Thousands of workers and students at Rutgers University, represented by three different unions, went on strike this week, seeking higher pay and increased job security.
In a quick take just yesterday, we linked a story that claims even though higher education has seen historic salary increases recently, they are not able to keep pace with inflation.
The Washington Examiner reports:
9,000 Rutgers faculty and staff launch strike demanding better pay and benefitsThree separate unions that represent more than 9,000 faculty and staff at Rutgers University went on strike Monday after contract negotiations between the school and the unions stalled.The two Rutgers chapters of the American Association of University Professors, along with the Adjunct Faculty Union, began striking on Monday with no definite end date, as the three unions, which have been in negotiations with the university for months, seek higher pay, enhanced job security for adjunct faculty, and expanded employee benefits.”The administration doesn’t understand that we are determined to fight together for equal pay for equal work, a living wage for all, real job security, race and gender equity, and a fair salary increase,” the union said in a press release announcing the work stoppage. “We have no other choice than to go on strike to build a university that truly values its workers and its students.”The strike isn’t expected to affect classes. On its website, the university said that many students should expect to continue attending classes throughout the strike and university computer labs and the library would continue to operate.In a statement, the university said it had held over 100 bargaining sessions with the unions and that all negotiations had been conducted in good faith.”Despite the university’s best efforts, members of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT union and Part-Time Lecturer Faculty Chapter of the AAUP-AFT have voted to authorize their union leadership to call a strike if those leaders deem it necessary,” the university said. “The leadership of our faculty/academic unions have called for a strike at Rutgers, beginning on Monday morning, April 10, 2023.”
Here’s a local news report:
According to Politico, this has been building for months and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has been involved all along:
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was personally involved in failed contract negotiations between Rutgers University and faculty unions that went on strike Monday for the first time in the school’s history.Now Murphy, a Democrat who has counted organized labor among his closest political allies, is betting he’ll be able to reach an accord by becoming further intertwined in the dispute. He’s so confident he told Rutgers leaders not to take legal action against the striking workers despite the school’s contention the work stoppage is illegal.Murphy and his staff were in talks with Rutgers and labor officials for months — and as recently as Sunday — ahead of the strike, the governor said. On Monday, he called a meeting in his Trenton office to try resolve the impasse and said he spoke briefly with the two sides at noon.“I’m not happy that it’s come to this. I am happy that we’re in the room together,” Murphy, speaking after an unrelated event in the Statehouse, said he told those in attendance. “Figure this out ASAP.”
Featured image via YouTube.
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