Takeaway: Please join us for a Zoom Town Hall meeting this Thursday, May 21st, 6-7:30pm, details below, to discuss the plan to avoid layoffs our Coalition of Rutgers Unions has presented to management and raise any questions or concerns you have. At the bottom of this email, we’ve pasted a helpful infographic to explain our progressive people-centered approach to the COVID crisis, please share it widely.
Dear Colleague,
On Saturday, we had a very successful car caravan to President Barchi’s residence, bringing out hundreds of union and community members from across our coalition to fight for a just response to COVID that protects the most vulnerable. Thus far, the Barchi Administration has responded to the COVID crisis with a hiring freeze; instructions to departments to lay off PTLs; proposed layoffs of staff in housing, dining and other student services; and threats of more cuts to come. Such inadequate and unfair institutional responses defy the principle that we are all in this together. Barchi’s proposals have already produced unnecessary anxiety, insecurity, and suffering among the most vulnerable members of our community.
We have completely different priorities:
- No layoffs;
- Hardship funds for PTLs, international students, and the most vulnerable members of our community;
- Extension of graduate student funding packages for one year;
- Hazard pay for frontline health care workers; and
- A voice for the members of all our unions in how the university makes decisions.
In brief, we propose to fund these priorities through spending up to half of the university’s unrestricted reserves, and trimming the swollen annual subsidy to Rutgers’ athletics. We have also proposed a work-share plan that will save Rutgers $100 million, as outlined in last Friday’s union email. This work-share proposal allows us to save significant resources. Unlike layoffs or typical furloughs, the work-share program would save the university tens of millions of dollars without reducing our paychecks. If we are able to reach an agreement on this innovative approach, we’ll put it to our members for approval.
The Coalition of Rutgers Unions is in discussion with management about who would be furloughed under this program. Obviously essential workers like doctors and nurses cannot be included. Also, the number of furlough days per week will depend on one’s salary. Read this for more details about work-share programs.
We apologize for the late notice, but due to the emergency nature of our meetings and our need to get input and take questions from members, it’s important that we meet this week. Please join us on Thursday, May 21st, 6-7:30pm, via Zoom, to learn more about the current proposal and discuss our next steps moving forward.
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.When: May 21, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Town Hall click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88490431177
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16465588656,,88490431177# or +13126266799,,88490431177#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799
Webinar ID: 884 9043 1177
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdVcGy1eY
In solidarity,
Todd and Becky
Todd Wolfson, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Rebecca Givan, VP, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
