OT: Rutgers faculty union calls strike
- Thread starter retired711
- Start date
- Status
The full-time, tenure-track professor is a dying breed. Today, part-time faculty members constitute 40% of the academic workforce, compared to just 24% in 1975. More broadly, the classification of "contingent" faculty — which includes part-time adjuncts, full-time instructors not on the tenure track, and graduate-student teaching assistants — accounts for roughly 75% of the instructional staff across America's colleges and universities.
Full time tenured professors aren't worth it anymore - too costly and you can't get rid of them for being lazy.Universities are no longer hiring full time tenured professors, A report on adjuncts says many make less than $3,500 per course and live in poverty.
New report says many adjuncts make less than $3,500 per course and $25,000 per year
New report on adjuncts says many make less than $3,500 per course and live in poverty.www.insidehighered.com
Bureaucrats And Buildings: The Case For Why College Is So Expensive
The real problem is that colleges aren’t actually incentivized to keep their costs down: a more expensive price tag can actually signal a higher quality school.www.forbes.com
Not a good look for the strikers...
patch.com
Rutgers Strike Disrupts ‘Critical Exam,’ University President Says
Multiple instances of classes being disrupted by protesters were reported Monday, according to the university's president.
I am very pro union. However, I lose all respect for strikers who disrupt a class. It is the right of others to continue working if they choose.Not a good look for the strikers...
Rutgers Strike Disrupts ‘Critical Exam,’ University President Says
Multiple instances of classes being disrupted by protesters were reported Monday, according to the university's president.
I've now seen people who do not work for Rutgers and are not employed by the university in any way, dropping their own work days and attending protests in Newark with the faculty. This one person in particular is a self proclaimed socialist. This is just a social gathering for alot of these ppl.
Middle School / High School teachers are making 3 -4 times as much as the adjuncts with just BAs with full benefits.
That is the sign of the times. Most of the people protesting in Nashville are not from Tennessee. We have a society of professional agitators that are funded by deep pockets and travel about the country protesting and creating events promoted by the media. It is all one big industry.
How in God's name do you know that protestors in Nashville are outside agitators. You are being disingenuous.
1. Probably not a good idea to work as an adjunct
2. If RU is cheap with adjuncts, get better pay at a different university
Adjunct salaries is a national issue. If you really care about the issue I attached the article above.
certainly looks like it between the colors used and the communism/Antifa fist that has been used for 99 years now.
There is a time and place for adjuncts. If they are being over relied upon by the University, that issue needs to be dealt with but granting full perks & bennies to the part timers isn't necessarily the way to do it. I had a few "lecturers" during my undergrad days, and most were very open about this being a side gig, and they had a "day job" in industry that paid the bills. You want to be a striver and eat up 3 or 4 essentially per diem lecture gigs? Knock yourself out...but don't scream that you now "need" to be made a full member of "The Faculty" with all the same benefits and payscale. It doesn't work that way.
Early on in my post grad life i had a dream of becoming a track coach, after 2 years working as a grad assistant I realized it was not ever going to pay much. Instead of striking, i went and found a new career.
The fist is a well known image of marxism/communism/soviet union/etc. I can't believe people are saying it isn't.
They’d also lose their free PhD education.
They’re not quitting. And they’re not underpaid.
It also has other meanings!
The raised fist, or the clenched fist, is a long-standing image of mixed meaning, often a symbol of political solidarity. It is also a common symbol of communism, socialism, and other revolutionary social movements. It can also represent a salute to express unity, strength, or resistance.
Yes for sure as we all know how poorly college coaches get paid minus football and basketball. But on the other hand the bloating of college administrators and their high salaries and perks are the real issues of the skyrocketing cost of college, certainly not the adjunct professors.
College administrative spending comprised just 26% of total educational spending by American colleges in 1980-1981, while instructional spending comprised 41%. Three decades later, the two categories were almost even: administrative spending made up 24% of schools’ total expenditures, while instructional spending made up 29%.
Last edited:
First off, while I agree that some union proposals are not related to wages & benefits such as affordable community housing, calling these & other proposals Marxist is way off base & and a red herring. Probably would be good for you to go back & review Marxism as a doctrine.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."
Here’s How Our Union Is Fighting for the Common Good - Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Takeaway: Take the 2023 Strike Pledge (if you haven’t already) to show management we are ready to act to win a fair contract. Join students, our community allies, and your colleagues for a Housing Justice Town Hall on Wednesday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the College Avenue Community Church...rutgersaaup.org
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.
Secondly, regarding your later point about certain sports raising revenue & others not, I believe that the revenue raised stays with the Athletic Dept., though not sure about that. I would argue that having a highly capable & credentialed faculty & excellent programs serves to attract students to the university. These students pay tuition which serves to fund a plethora of the Universities' functions & programs.
Thirdly, as you may have acknowledged, Adjunct Professors are absolutely take advantage of with regard to pay, benefits, job security & just about every thing else. And they & grad assistants make up the bulk of the teaching faculty.
I really don't wish to expend more time on a back & forth with each other, but felt I owed you a better & more complete response. Perhaps we can agree to disagree on some points & issues.
I don't see many pro's for unions of any type in this day and age. I would be fine getting rid of all of them and paying people solely based on supply and demand over their working careers
Yeah. I just don't understand how tuition at Rutgers has gone from $200 per semester plus $35 student fees in the early Seventies to $16,000 tuition and fees today, while the number of true professors has apparently drastically decreased....being replaced by poorly-paid part-timers.
Where is all the money going ?
And who can afford the $16,000 per semester ?
Maybe RU should become a State University.
Unfortunately, because of many of the posters on threads such as this, there is a need for unions!
It’s interesting how everybody is picking on the unions with the lowest pay. I was looking at the police compensation in my town and I see they are averaging about $165-175k a year but I don’t hear any complains about their salaries. I use to say $130k but I guess inflation caught up.
I’m not a fan of unions but it’s amazing how people selectively go after teacher union. I would be pissed at the full time professor union since I’m sure they’re are overpaid.
Last edited:
Yes the state and federal funding of RU has been cut over those years I'm sure is a big reason why.
Admin and union greed.
This is what happens when a 3rd party is paying the bill instead of the customer. Same issue as with health care costs.
Free tuition for Rutgers employees relatives.
Yeah...just think of what a wonderful world it would be if no one had ever come up with the idea of unionization. 😁
I've never met a lazy-ass management type that didn't hate unions.
Yeah...sure.
I used to be a Republican Milton Friedman worshiper too. Then I grew up and got out in the real world. I guess a serious dose of reality didn't work for you.
I’m glad my dad was in the UAW because he was compensated better than the average employee. I’m sure most of the posters parents were represented by a union.
I dealt with unions as a manager and also dealt with employees that thought the unions can protect them from doing work.
Don't forget the legacy costs of providing Healthcare & pension payments yearly to all the retirees. There's also all the building that went on during the past 50 years, all the money printed over the past 50 years, financial aid schemes that drive up the demand thus driving up pricing, etc.
Its no different than with local school districts here in NJ. Every town has their own little kingdom with superintendents, administrative staff, etc
Higher ed tuition started to spike as gov student loans increased.
#realworlddata
There probably wouldn’t have been employee healthcare or pensions without unions.
- Status
