June 27, 2022 

The Executive Board of the Part-Time Lecturer Chapter of Rutgers AAUP-AFT (Local 6324), wishes to express our anger and dismay at last week’s Supreme Court rulings: New York State Rifle Assoc. v. Bruen, which overturned New York State’s law regulating concealed carry of guns–a ruling which will force New Jersey to rewrite its gun laws–and Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to an abortion. Both rulings are wildly unpopular with the American public.

We view these decisions as fundamentally anti-democratic, delivered by a Supreme Court that is dominated by a conservative majority that does not represent the views of the majority of Americans. The Dobbs decision is the first time in American history that the Court has taken away a fundamental right. We believe these rulings will cause undue harm to millions of Americans, but will be particularly harmful to some of our most vulnerable populations, including children, students, LBGTQ+ communities, communities of color, and the poor. Taken together, these rulings undermine our democracy.

A union’s most important function is to unite workers to provide them with a stronger voice and give them greater control over their lives. Unions are fundamentally democratic organizations, both internally and in their role in society-at-large. We believe that democratic societies cannot flourish without strong labor unions. We also believe that unions play a crucial role in fighting the current threat of authoritarian rule. 

In a post-Roe world we must work to ensure that every person in this country has the right to self-determination, bodily integrity, and safe workplaces. Therefore, the Executive Board of Local 6324 has voted to donate $1,000 to the New Jersey Abortion Access Fund (NJAAF). NJAAF provides funding for anyone in need of financial assistance seeking access to safe abortion in the state of New Jersey, including anyone who crosses a state border in search of one. 

We will continue to fight and organize to support the rights of our members and those in this country whose lives have been put at risk by the damage the Supreme Court has inflicted with  these terrible decisions.