Postdocs won a new contract at the end of the last school year, nearly two years after the previous one had expired. You can read the contract by clicking here.
Postdocs join our union because:
Advocacy and Protections: Rutgers AAUP-AFT has a proven record of accomplishments in winning higher salaries and better working conditions for all who do research and teach at Rutgers. Unlike most universities where postdocs are not represented by a union, postdocs at Rutgers are represented by the same union that represents the tenured faculty, expanding the sense of solidarity and community.
Professional Salaries: Rutgers postdocs receive salaries and annual increases commensurate with the needs of rising professionals in their fields. Especially in times of austerity, access to collective bargaining through the union provides the greatest means to advocate for higher salaries.
Visa Help: International scholars make up the majority of postdocs yet do not have a voice in the US legal and political system as individuals, but as members of the union postdocs can be heard. Our union has won a contractual commitment from management to provide greater visa assistance to help navigate the non-immigrant visa process and the immigration process for international postdocs.
Work-Family Fairness: Rutgers’ postdocs are covered under the same NJ state health care statutes as our faculty. Postdocs are eligible for family leave and have clarity on their rights and benefits through our union contract.
Professional Development: Postdoctoral researchers and scholars deserve assistance to advance their careers, and the union provides regular workshops and skills sharing opportunities. Throughout the year, the union hosts and co-sponsors free events to help develop career paths as well as community among postdocs in different fields.
Dues are 0.75% of salary and are automatically deducted from members’ paychecks. Please take a few seconds to sign the electronic membership form.
