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In addition to individual legal As contract negotiations become increasingly difficult, the
protection, NJPSA’s legal team also availability of our field services becomes increasingly important.
provides information about new NJPSA field representatives are labor relations specialists who are well
laws and regulations and how they trained and skilled in assisting NJPSA members and affiliated collective
bargaining units in improving job security, salaries, fringe benefits, and
affect our members. Here are a few working conditions.
examples of articles your team has
written or legal analysis they have This service was started in the early 1980s by NJPSA’s first Assistant
provided over the years that have Executive Director Walt Chesner - the original field reps were Phil
helped members understand issues Geiger, Earnie Rittenhouse, Ray Cosgrove, and Herman Mopsick. Over
and the legal impact: the years the number of field reps have grown. Presently we have more
than 30 field reps who serve our membership.
• Gun Violence in Schools The process starts with a bargaining unit contacting NJPSA and
requesting assistance. Assuming all involved are NJPSA members,
• Frequently Asked Questions our team meets with the unit to determine what assistance they
on COVID-19 Related School need, and our attorneys will review their present contact and make
Policies recommendations for consideration. Members have access to the
Salary Survey on the Members Only page of our website for reference.
• Understanding the U.S. Supreme A field rep is assigned to handle the case, if warranted, who could serve
Court Decision Addressing “Off as a behind the scene resource or sit at the table and serve as the team
Campus” Speech spokesperson.
• Open Letter to NJ School Should the negotiation go to mediation for fact finding, NJPSA covers
Adm. on the Passage of the all costs to the local bargaining unit. Each year, about 160 units are
Legalization of Marijuana negotiating contracts using the services of our field reps.
The benefits to the local unit is the field reps know the settlement
• Non-Renewal of Non-tenured Staff landscape. Many times, they have dealt with the Board Attorneys
and have developed a relationship with them. In some cases, if
• Religious Holiday Displays the negotiation is a bit heated, the field rep takes the heat - not the
in Schools members who will still be working in the district when the contract is
finally settled.
In one recent negotiation, a unit this year went through a long fact
finding process where two of our field reps had to put together volumes
of evidentiary documents to support the unit’s position. The fact finder
found for the members and praised the preparation of the field reps in
the decision.
NJPSA field reps
are labor relations
specialists who
are well trained
and skilled.
