Takeaway: A merged “Rutgers Strike & Solidarity Fund” will raise funds for striking members of both units. Click here to donate now.
Dear colleague,
In February, the Executive Council of Rutgers AAUP-AFT voted to join the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union’s Strike Fund, which was subsequently renamed the Rutgers Strike & Solidarity Fund. The two unions put together a joint committee to raise, manage, and distribute funds in the event of a strike. You can donate to the fund by clicking here.
PTLFC first established a strike fund in October 2022, with the goal of supporting members if a strike takes place. Many adjunct faculty members and grad workers live paycheck to paycheck because our pay is so low. We want to be able to partially supplement lost income. Our two unions agreed to seed the fund with an initial grant, along with matching funds.
In the event of a strike in which pay is withheld, all Rutgers AAUP-AFT and Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union members in need of emergency funding can apply. Members must be in good standing, demonstrate that participation in the strike resulted in lost income, and be experiencing financial need.
The right to strike is essential to preserving and winning rights at the bargaining table, and strike funds are essential in our exercise of that right. A merged fund demonstrates that we are a united faculty and provides an easy way for others to express solidarity from afar.
Click here to donate to the Rutgers Strike & Solidarity Fund. Click here if you’d like to learn more about the fund.
In solidarity,
Caitlin Dudek, Strike Fund Committee Co-Chair, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union
Elenore Wade, Strike Fund Committee Co-Chair, Rutgers AAUP-AFT