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.
The Union of Rutgers Administrators-American Federation of Teachers (URA-AFT) Local 1766 responded yesterday to an e-mail sent this week by McCormick to members of the university community.
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April 17, 2009
By RICK MALWITZ
Staff Writer
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.
The Union of Rutgers Administrators-American Federation of Teachers (URA-AFT) Local 1766 responded yesterday to an e-mail sent this week by McCormick to members of the university community. McCormick warned of the possibility of course reductions, delayed capital improvements and layoffs in anticipation of a $60 million budget shortfall forecast for the 2009-10 school year.
"Old Queens is building fear and confusion among the staff," said URA-AFT president Lucye Millerand," referring to the historic administration building on the New Brunswick campus.
"Why would McCormick layoff the employees who work closely with students when we are trying to increase our enrollment?" Millerand asked.
The URA-AFT represents a wide array of staff members including administrative assistants, media relations specialists and staff at the agriculture cooperative extension units.
The average salary among members of the URA-AFT is in the low $50,000's, according to Nat Bender, the executive vice president of the URA-AFT local.
About $30 million in salary increases are due in July, as a result of a union contract negotiated in 2007 when the economic picture was dramatically different.
"Some of our members are one or two weeks away from mortgage problems," Millerand said.
Their anxiety about layoffs is joined by Lisa C. Klein, president of the American Association of University Professors-AFT which represents Rutgers' professors.
Klein said the threat of layoffs has not been part of any discussion between the university and the union.
"We have ongoing communication on many issues, but talks about the budget have been restricted to mass e-mails to the entire university and a single, March meeting which provided no real information," Klein said.
In his e-mail McCormick said of all the proposed cuts, "The most painful cuts will be layoffs.
"It would be far preferable to avoid layoffs, especially because we are so thinly staffed in many of our service areas and the job market is so poor. But if the shortfall remains this steep, layoffs will be unavoidable," he said.
The two unions also are working with the legislature to increase the level of state funding.
The cuts announced by Gov. Jon Corzine in his proposed budget were made known before Congress passed its latest economic stimulus plan.
The lobbying effort involves convincing the governor and legislature to use money from the federal stimulus package to avoid layoffs.
Negotiations for the current contract began in August 2007, and an agreement was reached in December 2007. The agreement calls for raises that average about 5 percent for the 2009-10 school year and about 4 percent for the 2010-11 year, the final year of the pact.
Millerand said a decision has not been made by union membership whether or not to re-visit the signed contract.
