Organizing Strategy and Practice

Patrick Nowlan's Picture

Patrick Nowlan

Patrick Nowlan is the Executive Director of Rutgers AAUP-AFT, representing nearly 10,000 academic employees at Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He started as a Staff Representative in 2002 (member organizing, leadership development, negotiations and legislative relations) before becoming director in 2009. In addition, he serves as the union’s representative to the Public Employee Committee of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. He has served as a representative for state employees on the State Health Benefits Commission (2008-14) and currently co-chairs the Plan Design Committee of the State Health Benefits Program. He is an alum of the inaugural AFL-CIO Mid-Atlantic Labor Leadership Initiative coordinated through Rutgers, Cornell, Penn State and West Virginia universities. He serves on the AFT committee for the national Fund Our Future campaign and is a founder of the Rutgers University Progressive Alumni Network.  Prior to joining Rutgers AAUP-AFT, he worked for 8 years for the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (1199/AFSCME) as a National Organizer where he helped organize thousands of health care workers across the country.