Training Sessions for Strong and Safe Picket Lines
Dear colleague, We hope you are getting some rest this week after the intensity of the semester and the strike authorization vote. When we return next week, we need to be prepared for the next and likely even more intense stage of our fight. If President Holloway’s administration continues to reject or shortchange our proposals …
Our Members Have Spoken: 94 Percent Voted “Yes” on Strike Authorization!
Dear colleague, Our members have spoken: over 94 percent of those who cast a ballot on strike authorization voted YES. Eighty percent of our membership participated, far surpassing any previous turnout for our two unions. The vote does not mean a strike is inevitable. The leadership bodies of our two unions will decide in the coming …
President Holloway’s “Update on Negotiations” Is Misleading and Evasive
Takeaway: President Holloway’s disingenuous “Update on Labor Negotiations” sent yesterday evening is further proof that his administration isn’t serious about bargaining a fair contract. Vote YES on strike authorization in the secret ballot from Election Runner to show that we are prepared to fight for a living wage for grad workers, equal pay for equal …
The Administration’s Insulting Salary Proposal to 15,000 Workers: Money for Them, Crumbs for Us
Takeaway: The administration made another shameful proposal on salaries that amounts to a wage cut when inflation is taken into account. Please vote YES on strike authorization if you haven’t already—and talk to your colleagues about doing the same. Dear colleague, Today, all of the Rutgers unions bargaining new contracts were summoned to a special negotiating session, …
Vote YES: We’re Showing We’ll Do What’s Necessary to Win Fair Contracts
Dear colleague, We made a powerful statement yesterday that the people who make Rutgers work want fair contracts now! We launched our vote on strike authorization yesterday morning, and within 24 hours, over a third of our members had cast a ballot. Now we need to hear from every other member. If you haven’t voted yet, …
Strike Authorization Vote Begins Tuesday! – A Day of People’s Protest and Education
Takeaway: 1) Members, look for an email from Election Runner in your inbox starting Tuesday morning with your ballot to vote on strike authorization. 2) Join campus actions in protest of the Board of Governors, which is meeting in Newark. Dear colleagues, This is a critical week for our fight for a fair contract. Tomorrow …
Strike Authorization Vote Will Begin Tuesday, February 28!
Takeaways: 1) Click here to take the 2023 Strike Pledge if you haven’t already. 2) Our union’s Executive Council unanimously approved a strike authorization vote to begin next week; read more below. 3) Plan to attend the “Day of People’s Protest and Education” on our campus next Tuesday; click here to tell us you’re coming. 4) Come to a Freedom …
Don’t Believe the Administration’s Scare Tactics about Deficits
Dear colleague, Tomorrow, President Holloway will give his budget address to the University Senate. With Rutgers prospering during the pandemic and the administration’s unrestricted reserves climbing to a new high of $818.6 million, you’d expect President Holloway to be cheerful about our university’s financial health. Unfortunately, we expect a gloomier speech. President Holloway and members of his administration have …
Come to an All-Member Town Hall to Discuss Our Strike Pledge and Contract Campaign
Dear colleague, Nearly 2,000 of you have signed the 2023 Strike Pledge. We are showing management that the ball is in their court to agree to a fair contract—and we’re ready to take further action if necessary to win our demands. We’re holding an all-member town hall next Monday, February 20, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Click here …
The Financial Drain of Athletics: Let’s Turn Rutgers’ Priorities Right Side Up
Takeaway: Take the 2023 Strike Pledge (if you haven’t already) so we can fight for our priorities for a better Rutgers. Dear colleague, Once again, Rutgers Athletics is number one in the Big Ten…in losing money. According to NorthJersey.com, the sports program lost nearly $53 million last year, two-and-a-half times more than any other Big Ten public university. President Holloway …
Here’s How Our Union Is Fighting for the Common Good
Takeaway: Take the 2023 Strike Pledge (if you haven’t already) to show management we are ready to act to win a fair contract. Join students, our community allies, and your colleagues for a Housing Justice Town Hall on Wednesday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the College Avenue Community Church, 100 College Ave. Click here to RSVP. Click …
Take the Pledge: Tell Us What You’re Willing to Do for a Fair Contract
Click Here to Take the Pledge! Dear colleague, After more than half a year of bargaining, the Holloway administration continues dragging its feet on our contract. It’s clear that they have no interest in settling an agreement any time soon, let alone a fair contract that addresses our needs and the needs of our students. We need …
Higher Ed Labor Is Organizing—and Winning. We Can Too.
Click here to take the pledge! Dear colleague, We are not alone in fighting for a fair contract. Across the country, higher ed labor is organizing, striking—and winning. These important victories show that when we fight, we can win. And none of them would have happened without union members refusing to accept delays and rejecting inadequate …
Sign Up for Strike School in January and February!
Takeaway: Sign up for Strike School! Click here to register for two virtual 90-minute training sessions being held multiple times from January 25 through February 24. Dear colleague, Higher ed workers from the University of California to The New School have been going on strike to win better wages and dignity on the job. Currently, faculty at …
Looking Ahead to a Semester of Struggle
Dear colleague, Welcome back to another semester. We hope you got some rest, because we have a fight ahead of us. We’re sure management’s insulting salary offer is fresh in your mind. After waiting more than half a year, we learned that the administration thinks we deserve a 5 percent salary CUT once inflation is taken into account. Nothing …
Get Some Rest Over the Break – We Have a Fight Ahead of Us When We Get Back
Dear colleague, We’re sending our love and solidarity to all of you at the end of another challenging semester, along with our best wishes for the holidays and our break. Please take time to recharge; we’re going to need all of us working together to win the strong contract we need and deserve. Management has dragged …
We Have an Agreement on Pay Equity – Here’s What It Means for You
Takeaway: See below for more information about our agreement on the Faculty Salary Equity Program. We’ll be holding information sessions to talk about next steps on Friday, December 30, at 10 a.m. (click here to RSVP) and Friday, January 6, at 2 p.m. (click here to RSVP). Dear colleague, We’re thrilled to announce that the …
We’ve Invited President Holloway to Bargain for the Common Good with Us
Dear colleague, We have been working with students and our community partners to develop proposals for our university to serve the common good, on our campuses and beyond their borders. At our next bargaining session on Tuesday, December 13, we will be presenting a new contract article reflecting the urgent needs of students and the communities that …
Management’s Shameful Salary Proposal: Get Ready to Be Insulted
Dear colleague, After half a year of bargaining in good faith, we finally got management’s insulting counter-offer to our proposal for a fair salary increase for all of us, including a living wage for grad workers. The administration is proposing a 2.25 percent raise for this school year and 2 percent in each of the next three years. …
Hundreds of Us Sent a Message to President Holloway: Fair Contract Now…Or Else!
Dear colleague, It may have been wet and cold, but yesterday was a beautiful day for our unions! We joined together with our students and staff and faculty colleagues on four campuses for rallies that sent our message loud and clear: We’re fed up with hearing “no” from the administration, and we want a fair …
Management Is STILL Saying No: All Out Tuesday, December 6!
Upcoming Events: Dear colleague, Yesterday’s bargaining session marked six months that our unions have been at the table—and management is STILL saying no to our main demands. Enough! When our unions won victories in the past, it was because we were ready to take action. It’s that time again. We’re mobilizing in New Brunswick, Newark, Camden, …
Wed, Nov 30, 5:30–7pm: Town Hall Forum on Graduate Worker Issues
Upcoming Events: Dear colleague, As you may know, our collective bargaining agreement with the Rutgers administration expired nearly five months ago. We are now in the middle of negotiating our contract. Graduate workers have been forced to make ends meet with increasingly meager resources, while inflation continues to escalate, rents in NJ and the tristate …
Nov. 21 at 6p: All-Member Town Hall on How We’ll Win a Strong Contract
Upcoming Events: Dear colleague, We need to talk as a union about why we’re taking action for a strong new contract. Join us next Monday, November 21, at 6 p.m. for an all-member virtual town hall meeting. Come with your questions about bargaining and your ideas about what we need to do to win. Click here to RSVP …
December 6 on Every Campus: All Out for a Fair Contract!
Takeaway: Fill out this commitment form to say you’ll take action on December 6. Find out what’s happening at bargaining and why we’re calling for action at an all-member virtual town hall meeting on November 21 at 6 p.m. Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link. Dear colleague, Half a year ago, we put forward our proposals for a …
Vote as if Your Rights Depend on It. Because They Do.
Dear colleague, The stakes couldn’t be higher in the November elections. Across the country, the Republican Party is running anti-union, anti-abortion, anti-democratic extremists with ties to white supremacists. If these MAGA zealots and election deniers take over Congress and state governments, our most basic rights will be even more at risk than they already are. Wherever …
No or Nothing: Management’s Response to Our Bargaining Proposals
Takeaway: Find out where we stand with our contract proposals with the online Bargaining Status at a Glance page. Download this abridged version and post it. Fill out this form if you’re interested in attending a future large bargaining session. Dear colleague, In May, we presented an ambitious set of proposals for bargaining our next contract. We shared a summary of them with …
Learn about Your Health Plan Options: New Town Hall Meetings and Resources
Dear {{ FirstName | commonize | default: “Friend” }}, As we wrote yesterday, the State of New Jersey has extended the open enrollment period for health insurance through the end of the business day on Friday, November 4, giving you more time to decide if you want to change health plans to avoid a large increase in …
Deadline for Changing Health Plans Extended – Here’s What to Do Now
Dear colleague, You should have received an email from University Human Resources at 4:45 p.m. yesterday announcing that the state of New Jersey extended health insurance open enrollment until Friday, November 4. Our union staff was finishing up the last of a series of town halls, so we were unable to notify you ourselves. Those of …
Important Information about Health Insurance: How to Avoid a Big Premium Increase
Dear colleague, We’re writing with important information about your health insurance benefits. You may want to take action by this coming Monday to avoid a large increase in the biweekly payroll deduction for health insurance starting in January 2023. Monday, October 31, is the last day of open enrollment for plan year 2023. The Coalition of Rutgers …
Picket or Treat on Halloween: Nothing Scarier Than a University That Preys on Your Labor
Dear colleague, The scariest time of the year is upon us! Yes, Halloween is around the corner. What is even more frightening is that the Rutgers administration is refusing to give us a real response to our demands at the bargaining table. We are asking for a living wage for grad workers, a path to tenure for NTTs, …
Thurs, Nov 3, 7pm – Freedom School: Elite Capture and Our Fight for Solidarity in Higher Ed
Dear colleague, Join us for a special Freedom School session on “Elite Capture and Our Fight for Solidarity in Higher Ed,” on Thursday, November 3, at 7 p.m. Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link—and help us spread the word by sharing this Facebook page. Our featured speaker is Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, the acclaimed author of Elite Capture: How …
The Administration’s Callous Masking Decision – Here’s How to Protect Your Health and Safety
Dear colleague, A few hours ago, the administration announced it would be reimposing its new masking policy that bars us from requiring that students wear face coverings in learning spaces and eliminates any masking requirement in libraries. To say we’re disappointed is an understatement. Our unions proposed to give individual instructors the discretion to decide what is …
Strike School is Coming in October and November! Sign Up Today
Takeaway: Sign up for Strike School! Click here to register for two virtual 90-minute training sessions being held multiple times from October 26 through November 20. Dear colleague, We are 112 days without a contract as of today, and the administration STILL has not addressed the substantial proposals we put forward nearly half a year ago. Instead, management seems …
October 31 Deadline in Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Dear colleague, Many of you will benefit directly from the Biden administration’s decision to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debts for tens of millions of people. Applications for this limited cancellation are now available. Click here to apply—and share this link with family and friends! This is an important first step toward our union’s goal …
Learn about Your Health Plan Options and Costs at a Town Hall Meeting
Takeaway: Open enrollment for health care benefits ends on October 31. Come to a virtual town hall meeting to learn more about your health plan options and the cost increases imposed by the state for 2023. Click here and fill out the form to attend one of the meetings listed below. Dear colleague, Open enrollment for health …
That Mystery Email from OULR Labeled “Notice to Unit Members”
Dear colleague, Earlier today, you may have received an email from the Office of University Labor Relations (OULR), with the subject line “Notice to Unit Members,” that contains a legal notice from the state of New Jersey’s Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC). OULR is required to post this document on their website. We have no …
Support the #RutgersAdjunctsSpeak Week of Action – Oct 17–21
Dear colleague, Next week, our PTL colleagues will hold their second annual #RutgersAdjunctsSpeak Week of Action to draw attention to the awful conditions they face as “gig” faculty members—and their demands for equal pay for equal work, job security, and access to health insurance. We urge you to support Speak Week and join your adjunct colleagues in …
Thurs, Oct 13, 2pm – Follow the Money: How the Rutgers Budget Shapes Our University
Dear colleague, Please join us as we dig into Rutgers finances and ask: Where is our money coming from, and where is it going? Who makes critical decisions about spending and priorities? Why are so many academic units faced with perpetual austerity when we know that Rutgers has had its strongest financial years in recent …
Our Recommendation about the Open Enrollment Period for Health Care
Dear colleague, Open enrollment for your health care benefits just started and will end on October 31, 2022. Changes made this month will take effect on January 1, 2023, and be in place for the rest of the calendar year. Our health benefits may experience some steep increases in 2023. As we wrote to you last …
Instructors Who Need To Will Have Discretion to Require Masks
Dear colleague, Our unions won a temporary restraining order against the Rutgers administration’s new masking policy that will allow individual instructors discretion to require masks in their classrooms. In addition, masking will continue to be mandatory in the libraries. These have been our goals from the start this Fall: give instructors the right to weigh …
Oct. 6 in Camden – Ask the BoG and President Holloway: What’s So Complicated about Equity?
Click here to tell us you’ll be joining us October 6 in Camden! Dear colleague, At the University Senate meeting last week, President Holloway said that “equal pay for equal work…is a powerful phrase that is compelling on its surface, and it ignores the layers of complexity underneath it.” What does this mean for the 2,700 …
Rutgers’ New Mask Policy: We Must Be Able to Make Decisions in Our Own Classrooms!
Dear colleagues, As we’re sure you know, the administration has decided to no longer require face coverings in classrooms and libraries, as of next Monday. Unfortunately, management didn’t discuss this important change with our unions; we didn’t even receive more than a few days’ advance notice of the announcement of this unilateral decision. We know there are …
We Support Equal Pay for Equal Work. President Holloway Must, Too.
Dear colleague, We were deeply disappointed by President Holloway’s State of the University address to the University Senate last Friday. Responding to questions from senators, he said our united faculty’s demand for equal pay for equal work was “a powerful phrase that is compelling on its surface, and it ignores the layers of complexity underneath it.” …
Parents and Caregivers: Info Sessions Thursday, Sept. 29, on the New Care.com Benefit
Dear colleague, This fall, the university launched the “Caregiver Support Pilot Program for Rutgers Employees,” which offers five days of subsidized backup care from Care.com. If you have an emergency or a disruption in your care arrangements, you can choose a Care.com provider for backup care—or arrange for subsidized care from your personal network of family, friends, and …
Share a Class Announcement about Our Contract Campaign
Takeaway: Join us this Friday at 12 noon for the “We R the University” rally (click here to tell us you’re coming). Share an invitation to attend and information about our contract campaign with your students. Dear colleague, We’re organizing this fall for a strong contract that helps us achieve a better Rutgers. We want …
#RutgersHasTheMoney Town Hall Meetings: 9/16 at 12p and 9/19 at 5p
Takeaway: Get the facts about the Rutgers budget. Click here to RSVP for a virtual town hall meeting Friday, September 16, at 12 noon or Monday, September 19, at 5 p.m. Dear colleague, Join us at a virtual town hall meeting featuring Howard Bunsis, an expert on higher education finances (and a professor at Eastern Michigan University who …
We R the University! Join Together on Friday, Sept. 23, 12pm, New Brunswick
Dear colleague, President Holloway will give his State of the University address before the University Senate on Friday, September 23, more than three months after our contract expired and with no significant progress on our key demands in bargaining. Outside, our union will join with students, staff, adjunct faculty, and community partners to send a message about the REAL …
TAKE ACTION: Don’t Let the State Increase Our Health Care Costs
Dear colleague, The state of New Jersey is threatening to make hundreds of thousands of state workers and their families, including Rutgers employees, pay 20 percent more for our health insurance starting in January 2023. We need to unite with other public-sector workers and take action to stop this effective wage cut. Call the Health …
Welcome Back! What’s Next in Our Contract Battle?
Dear colleague, Hello and welcome back to another semester. We hope you were able to rest and relax, because we have a contract battle ahead of us. After four months of bargaining, the administration hasn’t addressed our key demands; instead, they are creating obstacles to even meeting. To learn more about our contract campaign, go to the …
Time Is Running Out for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Dear colleague, Last week, the Biden administration announced that it was canceling up to $20,000 in student loan debts for tens of millions of people. This is an important first step toward our union’s goal: cancellation of all federal student loan debt. Many of you will benefit directly from this decision, but we want to make …
What Will Rutgers Do to Address the Enrollment Crisis?
Dear colleague, As we wrote last week, Rutgers-Camden and Rutgers-Newark are facing an enrollment crisis. As of mid-August, total enrollment (both first-year and transfer students) is down by 27 percent at Camden and 8 percent at Newark, but is up 5 percent in New Brunswick, thanks to a 10 percent increase in first-year enrollment. Following this revelation, …
We Need Answers about the Enrollment Crisis in Camden and Newark
Dear colleague, We are writing to inform all of you about a serious enrollment crisis at Rutgers-Camden and Rutgers-Newark. According to the most up-to-date information we have, first-year enrollment for the coming semester is down by more than 30 percent at Rutgers-Camden and nearly 10 percent at Rutgers-Newark, but it is up by 10 percent …
Tell Governor Murphy You Can’t Afford a 20 Percent Increase for Your Health Plan!
We learned recently that the State of New Jersey wants to make hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers, including all Rutgers employees, pay 20 percent more for our health insurance starting in January 2023. This is not acceptable! We need to send a message to Governor Murphy right now: Can’t pay, WON’T PAY! Call the …
A Midsummer Update on Bargaining and Organizing for #TheRutgersWeDeserve
Takeaway: Read below to catch up with what’s been going on in bargaining this summer—and find out how you can get involved in our contract campaign. Dear colleague, We hope you’ve been having the restful summer that we all deserve. We wanted to take a few minutes of your time at this halfway point in our …
Rutgers PROSPERED during the Pandemic! They Have the Money to Meet Our Demands
Takeaway: Read a fact sheet about Rutgers’ financial bonanza during the worst months of the pandemic (online version here and printable version here). Then share it with colleagues so they know that #RutgersHasTheMoney. Dear colleague, In Spring 2020, the outgoing Barchi administration claimed Rutgers was suffering a “fiscal emergency” that would cause an unprecedented $133.5 million operating deficit for …
How Can Rutgers Do Nothing for Grads Who Are Losing Funding?
Dear colleague, Our union has been warning for months that as many as 200 graduate students whose work was disrupted by the pandemic could lose funding as of June 30 unless the administration guarantees funding extensions. Since February, we’ve raised this impending deadline and the grave consequences for grad students at meetings and bargaining sessions with management. Each time, we …
Organizing for the Future of Work that We Deserve
Dear colleague, Last week, you should have received an email from President Holloway announcing the findings and recommendations of the Future of Work Task Force he appointed a year ago. We welcome many of the recommendations from the Task Force as limited but useful ways—particularly for our staff colleagues, who have pressed for continued flexibility and …
Our Union Supports the Right to Abortion
Dear colleague, Last Friday was a hard day. A majority of unelected Supreme Court justices defied strong public support for the right to choose abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade. We share the outrage and fear that greeted this ruling, not only because of the dire consequences for anyone seeking abortion care, but also the frightening implications …
#RutgersHasTheMoney to Guarantee Grad Funding Extensions!
Takeaway: Help us spread the word about the administration’s inaction on funding for grads impacted by COVID. 1) Share the bargaining updates about our union’s proposals for fixing funding; 2) Listen to a special episode of RU Listening? about the grad funding issue; 3) Read New Jersey and national media coverage (here, here, here, and here); 4) Come to Pino’s in Highland Park …
Our Members Are Responsible for Rutgers’ New Name Change Policy
Dear colleagues, Yesterday, you should have received an email from President Holloway outlining a new chosen name policy and name change procedure. As of September 1, students, staff, and faculty will all be able to use their chosen or preferred name in university communications. This is an important step toward greater inclusivity at Rutgers, and, …
Results of This Spring’s Union Elections
Dear colleague, Our union elections wrapped up on Friday, and we’re pleased to introduce the wonderful colleagues who were elected to chapter leadership and Executive Council positions. Please join us in congratulating all the new and ongoing chapter officers, members of the Executive Council, and chapter leadership teams for each campus (special elections will be …
William “Bill” Tucker: He Will Be Missed by All of Us
Dear colleague, It is with deep sadness that we write to tell you about the passing of our union colleague and friend William (Bill) Tucker, who died on May 31. Bill was well known and loved as a respected scholar and teacher in the Psychology Department in Camden. He was a beloved friend and colleague to …
Update from the First Session of Bargaining!
Dear colleague, The first bargaining session for our next contract took place last Tuesday afternoon. The administration has committed to weekly sessions each Tuesday from here on out. After each bargaining session, our union will provide an update, written by a rotating cast of member-observers who are sitting in on negotiations. I’m writing the first …
#OneFaculty: Our Adjunct Colleagues Reached Their Merger Card Goal!
Dear colleague, After months of determined organizing work, our Adjunct Faculty Union colleagues have met their goal of getting a majority of PTLs—members and nonmembers—to sign electronic cards to unite our bargaining units! We’ll be asking President Holloway and the Rutgers administration to recognize us as #OneFaculty. We want to share this message to PTLs from …
Shortchanged Again on Pay Equity: Rutgers Is “Baking In” Salary Discrimination
Dear colleague, Around 90 of your colleagues have received long-delayed responses from University Compensation Services (UCS) on their applications for salary equity under the program our union negotiated, and we continue to be disappointed with the administration’s handling of this process. Like the 130 faculty who received decisions last September, a majority in this round got …
Freedom School on “Supreme Injustice: Defending Our Rights Against Minority Rule”
Dear colleague, The leaked Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade demands an answer from everyone who is dedicated to justice, democracy, and equality. The legal right to choose abortion is in immediate danger, and there can be no doubt that this ruling will be a decisive step toward undoing many other hard-won gains, including gay marriage, …
Union Report: The Priorities We Need for the Rutgers We Deserve
Dear colleague, As we organize for our demands in our next contract, we’re sure to hear the same refrain we always hear from the administration: Rutgers doesn’t have the money. But a newly published report from our union’s University Budget and Priorities Committee shows that Rutgers does have the money—and plenty of it—to implement “The Priorities We Need …
The Administration Isn’t Listening: We Need Guaranteed Grad Funding Extensions
Takeaway: As many as 200 grads may lose funding before completing their degrees because their work was disrupted by the pandemic. Send a letter (if you haven’t already) to President Holloway and the Graduate Deans asking for guaranteed funding. Grad workers are planning a grade-in at Winants Hall on Monday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 …
Rutgers Day, April 30: Community Outreach and Union Party!
Takeaway: Rutgers Day is coming up on Saturday, April 30, and we want to use the opportunity to meet our students—and then each other at an in-person union party! Dear colleague, On Saturday, April 30, the adjunct and full-time units will be tabling and leafleting from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the College Avenue, Livingston, and Cook/Douglass …
Tell President Holloway that Time Is Running Out to Fund Our Graduate Students
Dear colleague, We wrote to you earlier this week to tell you that 150 to 200 graduate students whose work was disrupted by the pandemic could lose years of hard work toward their degrees if the administration doesn’t act quickly to get them funding extensions. We asked President Holloway and Graduate Deans from the three campuses …
Our Graduate Students Need Guaranteed Funding Extensions
Takeaway: 150 to 200 graduate students could lose years of hard work toward their degree and for Rutgers if the administration doesn’t act quickly to get them funding. We need to keep the pressure on before reappointment notices go out by the April 30 deadline. Click here to join our informational picket on Wednesday, April 27, from 6–8pm. Dear …
Freedom School on “Newark Matters: Neoliberalism’s Diversity Ruse”
Dear colleague, On Thursday, April 21, at 7 p.m., we’ll hold a Freedom School centered on a discussion at Rutgers-Newark. We’re calling it “Newark Matters: Neoliberalism’s Diversity Ruse.” Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link. The session will focus on how neoliberal institutions have thrived by pitting differently racialized groups against each other—and hidden this strategy through …
Sign a Statement of Support for Our Contract Demands
Takeaway: Click here to sign a statement of support for our contract demands. Download graphics about our demands to use in emails or on social media, or to print out and post on office doors and bulletin boards. Dear colleague, We’re asking every full-time faculty member and grad worker to show your support for our main demands by signing this statement. …
Rudy Bell: Academic Colleague and Union Brother
Dear colleague, It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of Rudy Bell, a distinguished professor emeritus of history, past president of our union, and chairperson of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT Retiree Assembly. Rudy was a faculty member at Rutgers for 52 years—all of them as a union member and many as …
Help Us Tell the Governors to Extend Grad Funding
Takeaway: Stand with our grads on Tuesday, April 12, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and urge the Rutgers Board of Governors to commit to funding extensions for graduate students whose work and research has been disrupted by the pandemic. Let us know you’re coming by clicking here to RSVP. Dear colleague, Our grads are calling on us to …
We Won Equal Rights for NTTs to Exclude Pandemic Teaching Evaluations
Dear colleague, I am happy to relay some good news. In response to the efforts of our union leadership and a number of active members, the University has signed an agreement that allows NTTs to exclude teaching evaluations from NTT promotion and reappointment packets. Tenure stream faculty already had this right for promotion and tenure packets. …
Explaining the Paycheck Confusion for Grad Workers
Dear colleague, We’ve heard questions from many grad workers about your first paycheck in March, when the university had to begin paying an increase in the TA/GA minimum salary. After investigating the issue, we think the university made the correct calculations. But they managed to cause a lot of confusion along the way. We’ll try …
Why R We Uniting? One Faculty Town Hall
Dear colleague, Our three unions representing full-time faculty and grad workers, adjunct faculty, and medical faculty throughout the Rutgers system are coming together on Thursday, March 31, at 6 p.m. for a town hall meeting about our One Faculty campaign. Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link. In early March, we announced our commitment to be One Faculty, …
AAUP-BHSNJ and AAUP-AFT Win $35 Million in State Funding to Offset Fringe Rate Increases
Takeaway: AAUP-BHSNJ and Rutgers AAUP-AFT won additional funding in Governor Murphy’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023 to offset increased fringe costs for faculty with grant funding. Dear colleague, We are pleased to announce that, due to our unions’ strong advocacy, $35 million has been included in Governor Murphy’s proposed state budget for the coming …
March 28 at 6pm: AFT Clinic on Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Takeaway: Rutgers AAUP-AFT is partnering with the AFT to hold a virtual clinic about important updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program on Monday, March 28, 2022, at 6 p.m. Click here to RSVP for the event and receive the Zoom link. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has settled an important lawsuit with the …
What R We Fighting For?: Let Us Know What You Think
Dear colleague, At our “What R We Fighting For?” Contract Campaign Town Hall on Monday, we talked as a union about the battles ahead as we negotiate our next contract this spring—and what we need to do to get ready. If you couldn’t make the town hall, we want to know from you if the …
We Are ONE Rutgers Faculty
Dear colleague, As presidents of our three unions representing faculty members throughout Rutgers University, we are writing to declare our unions’ commitment to be ONE FACULTY. Together, we represent close to 10,000 educators on Rutgers’ Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick campuses, as well as at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences units across New Jersey. We …
Look for Another Raise We Won Back in Your Checks This Week
Dear colleague, Your paychecks this week should include the second of two raises that the administration tried to permanently cancel when it declared a “fiscal emergency” in June 2020. Faculty salaries will be caught up to where they should be under our current contract, and graduate worker annual salaries will be $1,795 (for calendar-year appointments) …
What R We Fighting For? Contract Campaign Town Hall
Dear colleague, One of our most important meetings of the semester is coming up on Monday, February 28, at 6 p.m.: our “What Are We Fighting For? Contract Campaign Town Hall” (click here to RSVP). We need to hear from everyone our union represents as we decide on the demands that are most important to us …
We Need to Know about Grad Funding Needs
Takeaway: We are gathering information on how many grads have an immediate need for additional funding. If you are a graduate worker, fill out this short survey. If you are a graduate program director, fill out this survey. Dear colleague, On Tuesday, Becky Givan, our union president; Alex Adams, vice president for graduate workers; and Sarah DeGiorgis, a Graduate Worker …
Freedom School on “Camden Matters: The Fight for Reparation and Racial Equity”
Dear colleague, On Monday, February 21, at 7 p.m., we’ll hold our first Freedom School of the semester on “Camden Matters: The Fight for Reparation and Racial Equity.” Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link, invite your colleagues and friends, and share the Facebook page. We’re holding this Freedom School because the inequitable treatment of Rutgers-Camden is a …
Higher Ed Labor United Winter Summit: Confronting the Crisis in Higher Ed
Takeaway: Click here for more information on the HELU Winter Summit on February 23–27, and click here to register for free. Dear colleague, We hope you’ll join us later this month at the Higher Ed Labor United Winter Summit: Confronting the Crisis in Higher Ed—four afternoons of online workshops, panel discussions, and plenary sessions held Wednesday, February 23, through Sunday, …
Your Raise Is Coming in March | New Source for Free COVID Tests | Upcoming Town Halls
Join Us at These Upcoming Union Events Camden Matters: Fighting for Reparations and Racial Equity: Monday, February 21, 7 p.m. Click here to RSVP What R We Fighting For? Contract Campaign Town Hall: Monday, February 28, 6 p.m. Click here to RSVP Dear colleague, Your Raise Is Coming in March: Eleven months ago, we negotiated an agreement …
Rutgers-Camden Deserves Equity and Respect
Takeaway: Read this union report about the mistreatment of Rutgers-Camden and what we’re doing about it. RSVP to attend our Freedom School on “Camden Matters: The Fight for Reparation and Racial Equity” on Monday, February 21, at 7 p.m. Dear colleague, Rutgers-Camden is nationally recognized for its excellence in serving lower-income and BIPOC students. Yet it has suffered from …
#RUKidding: Rutgers Athletics Is Draining Money from Our University
Save the Date for These Union Events New Brunswick Chapter Meeting: Friday, February 4, 10 a.m. Click here to RSVP Camden Matters: Fighting for Reparations and Racial Equity: Monday, February 21, 7 p.m. Click here to RSVP What R We Fighting For? Contract Campaign Town Hall: Monday, February 28, 6 p.m. Click here to RSVP Dear colleague, We’ve …
Organizing Gets the Goods
Takeaway: Join us at the first chapter meetings of the semester and make your voice heard: Newark: Wednesday, January 26, 2:45 p.m. Click here to RSVP New Brunswick: Friday, February 4, 10 a.m. Click here to RSVP Dear colleague, The semester is underway, and so are our efforts to get the university that we, our students, and …
State Health Plan Covers Eight In-Home Rapid COVID Tests a Month
Dear colleague, Our health insurance is now covering the cost of up to eight in-home COVID tests per month for everyone who has OptumRx prescription drug coverage under the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP). Family members covered by our insurance are also eligible, so a family of four covered under OptumRX would be eligible to …
Looking Ahead to a New Semester
Takeaway: Join us at the first chapter meetings of the semester: Camden: Thursday, January 20, 12:45 p.m. Click here to RSVP Newark: Wednesday, January 26, 2:45 p.m. Click here to RSVP New Brunswick: Friday, February 4, 10 a.m. Click here to RSVP Dear colleague, With close to two years of the pandemic behind us, another semester is nevertheless …
Rutgers’ Budget System Is a Mess. What Will President Holloway Do About It?
Dear colleague, Last month, our union’s University Budget and Priorities Committee published a report about the RCM (Responsibility Center Management) budget system that—quoting directly from the university’s own five-year review of RCM—documented major flaws in a system our union has long criticized for the burdens it places on our departments and programs and its lack of accountability and transparency. If …
Rutgers Makes the Right Decision on Going Remote
Dear colleague, You should have received an email earlier today from Rutgers’ Chief Operating Officer Antonio Calcado announcing that Spring semester will start with remote instruction through January 30, all students and employees without an approved exemption will be required to have a vaccine booster, and any employee who can telecommute should do so through …
Sharing Our Appreciation and Solidarity
Dear Alan, We’ve made it to the end of another challenging year, filled with burdens and concerns for all of us, but especially those of us with caregiving responsibilities—you continue giving your best to everyone with little to no recognition. We thank you and support you. Work and family balance has been disrupted by the …
A Union Win for Faculty and against Amazon
Dear colleague, Earlier in the month, some of us in SAS-New Brunswick received an email from the Office of Finance and Budget dictating that if we wanted to purchase books or other items from a vendor other than Amazon, we would “need to get exception approval before submitting the reimbursement” and “must include the business reason …
What Will Rutgers Do about a Broken Budget System?
Dear colleague, What will President Holloway and the administration do about Rutgers’ broken budget system? In June, a committee stacked with top administrators finished its five-year review of Responsibility Center Management (RCM) and summed up its damning conclusions in a 121-page report. The report exposed major flaws in a system that our union has long …
Here’s What Pay Equity Looks Like (Now We Need to See More of It)
Takeaway: 1) Save the date for our press conference on pay equity before the next Board of Governors meeting: Tuesday, December 7, at 11 a.m. 2) Complete our bargaining survey (if you haven’t already) so we can decide what we’re going to demand in our next contract. Dear colleague, We hope you were able to take some …
RU Listening to Our New Union Podcast?
Takeaway: 1) Listen to the first episode of the new union podcast RU Listening? 2) Take our union’s bargaining survey today, if you haven’t already. Dear colleague, Hello and best wishes from us for a restful, safe, and enjoyable holiday weekend to come. We’re writing today to tell you about the premiere of the new union podcast RU Listening? The five-episode series is designed …
Union Survey: What Will We Fight For in Our Next Contract?
Takeaway: We’ve launched our bargaining survey to find out what matters most to you as we organize for a new contract. 1) Complete the survey now; take 15 minutes after you read this email to fill it out. 2) Talk to colleagues about the importance of our union knowing your concerns and issues, and give out …
Update on Bargaining and Our Contract Campaign
Dear colleague, We’re writing to update you about a development in our discussions with the administration about our contract, which expires on June 30, 2022. Last week, management responded to a proposal about extending union contracts from the Coalition of Rutgers Unions. After discussions with CRU, our Negotiating Committee decided to give them this week …
Our Camden Colleagues Are Taking a Stand
Dear colleague, A rebellion is brewing in Camden. The underfunding and inequitable treatment of Rutgers-Camden is getting worse, not better. Faculty, grad workers, and students are taking a stand for accountability and transparency in how our university is run. We want a Rutgers where financial decisions aren’t dictated by an unfair RCM budget model but by a …
Enter Our “Rutgers’ Worst Workspace” Contest!
Dear colleague, With most of us back on campus this fall—whether in Camden, Newark, or New Brunswick—it is clear that one feature of learning, teaching, and working at Rutgers did not change while we were gone: workspaces for faculty and students alike are in a horrible state. This is not the fault of the hardworking …
Rutgers Announces an Employee Vaccination Mandate
Dear colleague, Earlier this week, you likely received an email from Tony Calcado, the university’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, informing you of an all-university-employee vaccination mandate. As of December 8, 2021, all faculty and staff must submit proof of vaccination or have an approved medical or religious exemption. If you have not …
Bernie Sanders and Our Union to Endorse Gov. Phil Murphy
Dear colleague, We urge anyone who can to come out and support Governor Phil Murphy and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders when they visit Rutgers-New Brunswick this Thursday, October 28, at 6:30 p.m. (click here to register). We want to show that our unions at Rutgers back Governor Murphy as he campaigns for reelection—and make sure our side is …
This Week: Union Office Hours on Health Benefits during Open Enrollment
Dear colleague: October is open enrollment month for your state health benefits at Rutgers. Any changes that you make this month will go into effect on January 1, 2022. Earlier this year, the Coalition of Rutgers Unions successfully negotiated more affordable health insurance options. If you didn’t change plans during the special enrollment period in May, …
Nov. 3, 6pm: AFT Clinic on Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Takeaway: Rutgers AAUP-AFT is partnering with the AFT to hold a virtual clinic for members about important updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program on November 3, 2021, at 6 p.m. Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has settled an important lawsuit with the U.S. Department of …
Support NJ Legislation That Gets Us More Power at the Bargaining Table
Dear colleague, We’re headed into a campaign for a new contract, and in addition to getting ourselves organized on our campuses, we need to be working to change the anti-union labor laws that tilt the playing field in management’s favor. We’re asking you to take action in support of the Responsible Collective Negotiations Act (S-3810/A-5862), which …
#RUListening? Tell the Governors What You Think
Dear colleague, Tomorrow (Wednesday), our union will stand with our staff and faculty colleagues, our students, and our community at an 11:30 a.m. outdoors speakout before the Board of Governors meeting—and during the virtual 1 p.m. public comment section of the BoG meeting. We hope all of you who can make it will be in person in Camden …
We Need You at the Board of Governors Speakout: Wed., Oct. 6, 11:30 am, Camden
Dear colleague, We’re asking you to stand with your colleagues at an outdoors speakout at the Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday, October 6, at 11:30 a.m. Click here to sign up to attend and to speak at the speakout or ask a question at the BoG meeting. Why is it important to attend this in-person speakout? We have …
Pay Equity Insult: Initial Decisions Shortchange Faculty, Especially in Camden
Takeaway: The first faculty salary equity decisions are deeply disappointing. We need to talk about this as a union. Come to the first New Brunswick chapter meeting on Friday, October 1, at 1 p.m. (click here to RSVP). The following Monday, we’ll hold a pay equity town hall on October 4, at 4 p.m. (click …
CRU Statement: What We Need from Rutgers
Dear Union Brothers, Sisters, and Siblings: This message is to let you know about recent developments between the Coalition of Rutgers Unions and Rutgers management. Recently, our member unions have been approached by management to discuss extending our existing contracts. In the interest of improving our relationships with the new Rutgers leadership, we have agreed to …
Wednesday, October 6: Send a Message to the Board of Governors in Camden
Dear colleague, The Board of Governors is meeting in person in Camden on Wednesday, October 6, and we’re going to be there to send a message, with an outdoor speakout and picket before some people go in to address the BoG. We’re urging everyone who can to come out—we’ll gather in front of Campus Center’s main …
We Have Questions for President Holloway at the University Senate
Takeaway: Come hear President Holloway at the online University Senate meeting this Friday at 1:10 p.m. (click here for the link)—and help us get our questions answered. Change your Zoom profile picture for the meeting to our “Pay Equity Now!” graphic. For resources and articles to read before the meeting, see below. Dear {{ FirstName | commonize …
Why Hasn’t Rutgers Paid Dozens of Grad Workers in Nearly a Month?
Dear colleague, Dozens of grad workers in the Physics and Astronomy department in SAS-New Brunswick haven’t been paid for nearly a month since the semester began. This is an unambiguous violation of state labor laws. Please let SAS Executive Dean Peter March know that he needs to undo this harm by cutting physical checks for …
Pay Equity: We’re Not Talking Until Decision Letters Go Out
Takeaway: Management has undermined our salary equity program for more than two years—and they still haven’t issued the first decisions. Enough is enough! We won’t meet with management on this issue until the initial decision letters go out. Let’s send them a message at our in-person, outdoors speakout at the Board of Governors meeting in Camden on …
Helping Our Community Recover from Ida
Dear colleague, New Jersey and New York were hit hard by the remnants of Hurricane Ida earlier this month, and some of our colleagues suffered damage to their homes, vehicles, and property that it will take help to recover from. The toll from this storm hit home in the Rutgers community: the mother of a …
Take Action: Tell Sen. Murray What We Need for Higher Ed
Dear colleague, We have a chance to advance our goals for higher education nationally if we can get our priorities included in the budget reconciliation legislation being considered by Congress. This is an important moment, and the legislator who needs to hear from us is Senator Patty Murray of Washington state. Murray is the chair …
We Need Answers about Rutgers Athletics’ Financial Disaster
Dear colleagues, We hope you’ve heard about the bombshell investigation published by NorthJersey.com that exposes the financial disaster of Rutgers Athletics—and the lengths that management’s top accountants and lawyers went to keep it quiet. In a follow-up article published yesterday, Gov. Phil Murphy added his voice to the state political figures who think Rutgers needs to answer some …
What We’re Fighting For in the New School Year
Takeaway: As the school year begins, we have a lot to talk about as a union! Please read below for important information on: Protecting Our Health and Safety Campus Chapter Meetings Faculty Pay Equity Taking Our Struggle Nationwide Dear colleague, Welcome back! We hope you found time this summer to relax and enjoy yourselves. We …
Thursday at 7pm: Freedom School on Budget Reconciliation and Higher Ed
Dear colleague, On Thursday, September 2, at 7 p.m., we’ll hold our first Freedom School of the new school year on “Seizing the Moment: Budget Reconciliation and Higher Ed Now.” Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link, invite your colleagues and friends, and share the Facebook page. We’re holding a Freedom School on this topic because of the …
Taking Our People-Centered Agenda for Higher Ed Nationwide
Takeaway: Higher ed is on the agenda in Congress! We’re asking you to take action on these items: 1) Tell your legislators to support higher ed reforms that will transform our colleges and universities; 2) Sign a Pledge to Take Action in support of higher ed for all; 3) RSVP for our Freedom School on “Seizing the Moment: Budget Reconciliation and …
Wednesday at 5p: Health and Safety Town Hall
Takeaway: Bring your questions to our health and safety town hall meeting this Wednesday, August 25, at 5 p.m. (click here to RSVP). Dear colleague, The latest surge of the pandemic, driven by the Delta variant and uneven levels of vaccination, will bring new challenges for all of us when classes begin next week. We …
We Made Management Turn Over Data on Athletics
Dear colleague, Earlier this week, a New Jersey superior court judge had to order management to turn over information about the tens of millions of dollars funneled annually to its money-losing Rutgers Athletics program. That’s the second time in less than a year that our union had to go to court because the administration was keeping financial information secret …
Here’s What We’re Doing to Protect Our Health and Safety
Takeaway: GET VACCINATED (if you haven’t already)! See below for new developments regarding a vaccine requirement for faculty, including union negotiations over a mandate for health care and public safety workers that hopefully will set a pattern for the rest of us. Bring your questions to our health and safety town hall on Wednesday, August 25, …
When Are Postdoc Raises Coming?
Dear colleague, Two months ago, postdoc union members unanimously ratified a new contract that made important gains, including a 17.6 percent increase in the minimum postdoc salary to $50,000 and retroactive payments for eligible postdocs who didn’t get a raise in the previous two school years while management dragged its feet negotiating our contract. Those increases …
Faculty Are Getting Our Raises This Week: Here’s What to Look For
Takeaway: You’ll see the canceled raises we won back in your paychecks this week. Read on for information about what to look for when you review your paycheck. Dear colleague, Our paychecks this week will contain the merit raises due in July 2020, which we fought to win back after management tried to cancel them …
Management Was “Too Busy” to Pay Your Raises
Dear colleague, As you probably noticed, there was something missing from your paychecks last week: the merit raises we’ve been waiting a year to get. We won back the raises that management tried to cancel in our fiscal emergency negotiations this spring. Faculty members held up their end of the bargain by dealing with the …
Final Work-Sharing Update: Action Needed if You Haven’t Gotten Payments
In This Update: 1) If you haven’t received any payments; 2) Two more pieces of advice if you haven’t been paid; 3) The easiest way to set up direct deposit; 4) Transferring funds from a debit card to a bank account; 5) How much you will get in unemployment payments; and 6) The union’s Work-Sharing …
Tell Management that We Want Our Raises on Time
Takeaway: We’re asking you to raise your voice with us and tell management they can’t get away with not paying our raises on time. Please add your name to this petition to President Holloway asking him to make sure our signed agreement with the administration will be honored and we’ll get our deferred raises on time. Dear …
We Need Your Help to Pass Pro-Union Legislation
Dear colleague, We’re asking all of you who live in New Jersey to call your state legislators today and urge them to vote “yes” on the Responsible Collective Negotiations Act when it comes to a vote on Thursday. Click here to find out how to call state legislators. If you don’t live in New Jersey, call …
Work-Sharing Update: Action Needed if You’re Still Experiencing Problems
In This Update: 1) If you’re still waiting for a call from NJDOL; 2) If you’ve applied successfully but haven’t gotten paid; 3) The easiest way to sign up for direct deposit; 4) Mailings from NJDOL and what to do about them; 5) How much should you be receiving?; and 5) The union’s Work-Sharing Loan …
VICTORY! Postdocs Ratify a Strong New Contract
Dear colleague, We’re proud to announce that postdoctoral associates finally have a new contract. We won important gains in this agreement, especially for the lowest-paid postdocs, and we will go into bargaining for our next contract united with the rest of Rutgers AAUP-AFT. Stronger together! Here are some of the highlights of the new contract, …
Results of Our Union Elections
Dear colleague, Our union elections wrapped up yesterday afternoon, and we’re pleased to introduce the excellent team that has been elected to lead our union into the coming year. Please join us in congratulating all the new and ongoing university-wide officers and members of the Executive Council, TA/GA Steering Committee, and chapter leadership teams elected from each …
Summary of Postdoc Tentative Agreement
Dear colleague, We’re pleased to announce that we’ve finally reached a tentative agreement* on a new postdoc union contract after two years of negotiations. The agreement must now be approved by the union’s membership through a contract ratification ballot. Here are some of the highlights: A significant increase in the minimum postdoc salary to $50,000 starting on …
Voting in Union Elections Has Begun
Dear colleague, Voting gets underway today in our elections for union leadership positions. You will be receiving your ballot shortly, via an email from Election Runner. You have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, to vote. Elections are important in shaping the direction of our union, so we hope you will take the time …
Work-Sharing Update: Here’s What We’re Doing to Fix the Problems
In this update: 1) If you’re waiting for a call from an NJDOL agent; 2) If you’ve applied successfully but haven’t gotten paid; 3) If your work-sharing furloughs have ended; 4) Everything you need to know about setting up direct deposit; and 5) The union’s work-sharing loan program. Dear colleague, We’re writing with an update …
Survey: Tell Us What You Think about Campuses Reopening
Dear colleague, As we look ahead to the Fall and prepare for Rutgers’ reopening plans, we want to hear from you. We’re asking you to fill out this survey. We want to know about your experiences—whether you’ve been on campus or you haven’t, whether you have workspace or building-specific concerns or more general concerns. We are …
Our Health and Safety Is Linked with the Communities We Serve
Dear colleague, We are all concerned about the safety of our campus and community as more and more of us return to in-person work and anticipate mostly in-person instruction and fully reopened labs in the Fall. The coronavirus pandemic remains a dire threat, but we are heartened by the ongoing successes of vaccination in offering …
Work-Sharing Update: Look Here for Answers to Your Questions
In this update: 1) Work-sharing resources; 2) If you have to apply by phone and are waiting for an NJDOL call; 3) Trouble with the online form/fraud victims waiting for a call; 4) If your claim is filed but you haven’t gotten any payments; 5) The union’s Work-Sharing Loan Program; 6) Do NOT certify and …
Special Open Enrollment for Health Benefits Extended to Friday, May 21
Takeaway: The union has worked with the state and the University to give members more time to consider whether to make a change to their health benefits. The open enrollment will now close on Friday, May 21. Dear colleague, We are pleased to let you know that, by agreement with the state of New Jersey …
Wednesday at 6 p.m.: Learn about Our New Money-Saving Health Insurance Options
Dear colleague, We will be holding a health insurance Town Hall meeting tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 12, at 6 p.m. (click here to RSVP). Our union, as part of the Coalition of Rutgers Unions, negotiated lower health care costs for members who choose to switch into the new NJ Direct/NJ Direct 2019 plan or the …
Week 4 Work-Sharing Update: Here’s the Latest Information
In this update: 1) Work-sharing resources and explanation of forms you may receive; 2) Problems applying online/unemployment fraud victims; 3) If you have to apply by phone and your case is still pending; 4) Work-sharing loan program; 5) Selecting direct deposit; 6) When payments arrive; 7) Your unemployment payments; 8) Deciphering mailings from NJDOL; and …
Health Care Town Hall on May 12 | CRU Legislative Forum on May 18
Dear colleague, Please save the dates for two important union events. • We will be holding a health care Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, May 12, at 6 p.m. (click here to RSVP). Our union, as part of the Coalition of Rutgers Unions, negotiated lower health care costs for members who choose to switch into the NJ …
Update on Work-Sharing: Here’s the Latest Information
In this update: 1) Work-sharing resources; 2) If you have to apply by phone and your case is still pending; 3) Problems creating a new account; 4) Unemployment fraud victims; 5) Work-sharing loan program; 6) “e-Adjudication” and “Unresolved Issues on Your Claim”; 7) Selecting direct deposit; 8) Your unemployment payments; 9) Deciphering mailings from NJDOL; …
Look Out for Your Ballot to Vote on Our By-Laws Revisions
Takeaway: If you’re a member of the union, please look for an email from Election Runner this morning and vote on the ratification of our revised by-laws. Dear colleague, We are writing to you at the end of a challenging academic year, during which so many of you have stepped up to care for our …
New Info on Work-Sharing: Read This for Answers to Your Questions
In this update: 1) Work-sharing resources; 2) Unemployment payments (how much you’ll get); 3) Mailings from NJDOL; 4) Mistaken furlough reductions; 5) Health insurance deductions; 6) NJDOL calls to those who have to apply by phone; 7) Unemployment fraud victims; 8) Problems creating a new account; 9) Work-sharing loan program; 10) Follow-up emails from NJDOL; …
Sign a Petition to Support Our Postdoc Colleagues
Dear colleague, We’re asking you to sign a petition in support of our postdoc colleagues who are still fighting for a living-wage contract nearly two years after the last one expired. Last Friday, some of you attended the University Senate meeting, where we filled the Zoom screen with graphics demanding “Postdoc Contract Now!” and “Resolve Pay Equity …
Our Chance to Save on Health Insurance Costs Begins Today
Takeaway: A special open enrollment period for state health benefits opens today and closes on Friday, May 14. If you want to stay in your current plan, then there’s nothing for you to do. If you’re considering a new plan that will lower your payroll deductions, then read the message from the union that follows. Below …
Appointment Letters Are NOT Indicators of a Decision on Funding Extensions
Dear colleague, Today is the deadline for departments to notify Teaching and Graduate Assistants of appointment or non-reappointment for the upcoming academic year, so you will likely receive notification from your department if you have not already. Many of you have already expressed concern that notification of non-reappointment for TA/GAs in their final funding year …
Work-Sharing Update: Find Answers to Your Questions
In this update: 1) Work-sharing resources; 2) Progress for faculty who had to apply by phone; 3) Progress for fraud victims; 4) Problems creating a new account; 5) Mistaken furlough reductions; 6) Snail mail from NJDOL; 7) Emails from NJDOL; 8) Setting up direct deposit; and 9) Work-sharing loan program from the union. Dear colleague, …
Send a Message for Postdocs and Pay Equity at the University Senate
Takeaway: Attend the University Senate meeting on Friday, April 30, at 1 p.m. (click here for the Zoom link) and help us send a message to management that they must settle the contract with our postdoc colleagues and also resolve the more than 200 faculty pay equity cases. Please let us know if you’re coming by filling …
Q&A Session Today at 3:30pm: New Information on Work-Sharing
See below for information on: 1) Work-sharing resources; 2) Phone calls to faculty who had to apply by phone; 3) Problems creating a new account; 4) Victims of unemployment fraud; 5) Snail mail from NJDOL; 6) Responding to follow-up emails; 7) Setting up direct deposit; and 8) The union’s work-sharing loan program Q&A Session about …
Crucial Information for Faculty Who Applied for Unemployment by Phone
Takeaway: You may get a phone call today from a New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) agent asking about your unemployment claim. This is contrary to the process we arranged with them, but we are suggesting that you answer these calls, answer the agents’ questions, and ignore any false claims that you are not eligible. …
Sign a Petition for Our PTL Colleagues!
Dear colleague, We’ve been living through the pandemic for over a year, and we have faced unprecedented challenges. Even as we forged a groundbreaking agreement with Rutgers, our part-time faculty are still facing difficulties. Please take a moment to sign a petition circulated by our PTL colleagues calling for an end to the cutbacks that have devastated …
Applying for Graduate Funding Extensions
As a result of the ratified agreement between Rutgers AAUP-AFT and Rutgers University, current Teaching and Graduate Assistants (TA/GAs) enrolled in doctoral programs who have advanced to candidacy as determined by program guidelines are eligible for funding extensions for Summer 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022. The union has been advised that each academic unit …
New Info Sessions and Resources to Solve Work-Sharing Problems
Takeaway: Important information below on: 1) Resources for the unemployment process; 2) Checking the status of your application; 3) Victims of unemployment fraud; 4) Problems creating a new account; 5) Follow-up emails from NJDOL to “resolve issues”; and 6) Designating direct deposit for your payments. Q&A Sessions about Work-Sharing and Filing for Unemployment Wednesday, April …
Q&A Sessions and Other Resources to Assist You with Work-Sharing
Important information in this email: 1) Resources to help you apply; 2) Faculty who have to apply by phone; 3) Victims of unemployment fraud; 4) Questions about work-sharing eligibility; 5) What you’ll be asked when you apply; and 6) How to select direct deposit for unemployment payments. Q&A Session about Work-Sharing and Filing for UnemploymentFriday, …
Work-Sharing Update: Help for Out-of-State Faculty Calling In to NJDOL!
Takeaway: Look below for critical information on: 1) Help for out-of-state faculty or anyone else who has to apply by phone; 2) Who to contact if you have questions about being exempt from the work-sharing program; and 3) Updated instructions on applying for unemployment. Q&A Sessions with UHR about Work-Sharing and Filing for Unemployment Thursday, …
Important Update on Applying for Unemployment and Work-Sharing
Takeaway: Look below for critical information on: 1) Q&A sessions held with UHR representatives to troubleshoot work-sharing problems; 2) Updated instructions on applying for unemployment; 3) Guidance for those of us who must apply by phone; and 4) What to do if you should be exempted from work-sharing but have been told you are participating. Dear …
Crucial Information about Filing for Unemployment and Work-Sharing
Takeaway: Critical information below for: 1) faculty who are participating in work-sharing; 2) faculty who are exempt; and 3) faculty who have been told they are participating and think they should be excluded from the program. Dear colleague, University Human Resources (UHR) has sent an email about participation in the work-sharing program and advising you that …
Q&A Sessions about Work-Sharing and Filing for Unemployment
We will hold info sessions in conjunction with University Human Resources to help you if you have problems with filing for unemployment or the work-sharing program. Wednesday, April 21, 12:30 p.m. | Q&A Session | Click here to RSVP Wednesday, April 21, 4:00 p.m. | Q&A Session | Click here to RSVP Thursday, April 22, …
New Health Plan Option Negotiated by Our Coalition of Rutgers Unions
Dear colleague, Rutgers employees represented by our union and the other unions in the Coalition of Rutgers Unions (CRU) will have the chance to pay less for health benefits, effective July 1, 2021, if they opt into the new NJ Direct plan during a special open enrollment that will start on May 3 and end on …
Come to an Info Session on Work-Sharing and Applying for Unemployment
UHR info session Thursday at 11 a.m. | Click here for WebEx information Rutgers AAUP-AFT info sessions on work-sharing Thursday at 5 p.m. | Click here to RSVP Friday at 12 noon | Click here to RSVP Friday at 3 p.m. | Click here to RSVP Rutgers AAUP-AFT Q&A session on the unemployment insurance process …
Getting Crucial Information about Work-Sharing
Takeaway: Please attend an important information session listed below. Dear colleague, We want to talk to you about filing for unemployment under work-sharing, but we first have to emphasize a critical “do” and “don’t”: DON’T try to file for unemployment yet. We can begin filing on Sunday, April 18; trying to file sooner will cause …
Two Important Announcements about Work-Sharing
Dear colleague, As we prepare for the start of our work-sharing program, you should do two things about your participation right away: — If you think you should be excluded from work-sharing (because of one of the exemptions on this list), contact your department chair as soon as possible. Departments are responsible for confirming information about faculty eligibility …
What You Need to Know about Eligibility for Work-Sharing
Takeaway: We will be holding info sessions on work-sharing eligibility on Monday, April 12, at 4 p.m. and Tuesday, April 13, at 12:00 p.m. (click here to RSVP for either session). Read this email for more detailed information about the process for determining who’s eligible. Dear colleague, We want to get you more information about …
91 Percent!: You Ratified Our Agreement by a Huge Margin
Dear colleague, The votes are in, and Rutgers AAUP-AFT members have spoken: we ratified our agreement from the fiscal emergency negotiations by an overwhelming 91 percent margin. The total vote was 1,707 to 178. This is the highest percentage turnout and overall turnout in the history of our union. This vote is the culmination of …
We Won’t Have Work-Sharing until Our Members Vote
Dear colleague, On Friday afternoon, you received an email from Rutgers announcing “the implementation of the Rutgers Shared Work Furlough Program for AAUP-AFT Full-Time Chapter” starting on June 18, 2021. That email is misleading, and it undermines our union’s democratic process. It should not have been sent while members are voting on a tentative agreement, including …
Why We’re Voting Yes on the Tentative Agreement
Info Sessions and Meetings Today: 10 a.m.: Information Session | Click here to RSVP 12 noon: Information Session (Grad Focus) | Click here to RSVP 3 p.m.: Information Session | Click here to RSVP 5 p.m.: All-Union Town Hall Meeting | Click here to RSVP Full schedule of info sessions and meetings this week Dear …
Come to an Info Session about the Tentative Agreement
Info Sessions and Meetings Today: 10 a.m.: Information Session | Click here to RSVP 12 noon: Information Session (Grad Focus) | Click here to RSVP 3 p.m.: Information Session | Click here to RSVP 5 p.m.: All-Union Town Hall Discussion | Click here to RSVP Full schedule of info sessions and meetings this week Dear …
The Tentative Agreement We Fought For: What You Need to Know
Takeaway: All members will be voting next week on a tentative agreement with management. Click to read about the highlights of the deal and the tentative agreement itself. We’ll hold a number of information sessions and meetings about the tentative agreement; click here for the full schedule. Dear colleague, Yesterday afternoon, the union’s Executive Council voted to recommend a …
Information Sessions and Meetings about the Tentative Agreement
Coalition of Rutgers Unions Meeting Thursday, April 1, 5pm | All-Union Town Hall Discussion | Click here to RSVP Chapter Meetings Monday, March 29, 7pm | New Brunswick Chapter Town Hall | Click here to RSVP Tuesday, March 30, 12:45pm | Camden Chapter Town Hall | Click here to RSVP Tuesday, March 30, 7:30pm | …
Higher Ed Is Eligible for Vaccines on April 5
Dear colleague, Earlier today, Governor Phil Murphy announced that eligibility for the vaccine will be expanded, starting on April 5, to include higher ed educators and staff and librarians and library staff. That means all our members will be accepted at New Jersey sites. Eligibility applies to anyone who lives, works, or studies in New Jersey, so those …
Pay Equity at Rutgers: An Update
Takeaway: We’re writing to update you about what we’ve proposed to management to achieve a fair, transparent, and just process for the pay equity program we won in our last contract. Our aim in negotiations is to agree on a quicker process for the people who applied to the program earliest, while settling on a …
We Have a Tentative Agreement: Town Hall Meeting Today at 5pm
Click here to RSVP for the Town Hall meeting at 5 p.m. TODAY. Dear colleague, We have a tentative agreement from our negotiations that makes progress toward our people-centered demands of grad student funding extensions, job security for staff, an end to the PTL hiring freeze, scheduling of our deferred raises, and an end to the …
Celebrating Our Divestment Victory
Dear colleague, We have a victory to celebrate that’s years in the making: the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees voted earlier today to divest from any company or investment fund whose primary business is in oil, coal, or natural gas, from exploration and extraction to pipelines and transportation. This is the culmination of …
Grad Funding Extensions: What We’ve Won and What We’re Still Fighting For
Takeaway: We’re writing to update you about the new program for graduate funding extensions announced on all three campuses this week, what we are still fighting to achieve university-wide, and what comes next in our fiscal emergency negotiations. Dear colleague, This week, management unveiled programs on the three campuses to extend funding for graduate students …
Rutgers Needs to Do Right by Our Grads!
Takeaway: Graduate students still need funding extensions. Read about what we’re demanding at the bargaining table and talk to your colleagues about what we can do to win them. Please share the testimonial campaign organized by Rutgers Grads United on social media. Dear colleague, Fiscal emergency negotiations continue, and every week we don’t reach a deal, Rutgers loses …
Watch Our Union Coalition Press Conference
Dear colleague, Our Coalition of Rutgers Unions is holding a press conference Thursday at 1pm. You can watch it live at https://facebook.com/ruaaup. We want to show the solidarity that unites 19 unions and nearly 20,000 workers against management’s divide-and-conquer tactics—and present our people-centered alternative to layoffs and cuts. The press conference will feature Rutgers faculty, …
Next Freedom School: A New Deal for Higher Education
Dear colleague, On Thursday, February 25, at 7 p.m., we’ll be holding our third Freedom School of the semester. The topic is “A New Deal for Higher Education,” and the featured speakers are Rutgers History Prof. Jennifer Mittelstadt, a union colleague and cofounder of Scholars for a New Deal for Higher Education, and Eleni Shirmer, …
Fiscal Emergency Negotiations: The Clock Is Ticking
Takeway: We’re writing to update you on fiscal emergency negotiations and to highlight the urgency of one of our main people-centered demands: funding extensions for our grad workers. If you have questions and concerns about work-sharing, look for answers in our updated FAQ on negotiations and work-sharing. Dear colleague, Last month, we proposed negotiations with management …
Update on Our Fiscal Emergency Negotiations
Takeaway: We’re writing to update you on the status of negotiations over our fiscal emergency demands. We know you have questions and concerns, particularly about work-sharing; we have some answers in our expanded FAQ. Dear colleague, A month ago, we asked management to come to the negotiating table and take up four demands related to last year’s fiscal …
Libraries Staff and Faculty Stop a Dangerous Order
Dear colleague, We’re writing to let you know about a victory for our health and safety won by staff and faculty in Rutgers University Libraries. By raising their voices immediately, they got University Librarian Krisellen Maloney to postpone and reconsider a dangerous plan to make library staff in New Brunswick return to their buildings full …
We Need a New Deal for Higher Education
Dear colleague, Next week, our two national unions, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors, will launch a campaign for “A New Deal for Higher Education.” On Wednesday, February 10, at 2 p.m. (click to register), you can join an online discussion about the new campaign. Speakers will include AFT President Randi …
Come to Freedom School: Thursday, February 4, at 7pm
Dear colleague, We’re holding our first Freedom School of the semester this Thursday, February 4, at 7 p.m. The topic is an important one for our union; Chenjerai Kumayika and Donna Murch will host a discussion of “Why R Budget Matters: RCM and Campus Austerity.” A range of speakers from across our campuses will address …
Know Your Contract, Know Your Rights
Dear colleague, Welcome to the Spring semester; we really hope you were able to take a break. All of us have faced many challenges since the start of the pandemic, and there will be more ahead. But if we start this week and this semester with a sense of hope, one big reason why is …
Negotiations over Work-Sharing and Job Security
Dear colleague, Yesterday, our union’s Executive Council voted to join other unions in our Coalition in negotiating with the university over a work-sharing program and job security. We will propose to management that our members accept a weekly half-day furlough (the equivalent of one afternoon a week, worth over $10 million in savings from our …
RCM Doesn’t Work for Us: Here’s Two Ways to Let Them Know
Takeaway: You can send a message to the RCM Review Committee about your personal experiences with RCM—click this link to get an email template. Dear colleague, As we wrote last week, Rutgers asked for our opinions about RCM (Responsibility Center Management), the budgeting system left over from the Barchi era that siphons off resources from …
Health and Safety Must Come First
Dear colleague, With the Spring semester starting soon and the pandemic still surging, health and safety concerns are at the front of everyone’s minds—all the more so after President Holloway revealed that he has contracted COVID-19 (we wish him a speedy recovery). Our union is working to keep all of us safe and well, whether you’ve been …
Tell Management What You Think of RCM!
Dear colleague, On Monday, you received an email from Rutgers asking your opinion about management’s budgeting system, known as RCM (Responsibility Center Management). Well…we have something to say about RCM, don’t we?!? Whoever wrote the survey you were asked to fill out doesn’t seem to know much about what we do. In a question about our …