THE VALUE OF THE AAUP

Recent AAUP Achievements

AAUP SAVES FACULTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

SECTION 1: QUANTIFIABLE RESULTS

1. Helped widow of School of Public Health faculty member collect $600,000 in life insurance after her husband was wrongly fired and subsequently died.

2. Preserved collections based clinical compensation in the most recent collective negotiations agreement, saving tens of thousands of dollars for the NJMS Clinical Faculty.

3. After lengthy objection from the University, fought for the first parental leave language in our collective negotiations agreement.

4. 148 faculty members received equity raises to the 25% of the AAMC rank and specialty, with the average payout being over $15000

5. Negotiated new PPO that helps members save up to $2000 per year in comparison to chapter 78 premiums.

6. Won $10 million in the state budget to mitigate the harm of fringe rate increases to faculty with grant-funding.

7.Settled $750,000 in cases in one-year
In a one-year time period, we settled cases totaling $750,000 concerning faculty members non-renewed or inequitably paid. Among these cases, was a 25-year faculty member of New Jersey Medical school, with an exemplary performance rating, and among the highest billings in his department, who was non-renewed without any reason. Our Union brought the case to arbitration alleging that the reason for non-renewing the appointment was age discrimination. On the day of the arbitration was scheduled to be heard, our Union and the University entered into a settlement agreement, compensating the faculty member in the amount of approximately $300,000.

8. Accomplishments since 2015:
We have negotiated two rounds of clinical incentive plans, as well as merit pay increases. We have fought and succeeded in allowing faculty to be able to match their retirement contributions above the $141,000 cap. We have created longer appointments for in-residence faculty and got the University to agree to a tuition remission benefit, which can be used for CMEs. In 2017 and 2018, fought to preserve the definition of tenure in school bylaws.

9. No Contribution for Health Insurance for 2 Years:
The AAUP prevented faculty from having to contribute 1.5% of their salaries for health insurance during the two-year period from July 2009 to June 2011. This was achieved during a time when all other UMDNJ employees were contributing 1.5% of their salaries with no salary increases. This saved the faculty members whom we represent $4.525 Million in medical insurance premiums over this 2-year period.

10. AAUP Prevents UMDNJ from Unilaterally Reducing Faculty Compensation:
As a result of the AAUP filing and prevailing in a legal claim, UMDNJ is required to negotiate over any proposed reductions to faculty practice income. UMDNJ sought to unilaterally modify clinical faculty practice components for any reason and at any time without negotiation. This decision prevents UMDNJ from doing so unilaterally.

11. Clinical Component Negotiations:
As a result of the legal decision referenced in #2 above, in the past two academic years, the AAUP negotiated on behalf of eight (8) clinical faculty members whose salaries the University was seeking to reduce. These negotiations resulted in faculty retaining approximately $750,000 in annual salary that the University would have otherwise not paid to these faculty members absent these negotiations.

12. Clinical Department Salary Reductions Rescinded:
As a result of the legal decision referenced in #2 above, the AAUP requested to negotiate over a proposed 5% reduction to faculty salaries of members of a clinical department. As a result, the Department Chair rescinded the proposed reduction. This saved the department faculty approximately $277,000 annually in salary in the aggregate.

13. Settlement/Rescinding of Disciplinary Actions:
As a result of the AAUP filing several legal claims on behalf of faculty members who were disciplined without due process, the University agreed to the withdrawal of charges, and the payments of over $100,000 to make these individuals whole for losses incurred resulting from the unwarranted discipline.

14. New-Hires are Not Second Class Citizens:
As a result of the AAUP filing a legal claim, UMDNJ agreed to provide new hires with the same rights and benefits as other faculty members. Prior to this, UMDNJ deprived all new hires of a host of rights and benefits (including health benefits and salary increases) until they were formally appointed by the University, a process that could take as much as a 6 months to one year. This provided new faculty with several hundred thousand dollars in benefits that they were unfairly denied.

15. Extramural Incentive Award:
As a result of the AAUP filing for arbitration, the University agreed to meet their obligation to provide a faculty member who had resigned with a pro-rated extramural incentive award of approximately $17,000. This preserves the right of all faculty to request the payment of their extramural incentive award at the time of resignation.

16. Faculty Reduction of Salary:
As a result of the AAUP filing for arbitration, UMDNJ agreed to the reinstatement of $38,000 of annual salary and a $15,000 prospective increase in annual salary for an individual faculty member.

17. Faculty Reduction in Salary:
As a result of a faculty member filing a grievance related to salary obligations specified in the AAUP contract, the University agreed to reinstate $8,500 in annual salary.

18. Termination of Employment:
As a result of the AAUP’s intervention, the University agreed to extend a faculty member’s employment for 6 months (during her pregnancy) so that she could avail herself of the faculty leave benefits. This provided the faculty member with 6 months of employment and benefits and approximately $70,000 in salary that she otherwise would not have received.

SECTION 2: NONQUANTIFIABLE RESULTS/ACTIVITIES

19. Procedural Due Process in the University’s Investigatory/Disciplinary Procedure:
UMDNJ ordered to Negotiate over Investigatory Procedure: As a result of the AAUP filing and prevailing in a legal claim, UMDNJ was required to negotiate with the AAUP and incorporate specific academic due process protections into its investigatory procedure that did not previously exist (i.e. notice of allegations, opportunity to respond, and notice of resolution). This is enormously important to the faculty, particularly in view of our empowered compliance and regulatory offices. Representation of Faculty at Investigatory Meetings: The AAUP represented 10 individual faculty members in compliance investigatory meetings. The allegations were dismissed in all 10 instances.

20. Lobbying:
a. Pension Cap: AAUP lobbying efforts resulted in the State Assembly and Senate passing legislation authorizing UMDNJ to make supplemental contributions to faculty pensions above the $141,000 legislated cap. It was not signed by the Governor into law but has been reintroduced and is expected to pass the Senate and Assembly again.
b. Residency: AAUP lobbying efforts on the residency bill resulted in UMDNJ’s ability to exclude faculty members from the requirement of being a NJ resident. Otherwise, all faculty and staff employed by UMDNJ would be subject to the residency requirement.
c. UMDNJ Restructuring: AAUP lobbying efforts to preserve faculty collective bargaining rights and to preserve the terms of the collective bargaining agreement resulted in a written commitment from Stephen M. Sweeney, the NJ Senate President, that he will not agree or support restructuring legislation [or an executive order] that would supersede existing collective bargaining agreements or require the re-certification of bargaining units.

21. No Pro-rating of Float Days for part-time Faculty:
As a result of the AAUP filing for arbitration, the University agreed to cease pro-rating float days for part-time faculty and retroactively provided float days to part-time faculty that were improperly pro-rated.

22. Discipline:
As a result of the AAUP intervening and filing for arbitration, the University agreed to reduce a three-day suspension of a RWJMS faculty member to a written warning.

23. RWJMS Salary Recovery Policy:
As a result of AAUP’s intervention and request to negotiate over a policy that required faculty to put a minimum percent of effort on grants and equate salary support to effort, UMDNJ agreed to reconsider the policy.

24. Faculty Communication & Advice:
The AAUP communicates with you and provides you with advice on matters such as health insurance benefits, performance evaluations, extramural incentive awards, salary adjustments, and a host of other issues.

[1] These achievements are selected examples; the UMDNJ-AAUP has made many other contributions to protect the salaries, benefits, working conditions, and shared-governance rights of its members.