Faculity strike at Rider University? Talks continue

LAWRENCEVILLE — As of mid-day Friday, talks continued between Rider University and faculty union members hoping to avert a strike.

Despite what the union said was Rider's intention to break with tradition and not extend negotiations beyond Thursday's contract expiration date, talks continued until 1 a.m. on Friday morning. They resumed at 11 a.m.

And Talks were still going on as of 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon, according to the AAUP Rider website. Neither side would discuss how close both sides were or what issues are separating the sides.

The front page of the union website has included a countdown to a Sept. 1 strike date and was recruiting students and staff to man picket lines.

The union, which represents 580 part-and-full time professors, librarians, coaches and athletic trainers, accused Rider of misrepresenting its financial situation to unjustly get more than $10 million in concessions.

Rider spokeswoman Kristine Brown earlier said the university wanted to “reach a fair balance between the interests of our faculty and staff and the necessary short and long-term structural adjustments for the University to achieve overall financial health.”

The union on its Facebook page Thursday criticized Rider president Greg Dell'Omo for telling administrators after the faculty left the staff and faculty convocation, "oh, now we can really talk."

"Even after all of his warm and fuzzy talk about communicating and working together, he really has no respect for the people that educate the students," the union wrote

Rider's move-in day on Sunday and the student convocation on Tuesday are both still listed as scheduled on the school's website.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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