Thousands of Rutgers faculty members went on strike Monday for the first time in the university's history, as the college sought to assure its more than 67,000 students the action wouldn't affect their academic progress.
Three faculty unions representing about 9,000 educators, researchers and clinicians at the college's three main regional campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden, voted unanimously to authorize the strike after labor negotiations stalled over the weekend. It's the first such strike in the school's 257-year history.
The unions say they've gone 284 days without a contract. At the crux of the standstill are employee wages and equal pay for adjunct professors. The unions say it's unfair that adjuncts have to reapply for their jobs each semester regardless of their tenure, and that grad students don't receive a living wage for their services. They also want better pay for clinical workers at the university's health facilities across its sprawling campuses.
"The key is we are fighting for better work conditions for our faculty so that students' learning conditions can be improved," said Media Studies Professor Deepa Kumar.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
The unions have argued that too many of their members simply don't make enough to ay the bills, while salaries and budgets increase for administrators and high-profile coaches.
Picket lines were spotted at all three campuses Monday. Some students joined in to show their support for the faculty, weeks before the end of the semester.
"I still have concerns, but at the end of the day, this isn't about me It's about the people educating me," said senior Lauren Lake.
Local
Rutgers says it is cautiously optimistic it will reach an agreement quickly with several unions, including AAUP-AFT and Part-Time Lecturer Faculty Chapter of the AAUP-AFT. It also says it has held more than 100 bargaining sessions with union leadership and will continue talks until comprehensive agreements are made on compensation and other issues.
In the meantime, the university says it is open and operating on a normal schedule, with just weeks left in the semester, as negotiations continue. This FAQ page for students has more on the strike implications.
"The continued academic progress of our students is our number one concern, and we will do all that we can so that their progress is not impeded by a strike," Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said in a statement.
In an email to the campus community on Sunday, Holloway said that "to say that this is deeply disappointing is an understatement, especially given that just two days ago, both sides agreed in good faith to the appointment of a mediator to help us reach agreements."
Talks between both parties resumed Monday, with Gov. Phil Murphy hoping to bring about a quick resolution.
"I expect a result, a deal that is a fair one for all parties, ASAP. But I am not a fan of a deal that's on the back of our students," he said.
Leaders of the three faculty unions were at the bargaining table at the statehouse in Trenton from noon well into the night, but negotiations ended without a deal. Union leaders gave their members a quick update later in night, urging them to get back out on picket lines on Tuesday.
