There is a possibility that faculty at Rutgers University could go on strike. Unions representing 8,000 faulty members will begin voting next week on whether to authorize union leadership to call a strike. The vote would give leaders the option to call a strike in March or April if they haven’t reached a new contract agreement with the university, according to the Gothamist. It doesn’t mean a strike would necessarily happen. Contracts covering two faculty unions expired last June and Rutgers says negotiations are ongoing.
More federal funds are on the way to New Jersey to help residents pay their utility bills this winter. New Jersey’s congressional delegation announced that an additional $35 million will be earmarked for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps lower-income households pay their home heating bills. With this latest round of federal funding, a total of $188 million has been allocated to provide assistance.
New Jersey’s business climate ranks last among the Northeastern states, according to an analysis from the New Jersey Business & Industry Association. The conclusion is based on, among other things, a comparison of state tax rates. NJBIA president and CEO Michele Siekerka says the report points to the need for property-tax reform and a look at how New Jersey funds its public schools. Siekerka says the proposal put forth by Republican lawmakers this week to fully fund schools as a way to lower property taxes is a good starting point for further discussion.
