Home News: Rutgers union in contract dispute boycotting university president's address
September 24, 2009
Rutgers union in contract dispute boycotting university president's address
By SERGIO BICHAO, STAFF WRITER
From the campus office of one of the university's largest employee unions comes a "Top 10'' list of things to do Friday instead of attending President Richard L. McCormick's annual address.
Among the tongue-in-cheek suggestions posted on the Union of Rutgers Administrators' Web site: "Get your feet dirty trying to walk through the construction on Livingston Campus" and visit the Rutgers Stadium in Piscataway "to see the construction crew building a monument to where your raise went."
The humor behind the call to boycott the speech belies the union's anger and frustration at the administration, which froze their contractually-obligated salary increases in July and is seeking contractual give-backs from the union.
"University management has shown continual disregard for workers' rights, breaking contracts by unilaterally withholding raises while continuing with layoffs," URA-AFT president Lucye Millerand said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. "Since President McCormick has taken no action to establish a real dialogue, I see no value in listening to his prepared address."
See full article at www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090924/NEWS/909240328
The university and the Rutgers Council of American Association of University Professors, representing 2,500 full-time faculty and 2,000 teaching and graduate assistants, reached an agreement last month to defer until next year raises that were due in July.
But no agreement has been reached with the URA or the two American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees locals that represent some 2,300 clerical, lab and maintenance workers at the state's largest university.
Millerand said both sides have not met since the third week in August. Since then, two members of her union have received lay-off notices.
The union has filed for arbitration in response to the university unilaterally freezing salaries in July.
University officials have said the freeze was necessary to meet Trenton's demand that it rein in employee compensation in order to receive $15.4 million in federal stimulus money controlled by the state.
University and union officials would not discuss specifics of their talks.
But as the Top 10 list suggests, the union does not believe the university is in dire straits.
"Although I know there is an economic problem throughout the state, Rutgers has enough money to do whatever they want to do," said AFSCME Local 1761 President Charlesetta Bynes.
The university said it was facing a budget shortfall of up to $45 million, with salary obligations accounting for $30 million of that sum. The university has since bridged the gap with budget cuts, layoffs, and state aid. The deferral plan negotiated with the AAUP is expected to stave off $23.6 million in spending over the next two years.
McCormick's address will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Rutgers Student Center at the College Avenue Campus. The president is expected to address the economic recession's effect on Rutgers and his goals for undergraduate studies and international education.
