Dear Colleague,
Governor Murphy has proposed a cut of $65 million to Rutgers in the annual state budget. Some of the budget cuts include: $11m in Camden (over ⅓ of state funding to the campus), $3.271m to the Cancer Institute of NJ, $1.7m to the Child Health Institute of NJ, and nearly $5m to support a reduced fringe rate for research funding. These are in addition to devastating cuts to our law clinics assisting some of our most vulnerable state residents. You can view the full list here.
We have until June 30 to reverse the budget cuts, and your voice is needed. Please consider joining one or all of the calls to action listed below:
- There are two opportunities this week, tomorrow and Thursday, to attend State Budget Town Halls to learn about the cuts and what we can do to stop them, hosted by the Coalition of Rutgers Unions (CRU). Register here for Wednesday, 5/28 at 12pm. You can stay after the call to help phonebank the NJ Senate and General Assembly to restore funding to Rutgers in order to prevent a potential fiscal emergency which would likely lead to layoffs and salary freezes. If that date and time doesn’t work for you, register here for Thursday, 5/29 at 7pm.
- Lobby in Trenton on Monday, 6/2 starting at 9am. Join fellow union members in the state house to speak directly with legislators about the state budget fight and what it means to you. Register here.
- Rally with labor organizations across the state on Wednesday, June 4 from 12pm-1:30pm outside the New Jersey State House in Trenton. We’re fighting to control health care costs and expand access to state benefits for adjunct faculty and graduate fellows. Make your voice heard! Register here.
We already know that the Trump administration is slashing funding of all kinds for higher ed, including research and student aid. As a learning community, all of our members are impacted by any one of these cuts. Our university needs more support from the state budget, not less! We can stop these funding cuts, but it will take all of us working together.
In solidarity,
Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ
Calendar of upcoming union events: https://rutgersaaup.org/events/
Rutgers AAUP-AFT Facebook page: https://facebook.com/RUaaup/
Follow us on Instagram @rutgersaaup, Bluesky @ruaaup-aft.bsky.social, and Twitter @ruaaup
Freedom School YouTubeChannel: https://rutgersaaup.org/YouTube
Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rutgersptlfc
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ruaaup_ptl and Bluesky @ruaaup-ptl.bsky.social
Visit our website: https://rutgers-ptlfc.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ website: https://aaupbhsnj.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RUaaupbhsnj