Castiglione, James

English

The Keep

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy
Volume 0 National Center Proceedings 2018 Article 24
April 2018
Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor
Relations, and Tax Compliance
James Castiglione
Kean University
Follow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba
Part of the Collective Bargaining Commons, and the Higher Education Commons
This Proceedings Material is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of
Collective Bargaining in the Academy by an authorized editor of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu.
Recommended Citation
Castiglione, James (2018) "Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Tax Compliance," Journal of Collective
Bargaining in the Academy: Vol. 0 , Article 24.
Available at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24
Collective Bargaining Issues Concerning 
International Programs:  
 
Challenges and Successes in Organizing & 
Bargaining at a Branch Campus Overseas  
 
 
J A M E S  A .  C A S T I G L I O N E  
 A S S O C I AT E  P R O F E S S O R  O F  P H Y S I C S ,  K E A N  U N I V E R S I T Y  
 P R E S I D E N T,  K E A N  F E D E R AT I O N  O F  T E A C H E R S  
1
Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Ta
Published by The Keep, 2018
Wenzhou-Kean University Background 
 Announced 2006 
 First students in FA 2012 
 A cooperative venture between Wenzhou/Zhejiang government & Kean University 
 Agreement calls for KU to supply the curricula and all of the academic personnel (faculty) 
 while China provides facilities & administrative staff & reimburses KU for faculty 
 Faculty demographics: two-thirds US citizens, one-third foreign nationals;  90+% western 
 educated;  95 total instructors – 36 tenured & tenure-track and 59 non-tenure-track 
 Lecturers on one-year contracts 
 KEY: faculty were deemed by the university from the beginning to be in the same collective 
 bargaining unit as USA faculty 
 
2
Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24
  
3
Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Ta
Published by The Keep, 2018
Collective bargaining unit & agreements  
 
 Kean Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2187 
 Statewide unit: Council of New Jersey State College Locals (CNJSCL) 
 Statewide Master Contract & local Letters of Agreement (LOAs) 
 WKU covered by all existing LOAs from main campus and a handful 
 of new ones negotiated specifically for WKU  
4
Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24
Successes 
 
 Saved jobs of two non-reappointed Lecturers 
 Negotiated LOA to restore home travel allotments 
 Procured back pay for new faculty orientation 
 Negotiated reimbursement for a member’s medical evacuation flight  
5
Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Ta
Published by The Keep, 2018
Institutional challenges with internal organizing  
 
 25 members out of 95 in WKU unit – membership rate of 26% 
 High faculty turnover – roughly one-third leave each year 
 Recruiting & retaining Union Reps 
 Inability to send a union delegation from USA seen by WKU faculty 
 as lack of support from the union 
 Climate of intimidation & fear  
6
Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24
Legal Constraints 
  
 VISA - KU refuses to provide letters of invitation to procure visas for 
 union officials to travel to WKU 
 Chinese Communist Party 
 Cooperation agreements call for legal disputes to be resolved in Chinese 
 courts 
 Foreign nationals not eligible for certain benefits (also taxes a problem) 
 Still unclear how grievances would be arbitrated 
 Lack of support from NJ Christie administration  
7
Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Ta
Published by The Keep, 2018
Logistical Constraints 
  
 12/13 hour time difference: holding Skype meetings; delays in email 
 communications; engaging members 
 Lack of a union office & secretarial support 
 Expense and delay with shipping materials 
 Training Union Reps  
8
Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24
Cultural Constraints 
  
 Many faculty have no experience with unions 
 Chinese students’ approach to student evaluations of faculty 
 (lower scores) impact institutional reappointment decisions 
 Constraints on academic freedom 
 Different conception of labor-management relations 
 Language barriers between Chinese side and faculty  
9
Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Ta
Published by The Keep, 2018
Looking Forward 
  
 Continued member & Union Rep recruitment 
 Creation of WKU union committee structure 
 Acquiring a KFT office 
 Sending an AFT delegation – new NJ Governor changes dynamic  
10
Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24


Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Tax Compliance

Eastern Illinois University

Journal of Collective Bargaining in the AcademyVolume 0 National Center Proceedings 2018 Article 24April 2018Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, LaborRelations, and Tax ComplianceJames CastiglioneKean UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcbaPart of the Collective Bargaining Commons, and the Higher Education CommonsThis Proceedings Material is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal ofCollective Bargaining in the Academy by an authorized editor of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu.Recommended CitationCastiglione, James (2018) "Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Tax Compliance," Journal of CollectiveBargaining in the Academy: Vol. 0 , Article 24.Available at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24Collective Bargaining Issues Concerning International Programs:   Challenges and Successes in Organizing & Bargaining at a Branch Campus Overseas    J A M E S  A .  C A S T I G L I O N E   A S S O C I AT E  P R O F E S S O R  O F  P H Y S I C S ,  K E A N  U N I V E R S I T Y   P R E S I D E N T,  K E A N  F E D E R AT I O N  O F  T E A C H E R S  1Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and TaPublished by The Keep, 2018Wenzhou-Kean University Background  Announced 2006  First students in FA 2012  A cooperative venture between Wenzhou/Zhejiang government & Kean University  Agreement calls for KU to supply the curricula and all of the academic personnel (faculty)  while China provides facilities & administrative staff & reimburses KU for faculty  Faculty demographics: two-thirds US citizens, one-third foreign nationals;  90+% western  educated;  95 total instructors – 36 tenured & tenure-track and 59 non-tenure-track  Lecturers on one-year contracts  KEY: faculty were deemed by the university from the beginning to be in the same collective  bargaining unit as USA faculty  2Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24  3Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and TaPublished by The Keep, 2018Collective bargaining unit & agreements    Kean Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2187  Statewide unit: Council of New Jersey State College Locals (CNJSCL)  Statewide Master Contract & local Letters of Agreement (LOAs)  WKU covered by all existing LOAs from main campus and a handful  of new ones negotiated specifically for WKU  4Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24Successes   Saved jobs of two non-reappointed Lecturers  Negotiated LOA to restore home travel allotments  Procured back pay for new faculty orientation  Negotiated reimbursement for a member’s medical evacuation flight  5Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and TaPublished by The Keep, 2018Institutional challenges with internal organizing    25 members out of 95 in WKU unit – membership rate of 26%  High faculty turnover – roughly one-third leave each year  Recruiting & retaining Union Reps  Inability to send a union delegation from USA seen by WKU faculty  as lack of support from the union  Climate of intimidation & fear  6Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24Legal Constraints    VISA - KU refuses to provide letters of invitation to procure visas for  union officials to travel to WKU  Chinese Communist Party  Cooperation agreements call for legal disputes to be resolved in Chinese  courts  Foreign nationals not eligible for certain benefits (also taxes a problem)  Still unclear how grievances would be arbitrated  Lack of support from NJ Christie administration  7Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and TaPublished by The Keep, 2018Logistical Constraints    12/13 hour time difference: holding Skype meetings; delays in email  communications; engaging members  Lack of a union office & secretarial support  Expense and delay with shipping materials  Training Union Reps  8Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24Cultural Constraints    Many faculty have no experience with unions  Chinese students’ approach to student evaluations of faculty  (lower scores) impact institutional reappointment decisions  Constraints on academic freedom  Different conception of labor-management relations  Language barriers between Chinese side and faculty  9Castiglione: Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and TaPublished by The Keep, 2018Looking Forward    Continued member & Union Rep recruitment  Creation of WKU union committee structure  Acquiring a KFT office  Sending an AFT delegation – new NJ Governor changes dynamic  10Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 0, Iss. 13 [2018], Art. 24https://thekeep.eiu.edu/jcba/vol0/iss13/24

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Overseas Campuses: Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Tax Compliance

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