay to which you are entitled. If you
feel your contractual rights are being violated by The Arc of Monmouth, you have the right to
file a grievance according to the procedure described in the contract. If you are unable to locate
your hard copy, an electronic copy of the contract can be downloaded from our website.
What is the Local 3782 Executive Board? Who are the members of the “E Board?”
The E Board is comprised of all elected and appointed officers. Elected officers are President,
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Delegates (to AFT, NJSFT, and Central Labor
Council). Appointed officers include Grievance, Negotiations, Social/Sunshine, Safety, Job
Description, Residential Affairs, Elections and Publicity/Newsletter Chairpersons. The E
Board meets monthly or as needed.
Current Union E Board members (with Arc work site indicated in parentheses) are Jessie
Merritt, President (WOC); James “Earl” Colclough, Vice President (Columbian Manor); Harley
Stanley, Recording Secretary (Arc Center); Kelly Subashi, Corresponding Secretary (Arc
Center); Sandra Troia, Treasurer (Arc Center); Michele Blank, Delegate (Alexandria Group
Home); Marilyn Watson, Delegate (Arc Employment Services, Red Bank); and Madalyn Bick,
Grievance, Negotiations and Elections Chair (Arc Center).
Volunteers are welcome as we unfortunately always seem to have committees that are vacant
(Publicity/Newsletter, Job Description, Safety, Membership, Residential Scheduling,
Elections). We also should have a Building Representative (shop steward) designated at every
work site – the Building Rep can be selected by the staff at the work site. Union officers and
Building Reps receive no financial compensation with the exception of the Treasurer, for which
a $100/month stipend can be paid with approval by the Executive Board. If you are interested
in volunteering, please contact any of the current officers to inquire about becoming active in
the Union.
Where is the Local 3782 office?
We rent meeting and file storage space from Pine Brook Fire Company, 70 Hamilton Ave.,
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724. The Local discontinued its previous office rental in Long Branch to
cut costs.
How can I contact Local 3782?
Our mailing address is AFT Local 3782, M.P.O. Box 601, Long Branch, NJ 07740. If you
have a question or need help with a problem, your best bet is to speak with the Union Building
Rep at your work site or one of the Union officers identified above.
Does Local 3782 have a website?
Yes, we do. We have been provided with a space on the internet courtesy of NJSFT. The
address is http://njarc.nj.aft.org. Local 3782 news updates and a copy of our contract and Local
constitution are currently available online. Please visit the website and give us your
suggestions on what you’d like to see there.
