URA-AFTMember Profiles
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Nadia Salzer | |
| Title: | Community Assistant | |
| Department: | Nutritional Science, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County |
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| Years at Rutgers: | 1 |
Nadia is a member of the URA-AFT executive committee, representing
outreach and off-campus members.
"Any time there is an
understanding of mutual respect and collaboration
between an employer and its employees, it is a great thing for both
parties."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Mike Ballard |
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| Title: | Sports Information Director | |
| Department: | Athletic Department (Camden) | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 10 |
Mike is a steward and served as a member of the URA-AFT contract committee.
"It is my hope this union will foster the understanding that we are all professionals working toward the same goals. Equitable treatment of all employees fosters unity and builds a culture of mutual respect."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Eric Himsel |
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| Title: | Sr. Administrative Assistant | |
| Department: | SAS Office of Academic Services | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 2.5 |
Eric is a steward and member of the URA-AFT communications committee.
"Having satisfied and respected workers ultimately leads to lower turnover, which, in turn, means all of us remain employed and the university retains the asset of our collective knowledge and skills."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Janice DiLella | |
| Title: | Program Coordinator | |
| Department: | Center for Human Resource Strategy | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 13 |
Janice
served on the URA-AFT bargaining team and has been elected to the
executive committee.
"As
things were, Rutgers could change policies and procedures whenever and
however they wanted. Now they have to include us in that process."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Jim Kirchner | |
| Title: | Chief Engineer of College Ave. and Cook Douglas Campuses/Supervisor of Utilities Operations | |
| Department: | Utilities | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 26 |
"What I value most in my current position is the interaction and rapport that I have with the customers and my coworkers. I also feel confident that management trusts my opinion and backs the decisions that I make."
Jim is a member of the URA-AFT Executive Board, representing New Brunswick.
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Team Profile | |
| Name: | Bargaining | |
| Title: | Team | |
| Department: | Administrative Unit | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 128 |
Learn more about your URA-AFT bargaining team.
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Lynn Shanko | |
| Title: | Senior Department Administrator |
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| Department: | Center for Historical Analysis (RCHA) |
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| Years at Rutgers: | 16 |
Lynn is a member of your URA-AFT bylaws committee and communications committee.
"I believe that having a union empowers us as a group and as
individuals."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Tara Kelley | |
| Title: | Administrative Assistant | |
| Department: | Center for Management Development | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 3 |
Tara is a member of the URA-AFT contract committee.
"I believe it is
important for Rutgers employees to have a strong, united voice.
Everyone, in every unit, should benefit from their hard work at Rutgers."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Helen F. Pirrello |
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| Title: | Administrative Assistant | |
| Department: | School of Engineering, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering> |
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| Years at Rutgers: | 27 |
Helen is a member of your URA-AFT Administrative unit bargaining team and an Executive Committee member, representing New Brunswick.
"The union provides us with things we never had
before: a
seat at the table and a voice. Instead of having to passively depend on
the
decisions of others, we have the historic opportunity to decide for
ourselves
what’s best for us"
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Brandon Chandler | |
| Title: | Manager of Residence Life | |
| Department: | Housing and Residence Life- Camden | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 4 |
Brandon is a member of your URA-AFT Administrative unit bargaining team and the Camden Vice President.
"We have a
great
opportunity to not only make working at Rutgers better
for 1800 plus employees in the URA, but also make Rutgers a better
university by our efforts."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Joyce Sagi |
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| Title: | Safety/Security Compliance Specialist | |
| Department: |
Housing, New Brunswick |
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| Years at Rutgers: | 20 |
Joyce is a member of your URA-AFT Administrative unit bargaining team and an Executive Committee member, representing New Brunswick.
"We needed to organize so that we could have a
voice and an opportunity to be heard in order to improve our working
conditions."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: | Kathryn Neal | |
| Title: | Administrative Assistant | |
| Department: | Classics | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 11 |
Kathryn is a member of your URA-AFT Administrative unit bargaining team and New Brunswick Vice President
"The union has introduced a new dynamic at this university. For once the administrative staff are talking to each other and working together to consider what is in our best interests. "
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Mary Beth Hager |
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| Title: | Administrative Assistant (Student
Services Coordinator) |
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| Department: |
School of Communication Information and Library Studies |
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| Years at Rutgers: | 23 |
Mary Beth is a steward and member of your URA-AFT Administrative unit contract committee.
"To have input over the decisions that are made regarding employees’ welfare, both while working at RU and after retiring, is extremely important to me and to those employees who will be working at RU well after I retire"
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Darlene M. Smith |
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| Title: | Administrative Assistant | |
| Department: | Program in American Language Studies (PALS)-Newark | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 19 |
Darlene is a member of your URA-AFT Administrative unit contract bargaining team and Newark Vice President.
"We can set the bar and be a positive example to others in the higher education field and beyond -- to show that unionization is beneficial to both the employer and the employee."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Theresa O'Neill |
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| Title: | Career Management Specialist | |
| Department: | Career Development and Placement | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 7 |
This week's contract committee member profile is Theresa O'Neill who is working on the bargaining committee and has focused special attention on exploring health care options and proposals. Theresa is the URA-AFT Recording Secretary.
"Administrative staff workers at other New Jersey colleges and universities are unionized and have been for many years. Finally, we have an opportunity to catch up and enjoy some of the benefits they have."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Greg Rusciano |
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| Title: | Program Associate | |
| Department: | Cook Environmental Science | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 9 |
Greg is a member of the URA-AFT Administrative unit bargaining team and URA-AFT Treasurer.
"I expect that now or sometime in the near future, you’ll have just as much pride in the URA as you do in the Scarlet Knights. We are volunteering our time on your behalf with this hope. There are many components of Rutgers that we are proud of. This will be one more point of pride."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Kathleen Licinski |
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| Title: | Administrative Assistant | |
| Department: | Asian Languages and Cultures | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 14 |
Kathleen is a member of the contract committee.
"It is my hope that the contract will give the hard-working administrative unit the benefits and compensation that we deserve and that the negotiations come to a successful conclusion in a reasonable amount of time."
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Member Profile | |
| Name: |
Allison Thomas |
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| Title: | Editorial Media Specialist | |
| Department: | University Relations, Creative Services | |
| Years at Rutgers: | 15 |
Contract committee member Allison Thomas.
"I can't stress enough the power that we have when we speak as a united group. We really have an opportunity here to make a difference for ourselves and those who follow us."
