The Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union (PLTFC-AAUP-AFT), which represents more than 2,500 Lecturers at New Jersey’s largest public university, proudly stands in solidarity with the International Longshoremen’s Association’s (ILA) in its strike against the United State Maritime Alliance (USMX)  for fair wages, better job security, and a halt to workplace automation.

We agree with ILA Local 28 President Jack Pennington that automation at America’s ports is not undertaken to lower costs, but to raise profits and eliminate jobs. While our working conditions in higher education are very different from those facing dockworkers, the motivation of management in both places is the same. 

We applaud our union fellows across the country and the world who have shown support for the ILA , and call on other academic laborers to offer their solidarity in their fight for a strong contract with USMX!

The Executive Board of the Rutger PTLFC-AAUP-AFT