Rider Faculty Needs Solidarity! Appeal to PREA and PRESSA

Dear  Princeton Regional Education Association President and Princeton Regional Education Support Staff Association,

I am writing you independently of any organization, including the Rider AAUP, to request you to take immediate steps in solidarity with your sisters and brothers in Rider AAUP.

As neighbors to Westminster Choir College and Rider University, in recent years you might have followed the turmoil of your sisters and brothers in Rider AAUP, with intransigent and underhanded tactics of the Rider Administration that even after a contract is negotiated, leverages threats to cut programs and AAUP staff positions in order to force mid-contract concessions.

In 2014 the administration threatened to force a strike but Rider AAUP stayed unified with widespread support from parents and students to maintain many protections in its contract.

But in 2015, administration threatened to cut the Piano Department and programs at Westminster and a dozen other majors on the Rider Lawrenceville campus.  Administration leveraged those threats to force a wage freeze and other major concessions which saved those vital programs but savaged the contract only one year in.

Now in 2016 through 2017 the administration used the threat to shut Westminster Choir College to leverage further pressures on the Rider AAUP membership body.  The administration is also applying underhanded tactics to try to undermine the Rider AAUP position in the negotiations of a new contract.  The current contract expires August 2017 and administration is threatening to refuse to bargain after August – an act that could lead to a lock out of your sister and brother AAUP members.  See RiderAAUP.net for more details.

Here are specifics on the underhanded moves of administration against Rider AAUP: 

http://www.rideraaup.net/response-to-dellomos-communication-21017.html 

For its part, Rider AAUP has steadfastly opposed the shuttering of this internationally proclaimed institution, unifying itself and working together with students, staff, faculty, families and alumni in a leadership capacity to oppose the closing of Westminster.

On March 28, Rider University announced its decision to delay the closing of Westminster Choir College for at least a year while it looks for another institution to buy the Choir College and take over its administration.  Also on March 28, in a move that was obviously closely coordinated with Rider Administration, Princeton Public School Board voted to fund an effort to purchase the land only of Westminster Choir College Campus – including a referendum – and if that transpires it could force the complete closure of Westminster Choir College.  If such a land transfer occurs, and Princeton Public Schools takes possession of the property, in the unlikely event that another university or entity purchases the institution portion of Westminster, without the real estate – it will force Westminster Choir College out of Princeton.

The principle demand of all of the forces trying to save Westminster, including the Rider AAUP, has been to save Westminster on the Princeton Campus.

This situation calls for immediate acts of solidarity by your organization, your leadership body and your membership.  You can play a pivotal role now in contributing to the efforts to save  Westminster Choir College IN PRINCETON.  You can do so by making it very clear that your organization will do everything it can TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY REFERENDUM ON PURCHASING THE WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE CAMPUS FAILS!

This could be the most important act of sisterly labor solidarity on the table for you right now.

As you know across the board teachers are under attack, public education is under attack as is higher education.  Westminster Choir Choir College produces many of the finest public music education professionals – your future sisters and brothers in unified struggle for improvements in public education and the survival of the public teaching profession. That is why I am asking you to act now – under the principles of unity, solidarity and mutual support – to help Save Westminster Choir College and the positions of AAUP members . . . as well as to support AAUP in its tough battle with Rider administration.

This letter is my own initiative – the Rider AAUP did not ask nor consult with me about this letter.

The following are the suggested steps:

1.       Contact Rider AAUP to get a full understanding as to the repercussions of the Westminster Choir College property being sold to Princeton Public Schools.

2.       Communicate to the school board opposition to the sale and the plan for a referendum.

3.    If it comes to it, campaign to defeat a referendum to raise funds to purchase the property of Westminster Choir College.  If you are amenable to it, I would be happy to meet with one or more officers to discuss this issue further.

Please call or text 908-881-5275 to discuss further.

Thank you for your attention. 

Offering Solidarity and Support in your Continuing Success of Protecting the Contract for your members!

Bob Witanek