By Steven Williamson
Acting Metro Editor
Brett Butterline enjoyed his work as a telecommunications analyst for the University.
Even more so, he enjoyed the fact he was set to retire in December of this year, with a pension, education and health benefits for himself and his family. Last September, Brett received a notice from the University, informing him that he been laid off. His layoff will be effective as of February, only 10 months before he was supposed to retire.
Brett couldn't do anything about the loss of his job, nor could he hope to receive any of the benefits previously owed to him. As a single employee, he was nearly powerless. But one group on campus is hoping to change that, and they're garnering the support of University staff, legislators and even the governor himself.
Gov. Jon S. Corzine paid a visit to the University yesterday to offer his support to the Rutgers Administrative and Supervisory staff seeking to unionize with the Union of Rutgers Administrators - American Federation of Teachers. The meeting was held in the Labor Education Center on Cook campus. New Jersey American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations President Charles Wowkanech, along with several state legislators, also spoke at the meeting.
"It is, actually, hard to understand that in a workplace in which 70 percent, including the professors, are in organized labor, why it would be such a horrible thing to consider the further unionization of other elements of the workforce," he said.
URA-AFT has cited several problems they hope to combat through collective action. Last year's $60 million budget cuts resulted in the cutting of a large number of staff from the University.
"A lot of us who have been hit with cutbacks are being asked to do more with less," said Nat Bender, a spokesman for the group and regional manager of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center on the Rutgers-Newark campus.
Last Thursday, President Richard L. McCormick signed a neutrality agreement with the URA-AFT, which encouraged staff members to unionize if they felt it necessary.
"Rutgers employees should feel free to engage in the process of gaining union representation. No member of the Rutgers staff should feel reticent about speaking openly about the union at work or displaying union paraphernalia in an appropriate way," McCormick said in a statement last Friday. Corzine applauded his decision at the meeting yesterday.
"I am very thrilled President McCormick, and all of those including Charlie [Wowkanech], who have worked so hard to make sure that we got together so people could make a personal choice about whether they think a union is a good thing or a bad thing in their life without having a bias in how it is presented," Corzine said.
The governor reinforced his position by reminding those present that he introduced the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan act that aimed to help unions across the nation, while in the U.S. Senate.
"People should have the ability to make a decision based on the free flow of information, particularly on a University campus," the governor said.
Near the end of the meeting, audience members were able to ask the governor questions. Brett was the first with his hand up.
"I've recently been laid off, and I'm in danger of losing everything I've worked for," Butterline said. "And I understand that there are several other Rutgers employees in similar positions. Is there anything that can be done to help us?"
The governor assured him he would be able to retain some of his pension, and he would look specifically at individual cases.
Lucy Milleran, an administrative assistant at Alexander Library, told the governor she was still receiving e-mails from colleagues who were afraid of possible repercussions of joining a union.
The governor's response was very clear.
"If there is a real problem with this, people can contact me or my offices," Corzine said.
After the meeting, Milleran said she was thrilled with Corzine's position.
"He said, 'Call my office.' I can't imagine a more powerful statement than that," she said.
Gregory Trevor, senior director of media relations for the University, said the University welcomes its employees to explore the pros and cons of unions and reiterated Rutgers' neutral stance on the issue.
"Our decision to sign a neutrality agreement clearly demonstrates our good faith," Trevor said. "While the University will remain neutral, it will continue to respect the right of employees to express their individual points of view."
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