Rutgers and Union Leaders Reach Tentative Agreement
by Matt Fazelpoor
The labor dispute between unions representing 9,000 educators, researchers, clinicians, and counselors and Rutgers University moved a step closer to resolution April 30 as union leadership approved tentative agreements after nearly a year of negotiations.
Representatives of the three unions, Rutgers AAUP-AFT, the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ, met to approve the agreements and recommend them to members for ratification.
That bumpy year of negotiations also included a five-day strike in mid-April, which led to the two sides being called down to Trenton with the governor’s office stepping in to help mediate talks that had broken down. The two sides came to terms on a framework agreement to end the work stoppage. Negotiation continued, though, to settle outstanding matters.
Last week, it appeared that talks might break down again as rhetoric ratcheted up and the unions planned actions to coincide with this past weekend’s Rutgers Day festivities.
However, April 28, the unions announced that their bargaining teams voted to recommend proposed contract language. That set the stage for Sunday’s vote.
Following the balloting, union members will decide whether the tentative agreements are ratified, producing contracts that would run through the end of June 2026. The members will discuss the agreements at town halls in the coming days and cast ballots in a ratification vote that is expected to begin later this week.
“We are a democratic union, and our members will have the final say on whether these TAs are ratified,” the three unions said in a statement. “We’re proud of what we achieved by going on strike and joining together for the Rutgers we and our students deserve. We believe these are strong contracts that make numerous advances for our members. We didn’t win everything we asked for and deserve, but no labor contract ever does. We will continue fighting for a better Rutgers starting the day after we have a ratified contract.”
“I am happy to let you know that a Tentative Agreement on new contracts has been reached between the university and its faculty unions. The agreement with the union leaders, which was today approved by their Executive Council and still requires ratification from the broader union membership, provides substantial salary increases for full-time faculty, graduate assistants, teaching assistant, and others,” Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway wrote in a message to the Rutgers community. “It provides new compensation programs for our medical school faculty and provides both salary increases and job security for our part-time lecturers, who will be referred to as “Lecturers” upon ratification.”
Provisions of the deal include:
- Salary increases across the board for full-time faculty and EOF counselors by at least 14% by July 1, 2025
- Non-tenured full-time professors, who currently must be reappointed at the end of their contracts, becoming eligible for “presumptive renewal,” meaning they won’t have to reapply
- An 8% increase in per-credit salary rate for part-time lecturers over the four years of the contract, which Rutgers says will significantly strengthen their job security
- A 9% increase of the minimum salary for postdoctoral fellows and associates over the same contract period
- Substantial enhancements in wages as well as a commitment to multi-university support for teaching assistants and graduate assistants
- Graduate students, in addition to receiving health care coverage and free tuition and fees, will have their 10-month salaries increased to $40,000 over the course of the contract
- The contracts will be retroactive to July 1, 2022, and provide substantial retroactive salary payments to covered employees
Further details of the agreement can be found here and here.
“Reaching this point today is a recognition that we all can come together and work through our differences for the good of the university. It is also a testament to the leadership of Governor Murphy, who brought all sides together when progress had stalled,” Holloway said. “My thanks to all those who hard work contributed to achieving this agreement, and I look forward to resolving all outstanding non-faculty contracts as quickly as possible.
On Sunday night, Gov. Phil Murphy released a statement thanking the Rutgers faculty, union leaders and Holloway for their “hard work and commitment in reaching this historic agreement,” saying he was pleased that the framework agreement announced between the two sides in April after negotiating in his office led to a full agreement on new contracts.
“We brought all parties together earlier this month to engage in constructive dialogue and reach an agreement regarding matters such as compensation, benefits, and job security for both full- and part-time faculty members. Today’s contract agreement accomplishes all of those goals,” said Murphy. “As one of the nation’s leading universities, Rutgers has long been a source of pride for our state. Ensuring Rutgers faculty are respected and fairly compensated will result in a better educational experience for students, educators, and staff. Furthermore, resolving these complex concerns through good faith negotiations is a testament that all sides can come together and work through their differences for the common good.”
