With your help, this year we have a legitimate opportunity to win health care for adjuncts in state universities, community colleges, and all of the campuses of UMass.

H 4153 , An Act Investing in public higher education, is the re-write of our Adjunct health care bill H 639. H 639 was reported out of the Joint Committee on Higher Education with tremendous support from the Committee co-chair, Representative John Scibak.

H 4153 would provide adjunct faculty who, teach at least 2 (3 credit) courses in a semester or 4 courses in an academic year (summed across all campuses in which they work) the same eligibility to employer sponsored health insurance as other workers.

Legislators need to act on H 4153 by March 28.

Legislators need to hear from you NOW!

Please contact your State Representative and State Senator (Click here to find your legislator) (Click here to send an email via the MTA action network) and ask them to support H 4153 An Act investing in public higher education. Please ask your State Representative and State Senator to express their support for the bill with Committee  on Health Care Financing Chair (Senator James Welch) and Vice Chairs (Rep. Jeffrey Roy and Sen Joseph Boncore), as well as members of the leadership team of the House and Senate (Speaker, Senate President, etc.).

When contacting your State Representative and State Senator please consider including:
Your personal reasons for supporting health care for adjunct faculty
One factoid such as:
1) adjunct faculty in community colleges, state universities, and some UMass campuses have no access to health care benefits, and are not included in the ACA (Obamacare)
2) adjuncts teach 70% of the higher ed course load both nationally and in MA
3) the use of part-time faculty has increased dramatically, and adjuncts are no longer “fill-in” or “night school” teachers
4) adjunct teaching is a career worthy of equal treatment by employers

If you are (or have been) adjunct or non-tenure track faculty, please share your story
Please copy your letter to your College President and to your local union President

Tip: Legislators like to see your home address and personal email address

Click here to find your legislator

Thank you for taking action!