Action Alert: Call for Fairness at Rutgers

Sign on on in protest to Rutgers management’s disregard for our union contracts and our personal economic needs. Since January of this year, we have heard from management that Rutgers is facing an economic crisis.

President Barack Obama Rallies for Governor Jon Corzine

07/16/2009 - 12:00
US/Eastern

President Barack Obama Rallies for Governor Jon Corzine

Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM

Rutgers University
Voorhees Mall
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Start time to be determined. Please check back soon for more information. We will also email all RSVPs prior to the event with all the event details. Thanks for your support!

Report Finds Flaws in Rutgers Fiscal Management

Staff identifies opportunities for savings instead of excessive salary reduction

NEW BRUNSWICK... Rutgers management has the wrong priorities and misses opportunities to save money, according to study of staff opinions released by the Union of Rutgers Administrators‐American Federation of Teachers (URA‐AFT). According to Kathryn Neal, New Brunswick campus vice president for URA‐AFT and author of the report, “Over three‐quarters (77%) of respondents believe there are ways the university could cut costs without resorting to lay‐offs or salary reductions.” She said many people responsible for tracking their departments’ budgets identified excessive spending for office decorating, travel, meals, printing and overuse of consultants. “Unfortunately we have seen no university‐wide call to rein in spending in these or other areas,” Neal said.


outside the Board of Governors meeting June 25, 2009

Photo: R. Moore
URA-AFT set up a table outside the June Rutgers Board of Governors meeting to talk about its recently-released report, including a demand for a seat for staff on the governing boards of the university.

Laid-off URA-AFT Member Gets Her COBRA Subsidy

By Sharon Cramer

[Note: a fact sheet about COBRA has been prepared by AFT and is online at http://www.ura-aft.org/downloads/COBRA.pdf]

This is good and useful information for URA-AFT members who have been laid off and are eligible for the COBRA Premium Reduction under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). I received the packet in the mail, from the State Division of Pension and Benefits, to apply for the COBRA subsidy.

Gov Restores Rutgers $15 million

Success! $15.4 million has been restored to Rutgers University in Governor Corzine’s revised budget proposal which was released on Tuesday. This amounts to a complete restoration in operating aid. Our advocacy efforts have been effective and we thank you for your effort and support.

Corzine: Use stimulus aid for higher ed

Corzine: Use stimulus aid for higher ed
By Susan Snyder

Inquirer Staff Writer

New Jersey's public colleges and universities, which have lost substantial ground in state funding over the last few years, would get a reprieve under a revised budget proposed by Gov. Corzine.

July Membership Meeting

07/13/2009 - 17:30
US/Eastern

Next Meeting: July 13, 5:30 pm
Teleconferenced between three campuses.
Camden: Armitage Hall, Dean's Conference Room.
Newark: Dana Library, Fourth floor.
New Brunswick: Labor Education Center, room 133

Agenda will be distributed during the week prior

URA-AFT Budget Survey 2009 Results

Findings Date
About

Part V:Shared
Part V released 6/15

Download
This survey was conducted to determine ways university departments can reduce spending and to elicit staff opinions about budget decisions
being made. Findings and recommendations are being compiled and are being released in five parts.

Rutgers unions plan to lobby university president to save jobs

Unions representing about 7,000 staff and faculty at Rutgers University plan to lobby President Richard L. McCormick and lawmakers in Trenton in an attempt to salvage jobs, and allow the university to meet the demands of increased enrollment.

Report Back from Health Care Reform Lobby Day

Tara Kelley
Tara Kelley
Hundreds of New Jersey residents made the long voyage to Washington, DC on June 25 to rally for health care reform. We were greeted at Senate Park by thousands of other concerned citizens, physicians, nurses, union activists and community group members from across the nation who want members of congress to support expanded coverage for the uninsured and underinsured. The appearance of actress Edie Falco ( late of The Sopranos and now playing the title character in the series Nurse Jackie) added a bit of glamour to the rally’s simple message: “We need health care reform – and we need it now.”

Grievance Letter Regarding Contracted Raises

June 12,2009

Dear Dr. Furmanski:

In telephone conversations in the past month with the Office of Labor Relations and University Human Resources, the Union has inquired whether management is prepared to implement the merit portion of URA-AFT's salary package for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2009-2010 on July 1,2009, as specified in our agreement, Article 38, Salary Improvements Section C. 2. A.

As

"Newark teaching programs get national accreditation": The URA Story Behind the Story

Unable to attend our legislative breakfast on April 15, Assemblyman Thomas Giblin visited Rutgers Newark as a follow up to talk to unionized faculty and staff about the value of their work. Robert Holmes and Edna Baugh from the Community Law Clinic, county agent Greg Rusciano, student counselor Englebert Santana from the Academic Foundations Center, Darlene Smith from the Program in American Language Studies and Jessica Vassallo from the Department of Urban Education all made brief presentations about the impact of their programs in Newark and the greater community. A Star-Ledger reporter attended the event and subsequently visited Jessica’s department to learn more about their program, leading to the publication of the Monday, June 1 article ,
Newark teaching programs get national accreditation
(print version in the June 2 paper). [Accompanying the article is a photograph of URA-AFT member Kaleena Berryman]

Jessica Vassallo

Jessica Vassallo
I’d like to express my gratitude to my union, the URA-AFT, for giving me the opportunity to present our extraordinary Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) to Assemblyman Thomas Giblin and Brian Whitley of the Star Ledger.

This introduction served as the catalyst for the June 2 article recognizing UTEP’s crucial work of training teacher candidates to meet the many challenges they will face in urban districts as well as the new standards and accountability measures for teacher education programs. We see Newark as one of New Jersey’s most promising and historical cities. What better way to be a part of the revitalization of Newark than to prepare the best teacher candidates possible?

URA Health and Safety: What You Can Do to Plan and Prepare to Prevent Pandemic Flu

This from health and safety chair Joyce Sagi


There is a time to plan the work and a time to work the plan. The URA-AFT has requested, in conjunction with other Rutgers locals, to have a seat at the table and partner with Rutgers management in emergency planning and on pandemic planning. We will continue to monitor the H1N1 outbreak and keep our members informed.

Foote Graduates Union Leadership Academy

Governor Corzine congratulates ULA grads
Governor Corzine (center), Carolyn Foote (far right)
URA-AFT executive board member Carolyn Foote took all her Union Leadership Academy classes at Rutgers in Newark and finished the program this spring.

Pirrello Quoted About Paid Family Leave

Helen

URA's Helen Pirrello is quoted in the May-June issue of AFT's higher education publication On Campus in an article about titled, "A New Deal for Labor." The piece recounts progressive legislation and advocacy efforts starting with the Employee Free Choice Act then discussing healthcare reform and paid family leave measures.

Helen's legislative co-chair Karen White helped craft New Jersey's progressive legislation and the two spearheaded the union's efforts to advocate for its passage last Spring.

Students Protest Corzine Budget Cuts

By: Lev Zilbermintz, Executive Editor, Newark Observer
Posted: 5/5/09
Around 100 students protested budget cuts in front of the Statehouse in Trenton on April 30. Students from county colleges, private colleges and public colleges all came together to demand that Governor Jon Corzine restore funding to higher education.

Newark Higher Education Legislative Breakfast Photos


URA-AFT president Lucye Millerand and Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey Prof. Jim Pope, Sen. Ron Rice, Darlene Smith and Carolyn Foote Assemblyman Albert Coutinho and URA-AFT member Gerard Drinkard

State Issues Rutgers “Serious” Citation for Lack of Emergency Preparedness

Union Health and Safety Experts Hoping for Better Cooperation

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