Rutgers University strike comes to tentative end, N.J. Gov. Murphy says
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- A tentative deal has been reached between striking Rutgers University faculty and the administration, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement overnight.
About 9,000 faculty across the university's campuses, including Camden, walked off the jobs on Monday, demanding better pay, benefits and job security.
Murphy said the deal reached was fair and amicable, and "puts an end to a standoff that was disruptive to our educators and students alike."
Three unions representing full-time faculty, part-time lecturers and graduate students went on strike after 10 months without a contract.
Rutgers and faculty labor union officials were meeting in the New Jersey State House this week to negotiate after an invitation from Murphy.
Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said the parties had reached agreement on a "framework."
"Most important, closure on this framework will allow the 67,000 students at Rutgers to resume their studies and pursue their academic degrees," Holloway said in the statement.
What does the framework deal include?
A spokesperson for the unions said the framework includes pay increases for adjuncts and raises for graduate student workers, job security improvements for adjunct and non-tenure-track faculty.
Graduate fellows will be receiving union representation, and postdoctorate students will get a pay increase.
The unions say faculty will have more control over teaching conditions including scheduling.
Rutgers said the pact, retroactive to July, will increase salaries across the board for full-time faculty and EOF counselors by at least 14 percent by July 2025.
It will also provide a 43.8 percent increase in the per-credit salary rate for part-time lecturers and strengthen their job security, increase minimum salaries for postdoctoral fellows and associates and substantially increase wages and other support for teaching assistants and graduate assistants.
What is still unresolved?
Union leaders say there are still issues that will be worked on in the coming days as educators and other members get back on the job.
Most of the unresolved issues involve the union representing health science faculty, AAUP-BHSNJ, the union said.
"We are extremely pleased that we reached what we believe is the basis for a transformative contract for part-time faculty at Rutgers," Amy Higer, president of Rutgers' adjunct faculty union, said in a statement.
"We still have work to do to come to a full tentative agreement, and we will resume doing so next week," she added. "Most of all, we are eager to get back to teaching our students and helping them finish up spring semester."
Classes for all Rutgers students are set to resume on Monday, April 17.
