Resolution on Contract Negotiations

Background

Now should be a time of unity, pride, and celebration at Rutgers as we approach the University's 250th anniversary. Instead there is a high level of discontent and frustration among faculty, staff, and students. Relations between the administration and the rest of the University community are at a low point. There are a number of factors contributing to this unfortunate situation but right now, the most important contributor by far is the lack of progress in contract negotiations

At Rutgers, 23 union contracts have expired in the last year or earlier; some faculty have been working without a contract for more than five years. Only one of those 23 contracts has been settled at this time, leading many to believe that the administration is not really committed to negotiating fair contracts for all faculty and staff.

Recently, the administration has adopted the unprecedented tactic of communicating directly with union members by mass emails, rather than communicating with them through their unions at the negotiating table. That these mass emails have contained a number of misstatements and misrepresentations has contributed to the poor relations between the administration and the rest of the University community.

The current climate of mistrust and rancor has made it impossible for the entire University community to come together to work toward the common goals expressed in the University Strategic Plan.

Resolution

Be it resolved that the New Brunswick Faculty Council calls upon the Rutgers administration to move expeditiously and with maximum determination to reach agreements with all the faculty and staff unions whose contracts have expired in order to begin to restore the sense of unity and common purpose essential for Rutgers to achieve its goal of becoming one of the premier American public research universities. Be it further resolved we also urge the administration to communicate with the faculty and staff about these negotiations solely through our duly elected union representatives.