ADVERTISEMENT

OT: Rutgers faculty union calls strike

Status
Not open for further replies.
I also saw demands regarding gentrification around New Brunswick and other bizarre things.
And yet here is the union for part time lecturers listing fixing unfair gentrification in New Brunswick as one of their demands. Now you know why the University negotiated dollars & cents and laughed at the rest.

Where'd you see that (link?), as I don't see it in the link or images below of their demands?


FightingFor-full-list-color-image.png


ptlfc-330-core-proposals-rejected.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chaiya1
I don't want to defend the strike. I think it's wrong to call a strike when negotiations are actively going on and when the two sides are making progress. I also think that students are entitled to get the education they are paying for, and that students should not be penalized for the administration's sins, whatever they may be.

But I do want to say that the strike is not primarily about the regular faculty (although the faculty does want pay increases and, considering inflation, that's not an unreasonable request). The key issues concern compensation for graduate students and part-timers. Neither is a group that makes a lot of money, so perhaps both deserve some sympathy.
Adjunct faculty & grad students are particularly abused. Especially the adjuncts.
 
Where'd you see that (link?), as I don't see it in the link or images below of their demands?


FightingFor-full-list-color-image.png


ptlfc-330-core-proposals-rejected.png
I saw it in an earlier report from NJ.com, now memoryholed, but you could argue it fits under the "Housing justice..." bullet point.
 
Where'd you see that (link?), as I don't see it in the link or images below of their demands?


FightingFor-full-list-color-image.png


ptlfc-330-core-proposals-rejected.png

"Grad workers, postdocs, and new faculty burdened by skyrocketing rents in one of the most expensive areas of the country need Rutgers to freeze housing costs. But we also know our future is bound together with the future of our students and the communities where we work and live. The fight for a better Rutgers is a fight for them, too.

Since 2018, our union has been working with students and community organizations such as New Labor and Cosecha to understand the immense impact that Rutgers has in the cities where our campuses are located, especially New Brunswick. When Rutgers sets high prices for room and board, other landlords also raise rent, and developers are encouraged to build unaffordable luxury housing. Together, a coalition of students, Rutgers employees, and community members produced a report, titled “R Homes R Community,” that helped us come up with our contract demands."


Just to clarify, I am not against workers striking, unions, or collective bargaining. I am also skeptical of the hiring of ADJUNCTs to fill the roles of tenured professors.

But, when we are talking about grad students and part timers who have other full-time jobs, I get a bit skeptical. Some of these folks will be writing theses that do not move the needle much for the good of humanity, but rather feed into echo chambers, and then will enjoy nice jobs with excellent benefits and work/life balance at Rutgers or elsewhere. I went to grad school, I paid my dues. You are getting tuition help AND a modest salary. If they want to fight for more tuition help, a bit more job security, and a few thousand extra bucks, so be it.

But, trying to garauntee a job semester to semester (course offerings change, other ppl want to work too ), being unreasonable with salary demands if it doesn't work w the university budget, and all the extra left wing stuff tossed in, makes me almost think the political undercurrent of this faculty has caused a strike before one was truly needed or warranted, and MIGHT be in bad faith just a bit.

I do also feel for the workers at the medical schools, as I understand they have not had a contract in some time.

Overall, I hope it all gets worked out. But I could do without the extra culture war references in the demands and even the marketing. It's not a great way to gain support around the community. It leads me, again, to believe some of this is cultural in terms of an admiration for Marxist ways of thinking/identity etc. Again, I heard at least 2 current faculty members on the radio today referencing President Holloway's race and academic background in social justice issues, as if that should have some bearing on him doing his job rationally. Rubs me quite wrong. And with student loan debt and tuition through the roof, I'm a bit iffy on a ton of financial demands being in the interest of the students.
 
Last edited:
"Grad workers, postdocs, and new faculty burdened by skyrocketing rents in one of the most expensive areas of the country need Rutgers to freeze housing costs. But we also know our future is bound together with the future of our students and the communities where we work and live. The fight for a better Rutgers is a fight for them, too.

Since 2018, our union has been working with students and community organizations such as New Labor and Cosecha to understand the immense impact that Rutgers has in the cities where our campuses are located, especially New Brunswick. When Rutgers sets high prices for room and board, other landlords also raise rent, and developers are encouraged to build unaffordable luxury housing. Together, a coalition of students, Rutgers employees, and community members produced a report, titled “R Homes R Community,” that helped us come up with our contract demands."

Thanks
 
  • Like
Reactions: IL Lusciato
"Grad workers, postdocs, and new faculty burdened by skyrocketing rents in one of the most expensive areas of the country need Rutgers to freeze housing costs. But we also know our future is bound together with the future of our students and the communities where we work and live. The fight for a better Rutgers is a fight for them, too.

Since 2018, our union has been working with students and community organizations such as New Labor and Cosecha to understand the immense impact that Rutgers has in the cities where our campuses are located, especially New Brunswick. When Rutgers sets high prices for room and board, other landlords also raise rent, and developers are encouraged to build unaffordable luxury housing. Together, a coalition of students, Rutgers employees, and community members produced a report, titled “R Homes R Community,” that helped us come up with our contract demands."

While this is great sentiment that I generally agree with (supply/demand, gentrification, etc) - I don't see any action or concrete request from the Union on this matter other than "housing justice" - okay, how do we make steps to make that happen?

As I've said earlier in this thread, some of the dollar and cents things make sense, but some of these other issues are much larger - and won't be solved through a strike.
 
While this is great sentiment that I generally agree with (supply/demand, gentrification, etc) - I don't see any action or concrete request from the Union on this matter other than "housing justice" - okay, how do we make steps to make that happen?

As I've said earlier in this thread, some of the dollar and cents things make sense, but some of these other issues are much larger - and won't be solved through a strike.

Agreed.
 
"Grad workers, postdocs, and new faculty burdened by skyrocketing rents in one of the most expensive areas of the country need Rutgers to freeze housing costs. But we also know our future is bound together with the future of our students and the communities where we work and live. The fight for a better Rutgers is a fight for them, too.

Since 2018, our union has been working with students and community organizations such as New Labor and Cosecha to understand the immense impact that Rutgers has in the cities where our campuses are located, especially New Brunswick. When Rutgers sets high prices for room and board, other landlords also raise rent, and developers are encouraged to build unaffordable luxury housing. Together, a coalition of students, Rutgers employees, and community members produced a report, titled “R Homes R Community,” that helped us come up with our contract demands."


Just to clarify, I am not against workers striking, unions, or collective bargaining. I am also skeptical of the hiring of ADJUNCTs to fill the roles of tenured professors.

But, when we are talking about grad students and part timers who have other full-time jobs, I get a bit skeptical. Some of these folks will be writing theses that do not move the needle much for the good of humanity, but rather feed into echo chambers, and then will enjoy nice jobs with excellent benefits and work/life balance at Rutgers or elsewhere. I went to grad school, I paid my dues. You are getting tuition help AND a modest salary. If they want to fight for more tuition help, a bit more job security, and a few thousand extra bucks, so be it.

But, trying to garauntee a job semester to semester (course offerings change, other ppl want to work too ), being unreasonable with salary demands if it doesn't work w the university budget, and all the extra left wing stuff tossed in, makes me almost think the political undercurrent of this faculty has caused a strike before one was truly needed or warranted, and MIGHT be in bad faith just a bit.

I do also feel for the workers at the medical schools, as I understand they have not had a contract in some time.

Overall, I hope it all gets worked out. But I could do without the extra culture war references in the demands and even the marketing. It's not a great way to gain support around the community. It leads me, again, to believe some of this is cultural in terms of an admiration for Marxist ways of thinking/identity etc. Again, I heard at least 2 current faculty members on the radio today referencing President Holloway's race and academic background in social justice issues, as if that should have some bearing on him doing his job rationally. Rubs me quite wrong. And with student loan debt and tuition through the roof, I'm a bit iffy on a ton of financial demands being in the interest of the students.
Oh yeah! Marxist!!! How about those huge, relative to teaching, sports department & coaching salaries & budgets. How, in your view, do they square with student loan debt, tuition through the roof & the interests of the students.
 
Oh yeah! Marxist!!! How about those huge, relative to teaching, sports department & coaching salaries & budgets. How, in your view, do they square with student loan debt, tuition through the roof & the interests of the students.

I do not understand the constant leftist gaslighting. Anything pointed out regarding their affinity for socialism, proliferation of critical theories in curriculums, etc. is treated as myth and a straw man. Mind you, I'm a left-leaning centrist, who just so happens to have been a former lefty who has gotten more centrist due to the blatant lack of logic, dogma, and gaslighting of the left. Are we going to pretend there is no Marxist sentiment at all behind this strike/situation, or the culture at Rutgers overall?

As to coaching salaries, they have little effect on student tuition, and/or pale in comparison to university-wide salary expenses. Even if they did affect those things, the highest paid coaches, namely men's basketball and football, pay for themselves and generate income for the school. .it is the smaller sports that put the school in the red moreso. Even still, those programs aren't the ones saying that they are "fighting for students" when negotiating their coaching salaries. These strikers are pretending this is about the students. Just disingenuous, aside from the grad teachers involved in the strike themselves.

But, again, proving my point regarding the cultural leftist stuff in general. Attacking sports and athletics but being overtly concerned with gentrification, which have nothing to do with the four corners of union/administration dealings.
 
Last edited:
When you were mayor how much progress did you make towards eliminating it?
We are a non-civil service town, never allowed banking of sick or vacation days, and don't use a Police Chief (only Police Director).
:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: RUTGERS95
Seems like some here feel employees should accept the will of management instead of demanding :
Fair working conditions, compensation, and pay equality
Also don't like the idea of tenure because the tenure mechanisms that prevented qualified educators from being punished for their personal biases, political beliefs, or other unfair reasons

Without tenure the religion practiced , or being an atheist, would be fair game to those with firing power to get rid of those that don't believe as they do and also get rid of the ones that defend groups , or were members, that are not like the ones that the people in charge accept.

Hell a long time ago those damm unions forced young children to leave the factories they were working at and the cry was the families couldn't afford the loss of income.
Though the truth was, the owners didn't want to hire adults to do the job because they would demand better wages than the children were making.

When it comes to unions demanding fair deals, there are always those who try to oppose it and act like the workers are in the wrong.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Kbee3 and RUTGERS95
We are a non-civil service town, never allowed banking of sick or vacation days, and don't use a Police Chief (only Police Director).
:)

That’s fine. But the subject was teacher tenure. You wrote that it’s the “most important reform for K-12 and higher education.” If it is indeed the most important K-12 reform then it’s a good question to ask you what you did to reform it when you were mayor.

FWIW - I agree that some reform should be made. But I rarely see any elected officials doing anything about it
 
Just whack a couple of the ringleaders and see them all scurry back to their desks, corduroy jackets and all.
 
Last edited:
They are not working part-time. Many of the adjuncts string together several of these part-time positions to get full-time work. They drive from one end of the state to the other teaching courses at several NJ Universities and Colleges in order to try to make a living wage.
Are you decent with math and spreadsheets? I can get you an interview at my company. Entry level pays around $50k plus benefits.
If your goal in life is to be an academic then you have to pay your dues in that field. By the way, how are TA's and grad assistants paid $10/hr when the minimum wage in New Jersey is $14.13? Sounds like BS to me...
 
That’s fine. But the subject was teacher tenure. You wrote that it’s the “most important reform for K-12 and higher education.” If it is indeed the most important K-12 reform then it’s a good question to ask you what you did to reform it when you were mayor.

FWIW - I agree that some reform should be made. But I rarely see any elected officials doing anything about it
I wasn't the BOE President (thank goodness). Apples and oranges. Regardless, one thing to remember, even without tenure there are employment/HR laws everyone needs to follow. You can't fire people without cause. Yes, you can eliminate positions and layoff workers, but even this has significant regulations.
 
They are not working part-time. Many of the adjuncts string together several of these part-time positions to get full-time work. They drive from one end of the state to the other teaching courses at several NJ Universities and Colleges in order to try to make a living wage.
lol you don't see the problem or issue here do you?

if that is their choice, if they are so desperate to try and get a teaching gig that they'll do this hoping to catch on somewhere then great but it's their choice. At some point, those teachers or 'real world losers' will need to grow up and become productive members of society and stop living off the scraps of Longshanks' table
 
Are you decent with math and spreadsheets? I can get you an interview at my company. Entry level pays around $50k plus benefits.
If your goal in life is to be an academic then you have to pay your dues in that field. By the way, how are TA's and grad assistants paid $10/hr when the minimum wage in New Jersey is $14.13? Sounds like BS to me...
Legally, colleges and universities in New Jersey are exempt from having to pay the full minimum wage to student workers if the compensation paid is at a minimum of 85% of the state minimum wage
So $12 an hour is probably what's being paid
 
I do not understand the constant leftist gaslighting. Anything pointed out regarding their affinity for socialism, proliferation of critical theories in curriculums, etc. is treated as myth and a straw man. Mind you, I'm a left-leaning centrist, who just so happens to have been a former lefty who has gotten more centrist due to the blatant lack of logic, dogma, and gaslighting of the left. Are we going to pretend there is no Marxist sentiment at all behind this strike/situation, or the culture at Rutgers overall?

As to coaching salaries, they have little effect on student tuition, and/or pale in comparison to university-wide salary expenses. Even if they did affect those things, the highest paid coaches, namely men's basketball and football, pay for themselves and generate income for the school. .it is the smaller sports that put the school in the red moreso. Even still, those programs aren't the ones saying that they are "fighting for students" when negotiating their coaching salaries. These strikers are pretending this is about the students. Just disingenuous, aside from the grad teachers involved in the strike themselves.

But, again, proving my point regarding the cultural leftist stuff in general. Attacking sports and athletics but being overtly concerned with gentrification, which have nothing to do with the four corners of union/administration dealings.
Agreed.

And the Marxist branding is undeniable:
Rutgers-Strike.jpg
 
Agreed.

And the Marxist branding is undeniable:
Rutgers-Strike.jpg
or known as standing up for each other.
Instead of letting one person suffer abuse and be able to do nothing about it
That's what unions are for and why collective bargaining is better then one individual taking on management by themself over wages and working conditions.

Working for the good of all , instead of everyone for themselves, isn't marxisim. It is what management/employee relationship should be about and one person on their own can not how the strength of co workers acting as one when negotiating a contract.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kbee3
Status
Not open for further replies.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT