2027 NJEA Winter Leadership Conference Workshops
WLC South – Jan. 29 - 30, 2027 (Harrah’s in Atlantic City)
WLC North – Feb. 19 - 20, 2027 (Dolce by Wyndham - Parsippany)
WLC Central – March 19 -20, 2027 (Delta Hotels by Marriott - Iselin)
1. Presidents’ Roundtable – Through facilitated discussions with presidents and NJEA staff, this roundtable will provide presidents with the opportunity to discuss what we do with, for, and on behalf of our members. Potential topics include membership, member engagement, negotiations, organizing, building community power, and updates on NJEA’s statewide initiatives. For local and county presidents.
2. AR: Key to a Strong Organization – Learn the fundamentals and develop skills to help association representatives (ARs) effectively carry out the functions necessary to maintain a strong organization.
3. Legal Issues Affecting School Employees – Get an overview of the legal structure in New Jersey, existing laws, legal decisions, recent legislation, and emerging issues that affect school employees.
4. Grieve, Don’t Gripe: Contract Enforcement – Discover the keys to successful grievance processing. This seminar includes an overview of essential elements of good representation.
5. Preparing for Negotiations: Collective Bargaining – Learn the bargaining process from beginning to end, with special emphasis on mediation and fact-finding, negotiation strategies, and benefit costs.
6. The Salary Guide Playbook NEW – A strong salary guide is about more than today’s settlement. It’s about protecting and growing member earnings for years to come. In this workshop, participants will gain an understanding of the factors that shape settlement distribution decisions, learn strategies that strengthen the long-term health of a guide, and use data-driven resources to support salary guide negotiations.
7. Bargaining Health Benefits Post Ch.44 – Since the passage of P.L. 2020, Ch.44, health benefits negotiations have been somewhat limited. Although Ch.44 does not sunset until December 31, 2027, many contracts being negotiated now include that timeframe. This session will cover health benefits terminology and current trends that are pushing up costs dramatically. It will also address the limits of what can be bargained now and what can be bargained after the sunset of Ch.44. Finally, this session will offer general strategies when bargaining health benefits.
8. Leadership Development 101: A Beginner’s Guide for Association Leaders – In this workshop, we will explore principles of effective leadership and team building, effective communication and listening skills, principles of time and stress management, facilitation skills for leaders, the importance of change management, and leadership scenarios for association leaders.
9. When Life Throws You Curveballs – This workshop is designed to educate you on what happens when unexpected things occur in life. Whether it is birth, death, accident, trauma, etc. there is very important information that members need to know for themselves and/or their family members through the NJ Division of Pension and Benefits, NEA/NJEA member benefits division, and collective bargaining.
10. Bridging the Member Involvement Gap – Discover ways to engage new members and support current ones while building their commitment and involvement. This is a great program for membership chairs, ARs, and those who would like to get other members involved in their local associations but don’t know where to begin. Learn how to use NJEA resources to help your membership succeed, as well as attract and retain volunteers.
11. Advocacy in the Age of AI NEW – For many association leaders, union work is a second job that begins after a full day in school. When used effectively, AI can help make that limited time go further. This hands-on workshop will explore how leaders can combine their expertise with AI tools to save time, organize information, strengthen communications, prepare for association work, and develop practical resources for their locals. Participants will learn how to write effective prompts, evaluate and verify AI generated content, and identify where AI can be most useful, while recognizing the essential role of human judgment, experience, and personal connection.
12. Building Union Solidarity and Power Across Unions NEW – This workshop explores how NJEA members can strengthen partnerships with fellow union members across New Jersey to build collective power for working people. Participants will learn strategies for fostering relationships, identifying shared priorities, and advancing labor solidarity. Attendees will leave with practical tools to strengthen cross-union networks, mobilize collective action, and more effectively advocate for workers and their communities.
13. The 50-Year Conspiracy Against Your Paycheck NEW– This workshop combines history and politics to identify and reveal the anti-union forces working to take money out of your paycheck and benefits from your family. You’ll learn about the birth and golden age of unions, the origins of the anti-union reaction, and the present-day web of think tanks that exist to undermine your contract. From there, we’ll discuss how public employees and our unions are on the front lines of a larger battle over control of the American economy, and the ways in which race and identity have been used to divide unions to prevent us from advocating for our economic interests.
14. “This Meeting Could Have Become a Fistfight”: Navigating Disagreement and Managing Conflict in
Your Local NEW - Conflict in the workplace is inevitable, but damaged relationships, toxic arguing, and passive-aggressive silence are not. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to transform interpersonal friction into a catalyst for deeper trust, mutual respect, and more effective teams. Attendees will walk away with real-time skills, frameworks, and techniques they need to defuse tension, listen with empathy, and design meetings that use healthy, productive debate to bring colleagues together into supportive and transformative communities.