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Greetings,
Exciting news! Last Tuesday, July 21, the New Jersey Public
Employment Relations Commission certified the vote of nearly 350
post-doctoral fellows and associates to unionize under the
Rutgers Council of AAUP Chapters, AAUP-AFT. This makes Rutgers
only the third university in the country where post-docs have
successfully unionized--we're making history once
again!
The TA/GA Steering Committee is proud to welcome
our post-doctoral colleagues into the ever-expanding union
family at Rutgers; indeed, now nearly every intellectual worker
as well as most other non-executive employees are unionized.
Next fellows and associates will negotiate a contract with the
university for fair pay, benefits and working conditions--just
as faculty, lecturers and grads are negotiating our new
Winter/Summer Session contract right now. If you're sharing a
lab with a post-doc friend, or maybe just sharing a table at
lunch, be sure to let them know we're here to support them in
any way we can. That's what union means.
Of course,
getting certified and negotiating a contract is only the
beginning: it takes a strong membership actively engaged every
day to ensure that contract is enforced. But when we all chip
in, that only has to mean an hour or two here or there for each
of us--so why not come out for the membership drive this week?
Or at least show your support at the social hour?
You'll
be glad you did. I promise.
Events This
Week
Summer Organizing Drive: Meet Wednesday,
July 29 @ 3pm on the steps of the Food Science building. Follow
an experienced activist to see what it's like knocking door to
door to share the union family spirit!
GSA/Union Summer
Social Hour: This week we'll be at Doll's Place on Joyce
Kilmer Ave in New Brunswick, Friday July 31 any time after 9pm.
And show some support! Wear your union shirt and your first
drink is on me!
Events to Look
For
Summer Sunshine BBQ: Whenever it stops
raining, the Steering Committee will take some time off to cook
out on the grill! Date/Time TBD, but plan on the weekend of
August 7.
Fall Orientation: The last week in August is
a big time for us, when we can find all new grad employees in
one place for their mandatory orientation. We're already
recruiting volunteers to stand at the tables with us, just
for an hour or two, to sign our newest members right away.
Sign up today!
Address all inquiries to me at taga@gsa.rutgers.edu.
In
unity,
Elric Kline
Chair, TA/GA Steering Committee
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