CAMDEN, NJ (KYW Newsradio) — Members of all three Rutgers University faculty and staff unions will be back on the picket lines Tuesday, as faculty and staff strikes in New Brunswick, Newark, and Camden move into their second day. This is the first “job action” of its kind in more than 250 years of Rutgers history.
Bargaining committees from the university and the unions that represent professors, grad student workers, counselors, and others, met in Trenton on Monday. The unions are pushing for wage increases, job security, and funding for grad students, to name a few issues.
University reps also had their time with members of Gov. Phil Murphy’s staff.
In an evening update, union leaders said they don’t expect a contract to be settled in the next few hours, but they seemed confident in the direction some of the conversations are going.
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“We haven't received any offers or exchanged any orders. We do believe we will,” said Rebecca Givan, president of the union representing grad workers, faculty and postdoctoral associates
During the virtual meeting, Amy Higer, who heads the adjunct union, spoke to Rutgers students.
“We're not doing it to hurt you. We're doing it because we want you to have the best education possible,” Higer said.
“We want to be back in the classroom teaching. We need to get these contracts settled. And the way to settle them is to be on the picket line.”
Striking workers at the university's Camden campus were outside of the Campus Center at 9 a.m., holding signs and chanting things like, “Rutgers is for education. We are not a corporation.”
Local union leader and Rutgers Camden English Professor Jim Brown says they're fighting for better wages and a fair contract for all.
“There’s a group of workers at Rutgers University that don’t make enough money and don’t have job security. I’m not talking about me, I’m a tenured English professor,” Brown said. “I’m not on strike for me. I’m on strike for the people that do not have adequate pay. Do not have health care. Do not have job security.”
That includes part-time Professor Brandon Borrelli who needs to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
“I’ve been used to living paycheck to paycheck my whole life since graduating college," Borrelli said. "It’s stressful. I don’t like putting my groceries on credit cards and then paying them back down. That’s not a way for anyone to live.”
“It's very surprising that a place that wants to benefit our community isn't benefiting our workers directly. And I've seen over and over again people not being paid on time, including myself sometimes. It makes it very difficult to raise a family,” said Victor Monterrosa, a Rutgers Law professor.
Union leadership, including representing professors, lecturers, graduate student workers, postdoctoral associates and counselors, met Sunday night and voted to go on strike.
A month ago 94% of union members voted to authorize a work stoppage. Union leaders say the administration has delayed efforts to reach a deal.
“We have been bargaining for a new contract for nearly a year. This entire time, the administration has delayed and obstructed our efforts to reach an agreement,” Rutgers American Association of University Professors - American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT) announced on its website
“Our unions and the administration are still far apart on core demands, especially those affecting our most vulnerable colleagues.”
Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, in an email to the school community, said there was “significant and substantial progress” and “only a few outstanding issues” remained.
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“To say that this is deeply disappointing would be an understatement, especially given that just two days ago, both sides agreed in good faith to the appointment of a mediator to help us reach agreements,” Holloway said.
Rutgers posted guidelines for its 67,000 students on its website and a banner on the top of its site read, “The university is open and operating and classes are proceeding on a normal schedule.”
Rutgers officials said many classes are still scheduled and students are expected to attend and complete their assignments. It is not clear how that would work out with instructors off the job.
“We’ve been talking to students about what will happen with classes when we go on strike,” Brown said. But we also invited them out to the picket line.”
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The strike comes just a few weeks before finals, the end of the semester and Commencement, which is scheduled for May 14.
Commencement and convocation ceremonies will continue as planned, the university said.
Negotiations have been taking place for about a year.