UPDATE: In a ratification vote that ended Tuesday, January 30, 99 percent of members who cast a ballot voted “yes” on ratifying the new contracts!
Dear colleague,
We hope you’ll join us in congratulating our sister union, the United Council of Academics at NJIT (UCAN), which has finalized tentative agreements that make major gains for adjunct faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate workers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark.
“We are beyond thrilled to share that we have finally reached tentative agreements with the university on both the adjunct and GSRE contracts!!” UCAN President Brian O’Donnell wrote in a message to members on Tuesday. “We are so proud of the massive gains we’ve won together through our power and organizing!”
UCAN members are currently voting on whether to ratify the contract. The ratification vote will run through next Tuesday, with results announced shortly afterward.
Leaders and members who participated in bargaining say the TAs address the priorities that members identified for new contracts—above all, parity with the salaries our unions won for adjunct faculty, postdocs, and grad workers at Rutgers after our strike last spring.
Minimum pay for NJIT adjuncts would increase by 32 percent in the first year of a new contract (already past, but the pay increases are retroactive) and 44.2 percent over four years. The contract also establishes a tier system like we have at Rutgers, with higher pay for senior adjuncts—their pay would increase by 66.7 percent over four years. Minimum salaries for grad workers with a calendar year appointment would increase by 61.4 percent over four years to reach the same level as Rutgers, and the bottom salary for postdocs likewise matches the salaries we won.
Other gains in the agreements include: strengthened reappointment language for adjuncts; additional pay and grading support for those who teach large classes; six years of guaranteed funding and full health coverage for grad workers; earlier deadlines for postdocs to be notified about reappointments, plus visa extensions if needed; and improved grievance procedures for everyone represented by UCAN. Click these links to see summaries of the TAs for adjuncts, postdocs, and grad workers.
As those of you in Newark know, NJIT is located across the street from the Rutgers campus, highlighting the close relationship between the two institutions, which have some departments spanning both campuses. UCAN members walked our picket lines during last spring’s strike, and our members and staff returned the solidarity during the long months of their contract campaign. Together, our unions are proving that organizing and fighting back is the way to win!
Oh, one more thing: the expiration of the new UCAN contract, if ratified, will align with our contract expiration date: June 30, 2026. Get ready for a united fight for the public higher education system we all deserve!
In solidarity,
Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ
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/
AAUP-BHSNJ website: https://aaupbhsnj.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RUaaupbhsnj
UCAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ucan.njit/