Rutgers Tentative Deal Suspends Historic Faculty Strike

A week of marathon bargaining at the New Jersey state capital has produced a “framework agreement,” suspending an historic faculty strike at Rutgers University.

Gov. Phil Murphy, who brought both parties to the negotiating table Monday to resume stalled talks, announced the agreement early Saturday morning to pause the five-day strike, the first such faculty action in the university’s 256-year history.

“This fair and amicable conclusion respects the interests of many different stakeholders, upholds New Jersey’s values, and puts an end to a standoff that was disruptive to our educators and students alike,” Murphy said in a statement.

Classes will resume at the university’s three campuses (New Brunswick, Newark and Camden) on Monday for the 67,000 students, many joining picket lines over the past week.

Rutgers and its faculty unions issued statements expressing satisfaction in the deal reached. The unions note the strike is suspended, and would be expected to resume if the contact agreement is not ratified.

“We still have work to do to come to a full tentative agreement, and we will resume doing so next week. Most of all, we are eager to get back to teaching our students and helping them finish up spring semester,” said Amy Higher, president of the Adjunct Faculty Union.

The union says they’ve gone nearly 300 days without a contract. At the crux of the standstill are employee wages and equal pay for adjunct professors. The unions say it’s unfair that adjuncts have to reapply for their jobs each semester regardless of their tenure, and that grad students don’t receive a living wage for their services. They also want better pay for clinical workers at the university’s health facilities across its sprawling campuses.

Three faculty unions representing about 9,000 educators, researchers and clinicians at the college’s three main regional campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, voted unanimously to authorize the strike after labor negotiations stalled last weekend. It’s the first such strike in the school’s 257-year history.

“The key is we are fighting for better work conditions for our faculty so that students’ learning conditions can be improved,” said Media Studies Professor Deepa Kumar.

The unions have argued that too many of their members simply don’t make enough to pay the bills, while salaries and budgets increase for administrators and high-profile coaches.

Picket lines have formed at all three campuses as well as the state capital, often times taking to neighboring streets to get the message out. Some have stood outside the homes of members of the board of governors.

“If we can get members of the board of governors to listen to us and then talk to [President Holloway], that I would think would help push the negotiations forward,” said Hank Kalet, striking adjunct professor.

Countless students have joined in to show their support for the faculty, weeks before the end of the semester.

“I still have concerns, but at the end of the day, this isn’t about me It’s about the people educating me,” said senior Lauren Lake.

The full impact the strike will have on the close of the semester for the university’s 67,000 students remains uncertain, as they see exams and assignment dates repeatedly pushed back.

“There’s a rumor it’ll go to pass/fail; there’s a rumor we could get all A’s; there’s a rumor that it’s like no credit even, but we’re not too sure,” said sophomore Dylan Eskow.

Negotiations are continuing over faculty contracts as the second day of strikes continue at Rutgers University. Brian Thompson reports.

Rutgers says it is cautiously optimistic it will reach an agreement quickly with several unions, including AAUP-AFT and Part-Time Lecturer Faculty Chapter of the AAUP-AFT. It also says it has held more than 100 bargaining sessions with union leadership and will continue talks until comprehensive agreements are made on compensation and other issues.

In the meantime, the university says it is open and operating on a normal schedule, with just weeks left in the semester, as negotiations continue. This FAQ page for students has more on the strike implications.

“The continued academic progress of our students is our number one concern, and we will do all that we can so that their progress is not impeded by a strike,” Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said in a statement.

In an email to the campus community on Sunday, Holloway said that “to say that this is deeply disappointing is 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.”

Talks between both parties resumed Monday, with Gov. Phil Murphy hoping to bring about a quick resolution.

“I expect a result, a deal that is a fair one for all parties, ASAP. But I am not a fan of a deal that’s on the back of our students,” he said.

“We’ve already accomplished more in a few days than we did in months, thanks to Governor Murphy’s invitation for us to bargain in Trenton and the strength of our members on the picket line,” Givan said Friday. “But hard issues remain, and we have some distance to go before we have a contract.”