Adjunct professors at all three Rutgers University campuses are holding a grade-in Wednesday to demand equal pay for equal work.
The part-time lecturers (PTL) will be joined by full-time faculty and graduate students across the Camden, Newark and New Brunswick campuses as they seek $7,250 per course taught, access to health care, job security through long-term contracts and respect, according to the PTLs’ demands.
“It’s unconscionable that this administration, which is hoarding nearly $800 million in unrestricted reserves and just paid itself $5.5 million in ‘incentive’ bonuses, continues to claim it cannot afford to pay adjuncts a fair wage,” said Teresa Politano, president of the PTL chapter of Rutgers AAUP-AFT. “We’re asking Rutgers to put money back into the classroom. We’re asking Rutgers for a fair salary for those who teach more than 30 percent of the classes. Management’s bonus money alone could foot the bill.”
Rutgers University faculty members protestingRutgers employs nearly 3,000 part-time lecturers – more than any other Big Ten university – and its ratio of contingent faculty sits at 70 percent. However, the university spends only 0.8 percent of its budget on part-time faculty, the bargaining group points out in a Frequently Asked Questions page.
Wednesday’s grade-in at New Brunswick will take place inside Winants Hall from 1-4pm; Newark’s grade-in will take place at Hill Hall’s first floor from 10am-4pm; and Camden’s grade-in will take place at the Student Center from 1-3pm.
