Hudson County Community College Follows Lead of County Executive on $15 Minimum Wage
November 20, 2018
November 20, 2018, Jersey City, NJ - Hudson County Community College (HCCC) President Chris Reber said Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise took bold and welcomed action in issuing an Executive Order granting a $15 per hour minimum wage for all non-union County employees, and that the College has taken steps to follow the County Executive's lead.
Dr. Reber noted that in the Executive Order, Mr. DeGise stated it is the role of County government to provide assistance in a manner that is both responsible and humane, and to ensure that its workers are paid a fair wage.
HCCC has adopted a resolution to pay all non-union employees - including part-time staff - the $15 per hour minimum pay.
"County Executive Tom DeGise has led on this issue for many years. Our Board Chair William Netchert, the Board of Trustees and I share the County Executive's view, and we are taking action on this issue," Dr. Reber stated. "Since I arrived at HCCC, I have been struck by the dedication and commitment of our faculty and staff. This resolution will benefit our employees and their families, and the increase will not impact the tuition paid by our students."
HCCC Board Chair Netchert said, "The County Executive has long advocated a living wage. The HCCC resolution is the right thing to do as it demonstrates our commitment to those who serve our students and our community and shows that by working together we can all benefit."
The HCCC Board of Trustees approved implementing the wage increase resolution at its November 20th meeting. The increase, which will be retroactive to November 1, 2018, will impact 199 non-union, part-time HCCC employees at an additional cost to the College of $476,000 a year.
"I am pleased to see that the Community College has made this choice," said County Executive Tom DeGise. "President Reber and Chairman Netchert and the Board have shown that you can maintain high standards, operate within a budget and treat your employees fairly. It is also an implicit lesson for their students about the values we stand for as a county."