James Werner, Westchester Community College Federation of Teachers
James Werner has been an English professor at Westchester Community College since 2003. A devoted reader, Werner knew from an early age that he wanted to create a space for meaningful discussion. “What I like best about teaching is really the classroom ... being in the classroom with a bunch of smart people, talking about ideas that matter,” Werner said.
From the start, Werner was an active member of his local, the Westchester CC Federation of Teachers. He served as a grievance officer, then vice president, and has been president of the local since 2019.
With Werner’s help, the local successfully negotiated a six-year contract last year, revised its constitution, and has been actively building alliances with other locals and legislators.
During that time, Werner has also been a leading proponent of A New Deal for Higher Ed, a campaign co-sponsored by NYSUT that calls on lawmakers to re-invest in public colleges and universities and reverse decades worth of defunding. Public higher education, Werner said, should be one of the state’s most important investments.
Community colleges play an especially important role in our society, Werner said, because they are accessible to everyone. “It really is democracy in action,” he said. “Community college is a springboard for students — that's available to anybody — and will speed them on their way to greater achievements in life.”