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 to tell President Holloway and his lawyers that this isn’t acceptable—and let them know that if they won’t bargain productively, we’re ready to take further action. Today, we launch our 2023 Strike Pledge. We’re asking all of you to tell us what you’re willing to do to win a fair contract.
This isn’t a vote to authorize a strike—that would take place through an official vote of the union membership at a later date. But we need to send a message to the administration that we’re ready to take action to win a fair contract, including a strike if necessary. We need you to pledge to do the outreach necessary to make this happen and to be ready to mobilize when the Board of Governors meets in Newark on Tuesday, February 28. Please take a minute right now to take the pledge by clicking here.
This is a historic moment for higher ed labor. Across the country, from California to Chicago to New York City, grad workers, postdocs, and adjunct and full-time faculty have won big salary increases that keep pace with inflation, along with proposals to support and raise up students and vulnerable workers.
Now it’s our turn. We’ve been working without a contract—and without a raise at a time of high inflation—for more than 200 days. Yet management still hasn’t responded to some of the bargaining proposals we put forward last spring. Instead, they’re trying to get more power to discipline faculty and grad workers. And they’ve proposed a paltry salary increase of only 8.25 percent over four years. Over the weekend, we learned that Rutgers increased spending on athletics by close to 15 percent in a single year—but they think we should be satisfied with a puny raise that amounts to a major pay cut once inflation is taken into account.
Enough is enough. Please fill out the pledge form right now—and then talk to three of your colleagues and ask them to do the same!
A reminder: Sign up for Strike School! Click here to register for two virtual 90-minute training sessions on organizing to win being held multiple times from January 25 through February 24.
In solidarity,
Becky and Todd
Rebecca Givan, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Todd Wolfson, General Vice President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
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Find out the status of our demands in bargaining at a glance.
Read about the proposals we’re putting forward.
See the updates from each bargaining session.
Find all the latest messages to members and union statements here.