The Faculty Association of County College of Morris
By Jennifer Clemen
The Journey Begins
In 2019, a revitalized leadership team stepped up to guide the Faculty Association of the County College of Morris (FACCM), breathing new life into the union’s operations. Determined to build strength and cohesion among members, they appointed dedicated negotiations and grievance chairs, implemented a communications strategy with regular updates and established a vibrant social media presence to boost visibility and outreach.
Their internal organizing bore fruit quickly. By 2021, FACCM successfully negotiated a strong new contract, demonstrating the power of unity and persistence. However, the timing of this success was preceded by a change in administration: Dr. Tony Iacono was appointed as the new college president in 2016.
Current FACCM President Dee McAree, who was deeply involved with the union at the time, reflects on the moment things changed.
“President Iacono saw the strength and unity within our association, and that’s when the union busting began,” McAree recalls.
On Friday, April 16, 2021, at 3 p.m., six nontenured faculty members were blindsided with Rice notices and informed of their nonrenewals over the phone. The stated reason was “declining enrollment.“ However, the department chairs—immediate supervisors of these faculty—were left completely out of the process. Traditionally, a reduction in force (RIF) requires adherence to seniority rules. That wasn’t the case here.
The pattern was hard to ignore. Among the six were the association president, two other union leaders and multiple vocal members who had spoken out about contract violations. All but one taught in the humanities, and all were poised to become tenured in the coming academic years.
The firings appeared to be a direct attack on the union. In response, NJEA launched a “Take Action” campaign. Letters poured in from educators across the state condemning the administration’s tactics.
Michelle Altieri, FACCM leader and PEP chair, called the situation “catastrophic.” PEP is NJEA’s Public Education Partnership grant program, formerly known as Pride in Public Education.
“It sent a chilling message,” Altieri says. “Our members were outraged, and rightfully so. If administrations can simply remove union leadership without due process, then no union is safe. This isn’t just about us—it’s a warning to unions everywhere.”
The legal battle and anti-union animus
FACCM filed an Unfair Labor Practice complaint with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), asserting that the dismissals were retaliatory and rooted in anti-union bias. PERC’s preliminary ruling agreed: five of the six members should be reinstated.
PERC cited the three conditions necessary to establish anti-union animus under the National Labor Relations Act: the employees engaged in protected union activity, the employer knew about it and the employer acted with anti-union intent. All three were clearly present.
However, the college administration wasn’t ready to concede. They filed for exceptions to the decision, triggering a drawn-out legal process that included a recommendation for mediation. A rulling from PERC has yet to happen years later.
In the meantime, lives remain in limbo. Careers have been disrupted, reputations harmed and trust eroded. The union remains unwavering in its demand for justice, refusing to let this go unresolved.
McAree describes the battle as both exhausting and essential.
“This case is bigger than any one individual,” McAree says. “It’s about the very principle of union protection and the right to collective representation.”
Members stand together
The aftermath of the firings was met with collective resistance. Under McAree’s leadership, the association adopted a strategy of high visibility and persistent engagement. Members showed up at every board of trustees meeting, organized rallies and flooded social media with messages of solidarity.
Events often drew over 100 members and supporters, including students who had formed strong bonds with faculty members. They wore shirts emblazoned with union slogans and held signs demanding accountability and justice.
Altieri has also led numerous initiatives through grants from the PEP and Families and Schools Together Work for Children (FAST) programs, including textbook giveaways and financial literacy seminars for students—programs designed not only to assist students but to emphasize the faculty’s role as community educators.
Despite these efforts, retaliation has continued. The college administration has refused to support or even match funding for textbook giveaways. Altieri was later interrogated under vague pretenses after a PEP event, part of a pattern of harassment directed at union leaders.
Faculty have been mysteriously removed from committees, denied sabbaticals and had their departmental leadership roles stripped without explanation—even when performance reviews were positive. A campus newspaper attempting to report on the issue was discouraged from reporting on these issues, and its advisor feared for his position.
The human cost
McAree explains the toll it’s taken on both faculty and students.
“The pandemic already placed enormous strain on everyone—mentally, emotionally and professionally,” McAree says. “But instead of healing and rebuilding, we’ve had to operate under a cloud of fear and retaliation.
“Community colleges are lifelines,” she adds. “Many of our students are first-generation college attendees. What we do matters—not just to our members, but to the families who rely on us to prepare their children for the future.”
Altieri echoes this concern.
“When experienced educators are removed or intimidated into silence, it’s our students who suffer most,” Altieri says. “These tactics are harming learning outcomes, morale and the campus climate.”
She notes that the administration has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and retaliation campaigns.
“That’s money that should have gone to scholarships, technology upgrades and academic support—not silencing tenured faculty,” Altieri maintains.
Looking to the future
Despite everything, FACCM remains determined. One recent challenge is the administration’s refusal to host orientation sessions for new staff—a longstanding opportunity for union outreach. But the union has adapted. FACCM’s membership chair now monitors hiring updates under the Workplace Democracy Enhancement Act (WDEA) and follows up with new hires individually.
McAree sees this as an evolution of the union’s mission.
“We’re not just defending our rights,” McAree says. “We’re growing stronger, more strategic and more inclusive. Our adversaries have underestimated our resolve. We do this not just for those who were targeted, but for future faculty and students. We’re laying the groundwork for a healthier, more just academic environment.”
McAree concludes with a message of solidarity.
“We must protect our union president,” McAree says. “Reinstating him would send a powerful signal—that this union cannot and will not be dismantled through fear. This is what real solidarity looks like.”
Jennifer Clemen is a seventh-grade teacher at Janis E. Dismus Middle School in Englewood and an NJEA Communications Consultant. She can be reached at jclemen@njea.org.