The news that the strike at Rutgers University had been suspended came just after 1 a.m. on Saturday. The biggest dollars-and-cents issues had essentially been settled. The first academic work stoppage in the history of Rutgers lasted five days.
But the strike is technically not over. “Suspended” is the word officials are using. Other issues remain outstanding, like a promise of five years of funding for graduate assistants, student debt forgiveness, a fund to help undocumented and other service workers across the campuses and a settlement with medical faculty.
“We suspended the strike, we didn’t end it, and we have it in our muscle memory, so we’re ready to go out again, and we really are. There are people picketing today for the medical faculty, which still has to get its contract issues resolved. I’m hopeful that we want to be able to do it by the end of the week and I think we can get there,” said Amy Higer, president of the Rutgers adjunct faculty union.
Some of those on the picket line that formed around noon Monday expressed disappointment, concerned that the union may have taken its foot off the gas too soon.
“Personally, as a grad worker, I’m pretty devastated that we suspended our strike as early as we did. We are a democratic union, though, and we made a democratic decision, and the majority of our bargaining committee and our executive council voted to suspend the strike and so that is what has happened. But we are out here because we continue to put pressure on the administration to do the right thing,” said Michelle Ling, a graduate assistant.
