Why should I get involved with a postdoc union when I don’t plan on being around in a year?

If not you, then who? The postdocs who are currently employed at Rutgers have a vote over whether they and future generations of postdocs get to have a meaningful voice in determining their pay and working conditions. Also, any improvements we can make here can serve to raise standards for postdocs at other institutions across the country.

Will the union make me go on strike?

Strikes are ALWAYS a last resort, and such an action would require a democratic vote of the membership. Short of striking, there is an array of tactics we can use to put pressure on the Rutgers administration to settle a good contract, without threatening the external funding that supports us.

How can a union negotiate my pay and benefits? Aren’t they set by the funding agency?

Agencies that have such guidelines set a fairly broad range for salaries and fringe benefits, and Rutgers has a lot of room to maneuver within these ranges. If we are successful in negotiating higher minimum salaries and better benefits, these would be written in to future grant proposals while the funding to pay for negotiated increases in current grants could be redirected from the overhead fees that the administration charges out grants.

 How much are union dues?

Union dues are set by a democratic vote of the membership.  Typically, the membership chooses a figure somewhere between 1% and 2% of your salary.  Membership dues don’t begin until a contract is ratified.

What can the union guarantee me?

There are no guarantees, except that as a group we will get a seat at the table with administration to negotiate a contract. We can propose the changes we’d like to see in the job and preserve the things we currently like and, unlike now, the administration will have to negotiate with us over changes they want to make in our salaries and benefits.

Will my present job be put in jeopardy if I vote yes or no?

Organizing and supporting a union is a legally protected activity. It is illegal for Rutgers University to discriminate against an employee in terms of hiring, firing, layoffs or promotions because of their union activity. If you feel this has occurred, please contact the union office immediately.

What is “card check?” How do I vote?

Under the New Jersey Public Employment Relations law, a new collective bargaining unit is established by a majority of affected employees demonstrating their support for a union by signing a union authorization card. Basically, every post-doc gets a vote and you cast a “yes” vote by signing a union card. NOT signing the card doesn’t mean that you’re “neutral” or “abstain,” it counts as a vote AGAINST the union.

What is the AFT?
The American Federation of Teachers is a union that represents more than 1.3 million professionals in higher education, health care, public employment and K-12 school districts across the country.  Representing more than 38,000 professionals in New Jersey makes the AFT the largest union in higher education. For more information, see www.aft.org

 What is the AAUP?

Founded in 1915, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is the only national professional organization dedicated exclusively to protecting and promoting academic freedom, tenure, and faculty governance in higher education. 

 What is AFT Rutgers?

AFT Rutgers is a joint council of the three local AFT unions that represent employees at Rutgers. The Council of AAUP-AFT Chapters represents the tenure and non-tenure track full-time faculty and graduate employees. The Part-time Lecturers Faculty Chapter represents the adjunct faculty. And the Union of Rutgers Administrators represents the professional staff.