When the Pemberton Township School District announced plans to privatize paraprofessional and food service positions, the news sent shockwaves through the community. These were not anonymous employees; they were trusted members of the school community who support students, serve meals and build lasting relationships with children and families.
For the Pemberton Township Education Association (PTEA), the proposal threatened both employee livelihoods and the quality of services students depend on. Rather than accept privatization as inevitable, members organized and fought back.
Association members packed board of education meetings, speaking about the negative impact privatization would have on students, staff and the community. Parents and residents joined them, voicing support for the paraprofessionals and food service professionals they had come to know and trust. The message was simple: Pemberton’s schools are strongest when they are staffed by people who are invested in the community.
The initial pressure produced a partial victory when the Board agreed not to privatize the jobs of current employees. However, the district still planned to privatize any new paraprofessional positions filled after July 1, 2026.
Rather than settle for half a victory, PTEA continued the fight.
Persistence pays off
Working with their UniServ field representative, along with NJEA’s Organizational Development, Communications and Government Relations divisions, the association launched a campaign to stop privatization completely. Members educated the community, organized outreach efforts and promoted a “Take Action” campaign encouraging local NJEA members to contact board of education members directly.
The campaign became a powerful example of people power in action. Members attended meetings, contacted decision-makers and stood together in solidarity even after the board voted 6-3 on May 28 to advertise for bids from private staffing agencies.
Their persistence paid off.
On June 30, the evening before privatization would be welcomed into their community, the board voted 5-4 against accepting bids for paraprofessional services, effectively stopping privatization before it could move forward.
As PTEA President Rob Horn said, “This victory did not happen by accident. It was the result of months of organizing, rallying at board meetings, speaking directly to board members and standing together in collective action to make it clear that privatization would have been terrible for our students, our schools, and our community.”
The decision brought relief to members whose jobs and futures had been at risk.
“Most importantly, I am grateful that our aides’ and food service professionals’ jobs, benefits and union protections have been preserved,” Horn said. “They no longer have to spend their summer wondering whether their livelihoods would be taken away through privatization.”
An inclusive union
The campaign also reinforced an important lesson about solidarity.
“We learned the importance of standing together,” Horn said. “When they come after one group of employees, they come after all of us. That is the strength of an inclusive union. Together, we are far stronger than we could ever be separately.”
The Pemberton victory demonstrates what is possible when members, families and community allies unite around a common cause. Through organizing, persistence and collective action, they protected jobs, preserved vital student supports and proved that people power can overcome privatization.