An encampment in Newark is ongoing, and our unions are organizing to defend students’ and members’ right to protest there if it becomes necessary. If you would like to volunteer as a union observer/defender in Newark, please fill out this form (even if you have before—there’s a new question about which campus you can volunteer at).
Dear colleague,
We are writing to thank all of you who responded on short notice yesterday to support and defend our students’ right to free speech, free assembly, and free expression, in the face of threats of arrest and repression.
As many of you know, New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway canceled finals taking place before 12 p.m. yesterday on the College Avenue campus, supposedly because of noise from a peaceful encampment on Voorhees Mall. Despite ongoing negotiations with students and others attending the encampment, the administration issued an ultimatum for the camp to be cleared that afternoon.
We asked those of you who could to get to Voorhees to act as observers or, if you could risk arrest, defenders attempting to protect students. More than 150 of you responded over the course of the day, and we were able to play the role we hoped to when we wrote to you earlier this week. We are proud of our students’ courage and commitment. Ultimately, the encampment voted to accept an agreement with the administration that met many, though not all, of their demands; click here to see the agreement.
Our unions haven’t taken a position on the demands of the encampments, but we are united in defending our students’ and members’ rights. If we were able to contribute to a resolution yesterday without arrests, we’re proud of that—and we thank all of you who helped us in that effort, whether you were able to come to Voorhees or not.
In solidarity,
Todd Wolfson, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Bryan Sacks, President, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union
Rebecca Givan, General Vice President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Amy Higer, Vice President, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union
Miguel Rodriguez, Secretary-Treasurer, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Howie Swerdloff, Secretary, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union
Rutgers AAUP-AFT Facebook page: https://facebook.com/RUaaup/
Follow us on Twitter @ruaaup and Instagram @rutgersaaup
Freedom School YouTubeChannel: https://rutgersaaup.org/YouTube
Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rutgersptlfc
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ruaaup_ptl
Visit our website: https://rutgers-ptlfc.org/