Dear colleague,
As we prepare for the start of our work-sharing program, you should do two things about your participation right away:
— If you think you should be excluded from work-sharing (because of one of the exemptions on this list), contact your department chair as soon as possible. Departments are responsible for confirming information about faculty eligibility and communicating with management very soon. We appreciate the work that chairs have been asked to do on short notice. You should contact your chair (or the dean’s office in departments that don’t have a chair) if you have a reason to be exempted from work-sharing.
— Attend one of the information sessions being held by University Human Resources on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 11 a.m. (click here for the WebEx details). Though management has done a poor job of letting you know about them, these sessions are designed to walk you through the process of filing for unemployment. We will also get written instructions from UHR, but these info sessions should be helpful. The union will follow up with our own information sessions on Thursday and Friday to make sure everybody’s concerns are answered.
In the meantime, don’t try to apply for unemployment yet. Management has yet to assemble the final list of faculty who will participate (that’s what department chairs are being asked to help with now) and submit it to the state for approval. Only when the program is approved by the state will we start filing for unemployment.
This is a complicated program, and you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t experience some anxiety about it. Please consult our reference sheet on eligibility and our more extensive (and regularly updated) Work-Sharing and Furloughs FAQ. Email aaup@rutgersaaup.org with any concerns you may have.
But starting this morning, you should: 1) contact your department chair if you think you should be excluded from work-sharing; and 2) make plans to attend one of the UHR information sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 11 a.m. (click here for the WebEx details).
In solidarity,
Todd and Becky
Todd Wolfson, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Rebecca Givan, Vice President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Union merch is now available at our web store! Order today at: https://rutgersaaup.myshopify.com.
Rutgers AAUP-AFT Facebook page: https://facebook.com/RUaaup/
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ruaaup
Freedom School YouTubeChannel: https://rutgersaaup.org/YouTube
Find the latest messages to members and union statements here.
Watch Todd’s video on the battles for our union today.