Rutgers AAUP-AFT, the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ send our support and solidarity to graduate and undergraduate academic workers at The New School as they go on strike for a living wage, improved health care, greater support for caregivers and international students, and other important demands.
We know from our own experience at Rutgers the burden that falls on academic workers when they are paid poverty wages in one of the most expensive regions of the country. Students, staff, faculty, and the communities around our institutions all suffer when we face these degrading conditions.
The strike by adjunct faculty at The New School last year was an inspiration for our own strike in the spring. By showing our power on the picket line, we were able to win strong new contracts, with major gains for the lowest-paid and most vulnerable academic workers. We urge The New School administration to stop dragging their feet and negotiate a fair contract now!