In light of the fast and furious merger negotiations; calls for oversight by our members and other higher ed unions, students groups and concerned citizens; and the hearings at the statehouse over the last few weeks, we can now take a sigh of relief in knowing that solidarity and accountability have led to two great things for the people of NJ and especially the Rutgers community:

1) The legislation postpones the reorganization of higher education in New Jersey until July 2013.

2) Rutgers has come out of the deal in one piece – Camden remains a part of Rutgers, and a leader in higher education in southern New Jersey.

Because of the hard work and diligence of our members and the leadership of several affected unions , we are glad to announce that several areas of concern have now been addressed by the final legislation . We were able to protect our union rights; put labor representation on the new campus advisory boards; and require the State Auditor to review the University budget and measure transfers of funds between the campuses. This provision will open Rutgers’ books in a very useful way for many purposes.

This is not the end of the story but it is a better path than where we were headed. URA and AFT staff will prepare more detailed analysis of the law and how it impacts Rutgers after the 4th of July holiday.