According to NJ.com, the just-developing strike at Rutgers may gain a fourth union in the near future. They report that the Rutgers Administrators-American Federation of Teachers (URA-AFT) is considering a strike pledge, a significant step toward a strike authorization vote.
URA-AFT, says NJ.com covers approximately "2,500 workers in facilities, residential life, and dining services", representing a noteworthy chunk of Rutgers' remaining non-striking staff. The union is in negotiations with Rutgers, and has been without a contract since last summer, when their previous contract expired. Key issues here apparently involve "ability to work from home, pay raises that keep pace with inflation, and career pathways" for members of the union. Members preemptively joined fellow staff on the picket lines yesterday, and union leaders are openly encouraging them to continue doing so in the days to come.
This development comes as, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy (Democrat) seeks to bridge the gap between the three unions on strike and Rutgers leadership. POLITICO states that the governor "told Rutgers leaders not to take legal action against the striking workers despite the school’s contention the work stoppage is illegal." The two sides met unsuccessfully yesterday in the governor's office, but union members seem optimistic that the governor's intervention will pressure Rutgers into a quicker concession.
Rebecca Givan, president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT, was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer as saying “The governor has made it clear that he wants us to get a strong contract and a fair deal and we think we can get this done. We could close it in a day or two.”
