Category Archives: Camden Campus

2018 Contract, Benefits, Camden Campus, Dues, Elections, Events, Legislation, New Brunswick/Piscataway Campuses, Newark Campus, News clips, Off Campus, Public Employees, Rutgers One, URA Contract, Videos

What’s Going On At The Bargaining Table

Fair Contract Now! Video

Rutgers has hundreds of millions in unrestricted reserves that could go to make tuition affordable, pay raises and make the university a better place for everyone. Join URA-AFT and the Coalition of Rutgers Unions in calling for fairness at Rutgers.

Watch URA members and others at Rutgers speak on the importance of Bargaining for a Fair Contract at https://youtu.be/bM4UbmqedfQ.

May Bargaining Update

The URA bargaining team met with Rutgers management for the first three negotiating sessions on April 9, April 24, and May 7. These are some highlights of discussions so far:

URA has put proposals on the table to:

  • Provide equal allowance of Administrative Leave (AL) days when a 10-month position is converted to 12 months. (Article 3)
  • Extend bereavement leave to members who have cared for non-family members at the end of life by serving as health proxies, executors or making final arrangements. Allow bereavement leave at the time that a funeral is held, especially military funerals where the family cannot choose the date. (Article 6)
  • Prevent workplace bullying by clarifying the criteria and procedures for our Non-Hostile Workplace Conference. (Article 27)

Read more here

URA-AFT General Membership Meeting (New Location)

URA-AFT General Membership Meeting

May 21 @ 5:30 pm — 7:00 pm EDT

Room 101, Hickman Hall, Douglass Campus

Agenda: Second Reading and Vote on the Budget

Open to full dues members only. Membership forms available at the door.

Update on OptumRX and the NJ State Health Benefit Plan

Last week the New Jersey Appellate Court ruled that the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) contract for the New Jersey State Health Benefit Plan will have to be rebid. OptumRX is the current plan manager and will continue to administer the health plan while the state decides whether to appeal the Appellate Court decision.

In the meantime please be aware of your right to appeal any denials from OptumRX.

Read more here

Rutgers Day — April 28, 2018

Thanks to all the URA members who made Rutgers Day a record-shattering success. And a special shout-out to the volunteers who not only registered voters at our COPE table, but also kept the crowd engaged while providing civic education. Pictures of the URA activities can be found on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ura1766.

Read more here

2018 Contract, Benefits, Camden Campus, New Brunswick/Piscataway Campuses, Newark Campus, Off Campus, URA Contract

May Bargaining Update

The URA bargaining team met with Rutgers management for the first three negotiating sessions on April 9,  April 24, and May 7. These are some highlights of discussions so far:

URA has put proposals on the table to:

  • Provide equal allowance of Administrative Leave (AL) days when a 10-month position is converted to 12 months. (Article 3)
  • Extend bereavement leave to members who have cared for non-family members at the end of life by serving as health proxies, executors or making final arrangements. Allow bereavement leave at the time that a funeral is held, especially military funerals where the family cannot choose the date. (Article 6)
  • Prevent workplace bullying by clarifying the criteria and procedures for our Non-Hostile Workplace Conference. (Article 27)
  • Solidify the union’s right to challenge decisions by Rutgers over which positions can be classified as overtime exempt.
  • Allow new employees’ probationary period to be extended only once, with notification to the union. (Article 33)
  • Provide a firm timeline for supervisors to approve or modify the job description of employees who use the self-initiated reclassification process. (Article 35)
  • Increase the vision care reimbursement to $150. This part of our health benefits package is entirely funded by Rutgers and is separate from the State Health Benefits Plan. (Article 55)

Management has proposed to:

  • Extend the probationary period for new employees to 1 year.
  • Eliminate the Non-Hostile Workplace article of the contract.
  • Eliminate the current Steps 1 and 2 of the grievance procedure, preventing union stewards from resolving issues at the department level.

These proposals would take away important protections we have won at the bargaining table over the last 10 years. We can’t make progress toward a better contract unless all our members get involved.

Here’s what you can do in May:

  • Wear your union button at work. Post union posters on your door or workplace bulletin board. – it’s your protected right.
  • Follow URA’s Facebook page (URA1766) and share union messages on your own social media.
  • Attend the next URA General Membership meeting :

 5:30 pm -Monday, May 21 in Room 101, Hickman Hall, Douglass Campus.