AR Handbook – 29
NJEA Jim George
Collective Bargaining
Summit & Award
Jim George was a driving force in
NJEA’s quest to secure collective
bargaining rights for school employees.
His long relationship with
NJEA began when he was a teacher
leader in Cinnaminson. An activist
at heart, he served the Cinnaminson
Teachers Association as its treasurer
and then local president.
At the forefront in the fight for
member rights, Jim is best known
for his stirring remarks at the 1967
Asbury Park Rally for Teacher
Rights. It was then Jim spoke the
words that would become the inspiration
behind NJEA’s Collective
Bargaining Summit: “A new order is
at hand. A new generation has been
conceived – and we are not afraid.”
Jim George joined the NJEA
UniServ staff in 1967 and served
members in Burlington County until
1986 when he became a UniServ
coordinator serving the southern
portion of the state. For 28 years,
prior to his untimely death in 1995,
Jim George inspired NJEA members,
leaders and staff. It was Jim George
who first suggested that NJEA hold
a collective bargaining summit to reinvigorate
the Association’s commitment
to bargaining. His legacy lives
on through the summit and award
which bear his name.
Criteria for Award
The Jim George Collective Bargaining
Award recognizes local associations
that are true “trend-setters” in
the collective bargaining arena.
A local can qualify for the award by
meeting one or more of the following
four criteria:
• First, if it bargains one or more
new contractual provisions
not already found in another
affiliate’s contracts.
• Second, if it conducted an
extraordinary community
organizing effort the resulted in
a settled agreement.
• Third, if it used the bargaining
experience to propel new
members into association
involvement and leadership
positions.
• Or, fourth, if it achieved a
particularly good settlement, in
comparison to state averages, in
salary increases, health benefits,
professional development, and/
or member protection.
How to nominate a local
To nominate your local – or another
NJEA local association – please send
a typed letter addressing the criteria
listed. The deadline for submissions
is __________________________.
Letters of nomination should be sent
to:
Jim George Collective Bargaining
Award Nomination
New Jersey Education Association
PO Box 1211
Trenton, NJ 08607-1211
Or use the nomination form that is
included on njea.org/jimgeorge
Local associations may nominate
themselves or may be nominated by
other NJEA members of NJEA staff.
The nomination letter must fully describe
the local association’s success
in one or more of the criteria.
A committee of NJEA officers and
staff shall review the nominations
and select a recipient.