All:

An unusual request.

I just received the invitation below to serve on a AAUP-AFT committee on
strategy and tactics for the new contract between the Rutgers faculty,
graduate students and some part-time faculty and the Rutgers
administration.  By the way, I only did a little to help the Non Tenure
Track people, not too much.  The amazing thing Rutgers is a major state
university with a contract.

The primary focus of the contract tends to be on salaries and the
grievance procedure plus a few other things, based on my memory.  I have
not looked at our contract in a long time.  I think it is long past time
that the faculty fight for more than that.  I will immediately be told
that any I suggest is probably not negotiable, meaning the administration
will ignore the demand, if it is made as a demand.

So what, if it is a good step for higher education.

Rutgers is in the march toward privatization.   The cost of higher Ed is
being transferred to the students by state government and the
administration.  It is expanding its online teaching offerings. Many
classes are too larger, e.g., 300-500 per lecture section, and too many of
the non tenure track people do not have job security or decent wages  Etc.

I am busy as hell, and really do not have time to do more, but....   I am
wondering if there is thing I could bring to this group that might help
activate the faculty (near moribund, at least in chemistry) and do more
than focus on salaries.

Any suggestions?

Larry

On 1/10/14, 2:57 PM, "Sherry Wolf" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Dear Larry,
>I'm writing to you directly to call attention to the upcoming New
>Brunswick chapter meeting of the AAUP-AFT on strategy and tactics in the
>2014 contract campaign, Fri., Jan. 31, 11:30-1pm, 11 Stone St. (AAUP-AFT
>union office). Since you were so helpful in our successful campaign last
>semester for non-tenure track faculty, I wanted to personally encourage
>you to build on that momentum this semester as we head into negotiations
>for your contract.
>
>I'm not sure if you caught the good news just before Christmas, but with
>the help of you and others the faculty union was able to negotiate an
>agreement for our non-tenure track colleagues that includes multi-year
>contracts, a path to promotion and a significant salary increase for
>those at the very bottom of the NTT pay scale. Faculty participation in
>signing petitions and statements, passing departmental resolutions and
>picketing the Board of Governors meeting gave the union the leverage we
>needed to press management to bargain in good faith.
>
>Please make every effort to attend this chapter meeting where lunch will
>be served, Fri., Jan. 31, 11:30-1pm, 11 Stone St. And don't hesitate to
>get the word out among your colleagues to attend as well. Rutgers
>administrators have already shown that without the faculty's active
>involvement your union is unlikely to achieve much at the bargaining
>table. Your participation is key. Please let me know if you can make it.
>Here's the link to all details,
>http://rutgersaaup.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=14.
>
>All the best in the New Year,
>Sherry
>
>-- 
>Sherry Wolf
>Contract Campaign Coordinator, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
>[log in to unmask]
>cell: 773-991-3877