Dear Colleagues,

We wanted to update you on a few of our union’s key initiatives:

1. Fighting back against NIH Cuts
2. Advocating for a union – and fair bonus payments – for ALL faculty at RWJMS
3. Helping protect NJMS Clinical Faculty from cyberattack collection shortfalls
4. Professional Development Funds Available

1. Fighting back against NIH Cuts:

We continue to fight back against attacks on federal research funding. Our national unions – AAUP and AFT – have filed lawsuits to stop cuts to indirect rates and have won court injunctions. Over the past few weeks, faculty across Rutgers, Rowan, and NJIT have organized phone banks, sent letters to our New Jersey congressional delegation, and – most recently – joined a statewide “March for Science” in Trenton.

Now, faculty, graduate workers, postdocs, and staff across Rutgers are signing a petition calling on the University to protect research jobs, do everything it can to protect international students and faculty, and stand up to the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education. Please sign the petition today, and encourage your colleagues to sign as well!

2. Building a union – and advocating for fair bonus payments – for ALL RWJMS faculty:

As many of you know, certain RWJMS clinical faculty – known as “CFUPs” or “volunteer faculty” – have been excluded from our union because they were hired through Barnabas rather than Rutgers. But we are working to change this! Over 220 clinical faculty have signed a letter calling on the administration to convert these excluded faculty to regular Rutgers RWJMS faculty positions. CFUPs and volunteer faculty work alongside their 100% Rutgers counterparts, treating the same patients and teaching the same med students, residents, and fellows. The time has come for them to have the same union benefits and protections, as well. On Wednesday, we sent this faculty letter to the Rutgers administration. And on Thursday, we filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board, so that even if Rutgers and Barnabas do not agree to convert these faculty, they can still be part of our union.

Additionally, for too long, clinical faculty at RWJMS have gone without any kind of clinical incentive/bonus program, or “fully variable supplement” (FVS) – even though our contract calls for clinical faculty to receive such a supplement. Our union filed a grievance over the administration failing to follow our contract and negotiate in good faith over FVS payments. That grievance is going to arbitration, which should occur in the coming months.

In the meantime, faculty should stay engaged. The letter concerning CFUPs also calls on the Dean to finish the FVS negotiation. So, RWJMS faculty: If you have not signed this letter yet, please do so here.

3. Protecting NJMS faculty pay in light of cyberattack on Change Healthcare:

In light of the cyberattack on Change Healthcare, NJMS faculty are organizing to protect faculty funds, including by filing a union grievance. We aim to ensure fair and full payment to the faculty and departments who may have been impacted by the Change Healthcare debacle.

Update: We have had discussions with NJMS Administration but no final agreement has been signed. According to NJMS, two-thirds of faculty have not yet been fully reconciled; and we are working to ensure that these faculty are made whole. At our request, NJMS has been paying these faculty at higher salary floors, which is a good start. However, this is not enough. We are frustrated that NJMS has not provided us answers on the payment of the 30% escrow (about $20 million) or making all faculty whole.

We still hope to reach an agreement with the administration. If this does not occur, we will move the grievance forward, and other legal recourse may be possible for faculty.

4. Money for Professional Development:

Did you know that we have won an annual professional development benefit of $1,000 for each faculty member in our union contract? (This benefit is available to members who do not have professional development funds through their departments.) Incredibly, so far, only a handful of members have used this benefit. These funds can be used for CME related expenses, licensure fees, hospital privilege costs, conference fees and other academic expenses. You can access the application form (with instructions on how to apply for reimbursement) here; I have also attached a copy of the form to this email.

And please remember, to make change we must stand strong together. Join your faculty union HERE.

Dr. Catherine Monteleone

AAUP-BHSNJ President