Rutgers' unions representing faculty, grad students and adjuncts pass strike-authorization vote

Faculty at Rutgers University overwhelmingly passed a measure that would give its negotiating team the authority to call a strike if necessary.

It would be the first faculty strike in Rutgers’ 257-year history.

The unions representing approximately 8,000 full-time faculty, graduate students, adjuncts, postdoctoral associates, and counselors announced the results of the vote, held over 10 days, on Friday afternoon. About 94% voted in favor, with about 80% of members voting, the union said.

It follows nine months of negotiations that have failed to produce an agreement. The union’s previous contract expired last summer.

Union leaders haven’t said when or if a strike would occur, but Rebecca Givan, president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT, said last week she doubted members would want to wait months to take action.

“The ball is in their court,” Givan said in a statement. “The administration can decide to keep us in our classrooms, labs, and libraries if they respond with serious offers that meet the urgent needs we’ve identified with our contract proposals. But if they continue to drag their feet, our members are fed up with being disrespected and dismissed.”

The university in a statement said it hoped to reach agreements with the unions as quickly as possible.

“The administration has already met with our union negotiating teams 100 times and will meet with them another 100 times if that’s what it takes to reach agreements over contracts that are fair, reasonable, and responsible,” Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said in a statement to the university community. “In meeting our obligation to our students, our employees, the taxpayers, and our state partners, the university must balance the fair compensation of our employees with the impact on our students and their families.”

Holloway said he already has directed most central administrative units to trim their budgets by as much as 9.5% for next year to help offset a shortfall and cover prospective wage increases.

Rutgers’ administration last week offered a proposed contract with a wage increase of 10.75% over four years, he said, and a one-time lump sum of 1% of base salary this year.

The union, however, countered that the offer, considering inflation, amounts to a salary cut. It is seeking 5% annual wage hikes, plus more if inflation is higher.

The union also is pushing to have graduate students paid a living wage, Givan said. Teaching assistants and graduate assistants covered by the union contract get a minimum salary of $30,162 ($33,999 if their appointment is for the academic year). The union wants to see the minimum raised to $36,000. Better pay for adjuncts also is a demand, she said.

Any labor action at Rutgers could involve virtually all teaching staff. Rutgers enrolls more than 67,000 students.