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Local 5094 Rutgers Bargaining Update, July 10, 2026

The big question that I’m sure is on everyone’s mind:

WHERE’S MY RAISE?

Our contract expired before Rutgers settled our new contract.

  • Rutgers does not give raises!
  • Any raises that you have received have been negotiated by the union in your contract.
  • We will not receive raises until bargaining is completed.
  • SO… we need more ACTION to push Rutgers to settle!

What are we doing about it?

We hosted a Solidarity Walk on Tuesday, June 30th (our contract expiration date) on all 3 Rutgers campuses! This brings visibility and lets Rutgers know that we’re here, we’re strong, and we’re watching! Stay tuned for more actions coming up.

We are also hosting the following activities through the summer:

Every Tuesday: Solidarity Walk. . . remember to wear red!

  • Newark– Meet in the MSB courtyard at 12:30 pm
  • New Brunswick: Meet outside 303 George Street at 12:30pm

Every Thursday: (Newark only) Calm in the Courtyard. Meet in the MSB courtyard for lunch between 12pm and 1pm. Please monitor your email for any changes, as we canceled last week due to weather conditions (excessive heat).

What happened at bargaining on July 6th?

  • The bargaining team got Rutgers management to keep Step 1 of the grievance process.
    Step 1 will remain as per our current contract.
    They agreed to require a meeting to be scheduled for Step 1 grievances.
  • Rutgers did not address any of the economic proposals (wages, parking, etc.).

When is the next bargaining session?

  • Bargaining is held every other Monday during the summer-wear red to work these days!
    The next date is July 20th.
  • These will be full-day sessions from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.
    These are open bargaining sessions, so please join on your break.
  • Other upcoming dates are August 3, August 17, and August 31.
  • The link to register and attend is at https://go.rutgers.edu/1hries6b

CALL TO ACTION:

While we fight for our contract locally, federal grant rules are under immediate threat. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a massive overhaul that would replace scientific peer review with political vetoes and increase administrative workloads across our labs and clinics. This will greatly impact our jobs. HPAE sent an email earlier with more details, so please check your inbox or spam folder.

The deadline to object to the rule change is July 13, 2026. It only takes 2 minutes to submit a comment (which can be completely anonymous):
Go to: OMB-2026-0034-0001

Copy, paste, and tweak this line:
“I urge OMB to withdraw the proposed 2 CFR Part 200 overhaul. Overriding scientific merit with political review jeopardizes vital scientific research and medical innovation, and eliminating flat-fee partner awards adds unsustainable administrative burdens to healthcare and research staff.”

JOIN THE HPAE 5094 RESEARCH COMMITTEE!

We meet monthly to discuss issues affecting researchers at Rutgers. Please contact Saleena Ghanny for the link to the next meetings at [email protected]