Rutgers Unions asks state university for fair contract negotiations

From NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 18, 2014

TRENTON — A group of Rutgers University faculty members and union officials stood with state lawmakers on the steps of the Statehouse today and called for the state university’s leaders to conduct fair contract negotiations.

Reclaim Rutgers — a coalition of faculty and staff unions — said 20,000 of the school’s workers have gone at least three years without a raise while the cost of living and health care costs have increased.

[At the press conference, Bernie Gerard, RN, Vice-President Health Professionals & Allied Employees. pointed out that “our members serve and protect the public health, and we bring to Rutgers years of experience and value in medical research and health care delivery. We’re fighting for recognition for that value, through fair wages and access to the same tuition reimbursement and benefits that other Rutgers employees receive. ”]

Union leaders have been negotiating a new contract with Rutgers President Robert Barchi and the university’s board of governors for months. The coalition said faculty and staff have been offered a 2 percent raise over six years but stressed that the offer is less than half of what their counterparts at other state colleges and university have received this year.

Read the Press Statement from Reclaim Rutgers