Takeaway: Sign up to come to an action to confront Rutgers CFO J. Michael Gower at his presentation in the Cook Campus Center Multipurpose Room (59 Biel Rd.) on Wednesday, March 29, at 3:15 p.m. Meet at Harvest Cafe (61 Dudley Rd.) at 2 p.m. and march to the Campus Center at 2:30 p.m.
Dear colleague,
Rutgers’ Chief Financial Officer J. Michael Gower is speaking on the university’s finances this Wednesday, March 29. The event is called a “listening” session, but we know Gower is planning on telling—claiming that Rutgers is in deficit, and the administration can’t afford a fair contract for staff, grad workers, postdocs, and adjunct and full-time faculty.
It’s not true! In both of the past two fiscal years, Gower and Co. predicted the worst deficits in Rutgers history at the start of the year—but they ended up with the biggest-ever operating surpluses at the end of the year. The university’s unrestricted financial reserves grew by over 60 percent in one year to $818.6 million, according to the most recent financial statement. The administration has the money for fair contracts for the people who make Rutgers work!
We’re going to confront Gower with the facts. A group of us will meet at Harvest Cafe (61 Dudley Rd.) on the Cook Campus at 2 p.m. We’ll march to the Cook Campus Center (59 Biel Rd.) at 2:30 p.m., and we’ll be there when the “listening” session starts at 3:15 p.m. Please join us; click here to sign up and tell us you’re coming. You can RSVP to attend Gower’s presentation by clicking here.
At their meeting on Friday, the University Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution criticizing President Holloway’s false claim to students that a strike by our unions would be “illegal” and asking all of us to pledge that we will not retaliate against students, faculty, or staff in the event of a strike. We encourage you to sign the Senate’s No Retaliation Statement.
In solidarity,
Hank Kalet, New Brunswick Vice President, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union
Liana Katz, Vice President for Graduate Workers, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Jae Kerstetter, Graduate Fellow, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Dylan Simpson, Grad Worker Steering Committee/Executive Council, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Andy Urban, New Brunswick Vice President, New Brunswick Chapter, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Reminder
- Come to a training session on building strong, lively, and safe picket lines. Click here to sign up for a one-hour session being held via Zoom at numerous times over the coming week. This is your opportunity to learn what a strike will look like and volunteer for various roles.