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Greetings,
The Executive Council of the Rutgers AAUP-AFT and the GA/TA
Steering Committee recommends that union members vote to support
the Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) and the Letter of Agreement
(LOA). Despite the
challenging circumstances, we have prevailed: the salary
increases and compensation for GA/TA and PTLs will not be
diminished in any way by the new agreement. In addition, an
outstanding grievance regarding uncompensated work for half-TAs
was finally and fairly settled.
Ballot and relevant
documents should arrive in the regular mail at your home
address. Contact us if you do not receive a
ratification packet within the next few days. Call
732-964-1000.
These new agreements do alter the
salary provisions for faculty contained in Article VIII of the
negotiated contract and secure the University Administration's
agreement not to pursue proposed changes to sabbaticals,
teaching loads, or research funding. There will be no layoffs or
furloughs for faculty members.
Given the unprecedented
severity of the global financial crisis and the political
demands of the State of New Jersey, we believe we have
negotiated a creative solution that will generate savings, have
a minimal effect on programs and yet preserve our base
salaries.
Upon your endorsement, we will
agree to salary increase delays combined with the favorable
resolution of outstanding disputes over sabbaticals, teaching
loads, research funds, and layoffs.
The tentative
MOA and LOA are summarized as follows:
At the end of the
contract period, June 30, 2011, faculty base salaries will have
increased to the exact amount as agreed to in the 2007-11
contract. The implementation of the increases to salary
base, however, will be delayed. There will be no retroactivity
on the delayed increases. Salary delays allow for short-term
personnel related cost savings while having no long-term effects
on the faculty base salaries.
The July 1, 2009
salary increase of 5.5% will be delayed in the following manner:
2.75% will be paid to every unit member on January 1, 2010 as a
regular increase (formerly ATB), and the other 2.75% will be
paid as enhanced increases (formerly FASIP) on July 1,
2010.
The July 1, 2010
salary increase of 5.5% will also be delayed in two equal parts.
2.75% of the July 1 increase will be delayed for six months to
January 1, 2011 and would be split between regular
increases (1.375%) and enhanced increases (1.375%). The other
2.75% will be delayed until June 30, 2011 and would also be
split between regular increases (1.375%) and enhanced
increases (1.375%).
No delays in salary increases
apply to GA/TAs.
In the LOA, the
University will agree to rescind across-the-board increases in
teaching loads and across-the-board denials of 100% sabbaticals.
The LOA will also restore to 2008-09 levels any faculty research
funds that were decreased due to financial
exigencies.
There will also be a separate
communication from the administration to AAUP-AFT President
Adrienne Eaton that
preserves faculty's summer and calendar year compensation.
All members
should read the full text of the agreements at: http://rutgersaaup.org/MOA_LOA_2009.html
Our
support for the MOA and LOA is based primarily on political
considerations. While our members here at Rutgers, and the
national AFT, lobbied intensively to restore the state budget
cut, that restoration came with “strings attached”
in the form of a mandate that Rutgers realize substantial personnel cost
savings and cap tuition increases at 3%. The MOA represents the
faculty’s contribution to satisfy the demands of the state
budget and allow the cuts to be
restored.
While our support for the new
agreements is a clear sign of commitment and dedication to
Rutgers University it should not be construed
as support for the budget priorities or management style of the
Rutgers administration. We are deeply critical
of the time, attention and resources spent on projects and
personnel peripheral to the academic mission.
There
is a troubling unwillingness on behalf of the Rutgers
Administration to provide information on budgetary matters.
The union has been
denied access to the information necessary to prove that the
budget situation is as the administration claims or that savings
will be wisely spent.
As an initial step toward a remedy, the MOA establishes a
new University Committee on Budget and Finance, including union
representatives, which will be chaired by the University
President. It will monitor any federal stimulus funds received
by the university and the use of savings that are a product of
this agreement.
We regret that divide-and-conquer
tactics aimed at the faculty and staff have delayed progress
toward an agreement, but we have worked very hard to make the
best of a bad situation--and so have you. Hundreds of you have
answered multiple calls for sending emails, writing letters,
signing petitions, making phone calls--many becoming full
members to strengthen our voice. We are deeply grateful.
As of
this writing, our fellow unions at Rutgers have yet to reach an agreement
with the administration.
We continue to give them our unqualified support and urge
the administration to agree to protect jobs and base
salaries.
Please join us in voting yes to accept
the measures contained in the MOA and LOA.
Sincerely,
Adrienne Eaton
President,
Rutgers AAUP-AFT on behalf of the Executive Council of the
Rutgers AAUP-AFT Chapters
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