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Employee Benefits and Union Resources

Union Benefits for Adjuncts

Employee Benefits

As an adjunct faculty member, you are eligible for certain benefits. Some of these benefits require that you enroll, make a contribution, or complete certain paperwork. 

Questions about benefits?

Get in touch with Lolita Lukes in Human Resources: (215) 751-8034 or llukes@ccp.edu.

Employee Benefit Quick Links

Union Resources

Through this site we hope to provide you with basic info on CCP's union and to help you to connect to and raise your issues with the union.

The union office is located in BR-63 and you can reach the union via phone (215-568-8600) or by email (aft2026@gmail.com).

About the Faculty and Staff Federation of CCP

Since 1970, the Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia (FSFCCP) has helped to make CCP a good place to work. Our members are divided into three bargaining units: Full-Time Faculty (FTF), Classified Employees (CE), and Adjunct and Visiting Lecturer Faculty (PT/VL). The PT/VL bargaining unit has been recognized since 1982. We are proud of our history of working together for three fair contracts. We are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, AFT-Pennsylvania, and the AFL-CIO. The union bargains for contracts, responds to grievances, and supports faculty. For more information, visit the AFT 2026 website.

Interview with our union co-president

Click below to watch a video with AFT 2026 Co-President Junior Brainard (English) on how the union benefits part-time faculty:

Video of Adjunct Success Initiative Interview of Junior Brainard by Nwenna Gates

Union Quick Links

FAQs

Am I eligible for unemployment compensation?

Information about Unemployment Compensation from United Academics of Philadelphia

As an adjunct you may be eligible for Unemployment Compensation. Partners from the United Academics of Philadelphia created this comprehensive resource about Unemployment Compensation and adjuncts. Please note that this information does not constitute legal advice, but rather is a set of guidelines meant to assist navigation of the application process. We cannot guarantee that you will receive unemployment compensation, but these guidelines aim to significantly increase your chances. 

Historically, contingent faculty (adjuncts) have had trouble collecting unemployment compensation due to a lack of understanding as to the nature of our working conditions, and how they differ from that of full-time faculty. In December of 2016, the Department of Labor released new guidelines (Unemployment Insurance Program Letter No. 05-17) so we encourage you to read about the changes and how they impact your ability to file.

Click here to file your initial claim.

Click here for the home page for Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation where you can find answers to commonly asked questions and additional information.

Click here for the Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Program Letter 05-17, clarifying the terms "contract" and "reasonable assurance."

    How are salary and course assignments determined? What is seniority? What are pools?

    Salary and Seniority

    Pay rates and course assignments are determined based on seniority. Employees earn a Seniority Unit upon completion of a semester of employment. For assignment to adjunct positions each employee is placed in a seniority pool based on the number of seniority units earned. Pools start at Pool I with those who have earned fewer than 4 units up to pool XIV who have earned 64 or more seniority units. 

    Am I eligible for sick leave and/or disability?

    Disability Fund

    The union administers a disability fund for leaves of absences for Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability and reimbursement of a second week of sick leave.

    The funds described below are administered through the Faculty and Staff Federation of CCP. To receive further information on how these programs work please contact the Federation.

    Sick Leave

    Any Employee shall be entitled to the equivalent of one (1) full work week off with pay for illness or accident during a traditional semester (Spring and Fall semesters); and during a non-traditional semester (any other, including Summer sessions) the time off shall not exceed 1/15 of that semester’s hours.

    Short-term Disability

    A non-probationary Employee who 1) is unable to work because of personal sickness or injury and 2) has exhausted the sick days in paragraph A above shall be granted a short-term disability leave (unpaid) until the end of the semester. The Employee shall provide the Board with satisfactory proof of sickness or injury.

    Long-term Disability

    A non-probationary Employee who 1) is unable to work because of personal sickness or injury and 2) has exhausted sick days and short-term disability in paragraphs A and B above shall be granted a long-term disability leave (unpaid). The Employee shall provide the Board with satisfactory proof of sickness or injury. The leave of absence shall be for the period of continuing disability, but not to exceed one (1) additional semester.

    Conference and Travel Fund

    The union also administers a fund to reimburse part-time faculty for travel to conferences for adjuncts Pool II and above. Reimbursement covers reasonable and necessary expenses to attend professional meetings-reimbursement may not exceed over $750 per academic year including registration fee, lodging, transportation, meals.

    Do I have to join the union? Am I a already a member?
    You do not become a member unless you sign up to join. After the Janus decision of the US Supreme Court in 2018, you are no longer required to pay "fair share dues" to the union unless you become a member, but you are covered by the collective bargaining agreement even if you choose not to join. As an employee, you pay an agency fee (a service charge as a contribution toward the cost of administration of the Agreement and representation by the Union), but you are not a full voting member.

    How do I become a full member, and what are the benefits?
    Adjuncts are no longer fair-share payers, after the US Supreme Court's Janus decision in 2018. While adjuncts used to pay about 71% of membership dues, which you might have seen on your pay stub in the past, you can now opt out of paying dues to the union. Every person who joins the union as a dues-paying full member adds to the power of our contract campaign by demonstrating that union leaders at the negotiating table have the full power of the membership behind them. Additionally, if you become a full dues-paying member of the union, you will have a voice in the union by being eligible to vote in union elections and on issues at General Membership meetings and to submit ideas for contract proposals and to vote on contract ratifications. Join the union as a full member here.

    Who can help me with issues in my department?
    Your department has a representative to the union. Contact a union officer to find out the name of that rep, or consult this webpage: http://drupal.aft2026.org/cms/Repcouncil

    What is the decision-making structure of the Union?
    Representative Council meets every three weeks during CCP’s academic year and votes on the Faculty and Staff Federation's policies. Representatives are elected by each bargaining unit (Classified Employees, Part-Time and Visiting Lecturer Faculty, and Full-Time Faculty) and by each department. All members are welcome at Rep Council meetings, although only Department Reps or their alternates are permitted to vote. Any member can request an item be added to the agenda by contacting a member of the Federation’s Executive Committee.

    What union activities can I attend?
    Check the union website for events. Union issues event and activities will be announced and updated.

    Consider Joining the United Academics of Philadelphia: United Academics of Philadelphia, American Federation of Teacher’s (AFT) Local 9608 is a union dedicated to making higher education sustainable for the 15,000 adjunct professors teaching in Philadelphia-area colleges. We are organizing to build collective bargaining power, community and resources for a vital yet underrepresented majority of university faculties.