An open letter from URA-AFT, AFSCME Local 888, AFSCME Local 1761 (COLT)
Old Queens doesn't play fair. Our unions represent thousands of hard-working staff members at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Without negotiations, Rutgers decided in July not to pay our negotiated salaries. We are prepared to negotiate to help Rutgers comply with the State budget, which requires that colleges and universities reduce personnel costs in order to obtain stimulus funds. Our Unions have offered proposals to improve job security in exchange for deferring part of our negotiated raises; management has responded with proposals that use the state budget as a cover to take millions of dollars from our members, while offering little in return. Sign this petition to tell Rutgers to play fair instead of playing by its own set of rules.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Tell Old Queens that it can no longer play by its own set of rules: 1) Hide behind the state's budget crisis. New Jersey's financial crisis does NOT extend to Rutgers. The university is financially strong. Enrollment is higher than ever. Our state funding this year is stable and state funds for financial aid are greatly increased. 2) Grow the workforce at the top, cut it at the bottom. Rutgers has hired dozens of executives at salaries which exceed any of the Commissioners who lead the state's executive departments. Now, management wants lower-level staff to give back the raises provided in union contracts to save money. Where do the savings go? To more executive compensation? 3) Heads I win, tails you lose. Other New Jersey unions have approved agreements which provide effective no-layoff protection for the next two years. Layoffs at Rutgers have not stopped. Old Queens has not offered protection to our members. We say stimulus funds should be used for the purposes of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009--to keep the educational workforce working. 4) Cut staff, cut services, raise tuition. Our members clean and repair buildings, register and counsel students. We keep the lights on and the financial aid flowing. Although management is saving money on our salaries, they are still laying off the front-line workers who serve the students and the wider New Jersey community. They are making students pay more for less. 5) Not State funded? Too bad. Millons of dollars in grant funding are flowing into the university. Salaries for those employees have already been funded on the basis of the 2007-2011 contracts-salaries the workers are not getting. Where do the savings go? Management's answer: to travel or supplies. It's time for Old Queens to play fair with our salaries, our jobs and the funding provided from our state and our students.

Signed by:

Campaign Launched:
August 19, 2009