We have continued to push the administration for more time to bargain in an effort to get a contract by the end of the year. We have offered the administration 4 dates in October and have already confirmed 3 other dates through late November.

Last negotiation was somewhat positive. We received the Rutgers administration compensation proposal. The administration has finally moved to four-years of base academic salary increases, a move from their previous position of only 3-years. However, these increases are still not at the level that other Rutgers unions received. The clinical incentive pool was increased by $500,000 but this will be still short of what is needed to fully fund this program.

Also, another positive note. The administration for first time agreed to a process that would allow faculty to use the out-of-cycle salary increase process to remedy inequity.

Unfortunately, the Rutgers administration rejected our proposal for a salary equity committee. Our RBHS Faculty Council is a proponent of this approach, as is the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and other health science programs. We will continue to press for this.

There was also little change to their proposal for automatic salary reductions, the UPA, dental compensation incentives, and their reformation of the research incentive.

Our recent public awareness campaign concerning inequity at RBHS is working. Many of you have signed our petitions calling for the closure of arbitrary pay inequities. In an encouraging sign, faculty, staff, and students from other Rutgers campuses are also signing as well. If you have not yet gotten a chance to do so, click here. We need your support.

Diomedes Tsitouras

AAUP-BHSNJ

Executive Director

(914) 907-5895 (cell)