Research Employees/ Postdocs

Compensation and Benefits

Article XVI – Compensation

• Increase the base minimum to $75,000 per academic year for research employees/postdocs. 
• Add annual cost of living adjustments tied to inflation plus annual percentage-based increases

Article XXXIII – Health Benefits

• Incorporate 2022 agreement regarding more comprehensive research employee/postdoc vision benefits into main contract
• Incorporate 2023 agreement regarding research employee/postdoc health plans with 3% premium increase (instead of 18% premium increase). 

Article XXXVII – Housing

• GSREs who live off-campus shall receive a monthly housing stipend of $500.

New Article – Legal Consultation

• NJIT shall provide employees free legal consultation for visa-related matters in a timely way.  
• Additional outside consultation shall be reimbursed by the university in full within 30 days. 

Article XXXVII – Travel, Parking and Transportation

• Added the reinstatement of a free university shuttle covering the areas of Harrison, East Newark and Kearny. 
• Added public transportation benefits (transit passes, reimbursements), called Qualified Transit Fringe Benefits for all GSREs. 
• Added $1000/yr/person reimbursement for purchasing or maintaining a bicycle.

New Article – Child Care

• NJIT shall subsidize childcare. An employee shall pay no more than 10% of salary for childcare.

New Article – Professional Development

• Create a professional development fund for GSREs totaling $50,000/yr.
• GSREs can receive up to $3,000 per person per academic year for professional development activities specifically related to pedagogic and related professional development needs of graduate employees and research employees in connection with and related to their professional activities at NJIT.
• UCAN shall control approval of requests

Leaves of Absence

Article XXX – Family Leave

• Added that GSREs shall be given 6 months of fully-paid family leave, with a possible extension of 3 additional months. 

Vacation and Holidays

Article XXVI – Holidays

• Added a floating holiday to be used at the employee’s discretion.
• Incorporated Juneteenth language from 2022 agreement

Workplace Protections

Article I – Recognition

• Added Postdoctoral Fellows to the UCAN GSRE bargaining unit.

Article VII – Use of University Facilities, Campus Mail & Equipment

• NJIT will provide a permanent office for UCAN use. 

Article XIII – Probationary Period

• Eliminated 6-month probationary period for postdocs/research employees

Article XVII – Discipline and Termination

• Added that research employees/postdocs can only be terminated for just cause 

Article XXXV – Layoff/Reduction in Force

• Added that NJIT must make up the difference for GSREs between any grants that pay less than the minimum contractual salary. 
• Increased the minimum amount of time to 90 days for NJIT notification to GSREs regarding grant or outside contract expirations.
• Added that GSRE employees affected by NJIT layoffs or reorganization shall be notified at least 90 days in advance and provided with regular pay and benefits by the university for one year after separation.
• Deleted language allowing NJIT to lay off GSREs for financial reasons. 

Article XXIV – Grievance Procedure

• Deleted language limiting the number of reps that UCAN can bring to a grievance hearing.
• Extended grievance filing timelines. 

Ph.D Graduate Student Employees

Compensation and Benefits

Article XVI – Compensation

• Increase the base minimum to $40,000 per academic year for graduate student employees. 
• Additional 20% pay bump once a graduate student employee advances to candidacy.
• Added annual cost of living adjustments tied to inflation plus annual percentage-based increases
• Added that graduate student stipends shall be paid jointly by NJIT and the individual academic department/advisor.

Article XV – Summer Appointment

• Added that graduate student employees will be guaranteed at least 3 months of employment over the summer at the regular academic year pay rate.

Article XXXIII – Health Benefits

• Health insurance premiums shall be paid for in full by NJIT for graduate student employees.
• Eye and dental care shall be paid for in full by NJIT for graduate student employees.
• Graduate employees shall be able to enroll dependents into their health plan. NJIT shall pay any fees associated with this enrollment.
• NJIT shall continue to seek out funding to transition graduate student employees into the more comprehensive State Health Benefits Plan. 
• If a service is not covered at St. Michael’s Medical Center for graduate employees, NJIT shall pay for the cost of traveling to another clinic to receive appropriate treatment.
• Guaranteed coverage for contraceptive & fertility services for graduate student employees 
• Guaranteed coverage for gender-affirming healthcare services for graduate student employees 
• Automatic enrollment of graduate employees into NJIT’s health plan by May 1 of each year, unless employee chooses to opt out.

Article XIX – Workload for GSREs

• Decreased graduate student employees’ work hours from 20 hrs/week maximum to 15 hrs/week maximum.

Article XXXVII – Housing

• Grads who live off-campus shall receive a monthly housing stipend of $500.
• NJIT shall provide subsidized campus housing for graduate student employees via a lottery system at no more than 30% of stipend amount.
  • Priority for on-campus housing shall be given to graduate student employees who work in wet labs, international students, students with families, and others with demonstrated need. 

New Article – Eliminate fees

• NJIT shall eliminate GSA and International Student fees for graduate student employees and reimburse those already charged.

New Article – Legal Consultation

• NJIT shall provide graduate employees free legal consultation for visa-related matters in a timely way.  
• Additional outside consultation shall be reimbursed by the university in full within 30 days. 

Article XXXVII – Travel, Parking and Transportation

• Removed parking fees for graduate student employees.
• Added the reinstatement of a free university shuttle covering the areas of Harrison, East Newark and Kearny. 
• Added public transportation benefits (transit passes, reimbursements), called Qualified Transit Fringe Benefits for all GSREs. 
• Added $1000/yr/person reimbursement for purchasing and/or maintaining a bicycle.

New Article – Professional Development

• Create a professional development fund for GSREs totaling $50,000/yr.
• GSREs can receive up to $3,000 per person per academic year for professional development activities specifically related to pedagogic and related professional development needs of graduate employees and research employees in connection with and related to their professional activities at NJIT.
• UCAN shall control approval of requests

New Article – Child Care

• NJIT shall subsidize childcare. An employee shall pay no more than 10% of salary for childcare.

Article XII – Support for GSREs

• Guaranteed personal office spaces for graduate student employees.
• NJIT must provide adequate notice to graduate employees for changes in office space.

Appointment & Reappointment

Article XI – Initial Appointment

• Increased graduate student employees’ guaranteed funding to a minimum of 6 years (up from max of 4 years). 
• Guaranteed funding for graduate student employees in the case of switching an academic advisor. Time spent between advisors will not count towards the new 6 academic year funding minimum.
• Grant-supported graduate student employees whose grant amount does not meet the minimum stipend will be paid the difference by NJIT.

Article XII – Reappointment

• Increased graduate student employees’ guaranteed funding to a minimum of 6 years (up from max of 4 years) – updated language for consistency with Article XI.
• If changing academic advisors, graduate employee funding will be guaranteed and the time spent between advisors will not count towards the new 6 academic year funding minimum – updated language for consistency with Article XI.

Leaves of Absence

Article XXVII – Sick Leave

• Increased graduate student employees’ sick leave to 10 days per academic year (up from 3 days). 

Article XXVII – Personal Leave

• Increased graduate student employees’ personal leave to 14 days per academic year (up from 1 day).
• Added that unused graduate employee personal days shall accrue with no limit.  

Article XXX – Family Leave

• Added that grad employees shall be given 6 months of fully-paid family leave, with a possible extension of 3 additional months. 
• Added that NJIT shall maintain graduate student employees’ visa status during family leave.  

Article XXXII – Modified Duties for GSREs

• Deleted language limiting the amount of times a graduate student employee can be on modified duty (such as for illness, disability, etc.).

Vacation and Holidays

Article XXIX – Vacation

• Deleted language barring graduate student employees from vacation entitlements.

Article XXVI – Holidays

• Added a floating holiday to be used at the employee’s discretion.
• Graduate student employees asked to work on a holiday, or on one of the university break periods, will be paid at twice the usual rate for that time.
• Incorporated Juneteenth language from 2022 agreement

Workplace Protections

Article XXXV – Layoff/Reduction in Force

• Added that NJIT must make up the difference for GSREs between any grants that pay less than the minimum contractual salary. 
• Increased the minimum amount of time to 90 days for NJIT notification to GSREs regarding grant or outside contract expirations.
• Added that GSRE employees affected by NJIT layoffs or reorganization shall be notified at least 90 days in advance and provided with regular pay and benefits by the university for one year after separation.
• Deleted language allowing NJIT to lay off GSREs for financial reasons. 

Article XXIV – Grievance Procedure

• Deleted language limiting the number of reps that UCAN can bring to a grievance hearing.
• Extended grievance filing timelines. 

UCAN Office

Article VII – Use of University Facilities, Campus Mail & Equipment

• NJIT will provide a permanent office for UCAN use.

Adjuncts

Article XVI – Compensation

• Increase min pay to $3,333 per credit hour in the Hillier College of Architecture and Design.
• Increase min pay to $3,333 per contact hour in all other colleges.
• Annual increases of 12% or the inflation rate, whichever is larger, through 2025-26 year
• Pay differentials for classes & labs, based on enrollment:
  • Classes:
  • 25 to 29 students, inclusively, 1.25X base rate pay
  • more than 29 students, 1.5X base rate pay
  • Labs: 
  • 21-23 students, inclusively, 1.25X base rate pay
  • more than 23 students, 1.5X base rate pay

Article XXVII – Health Benefits

• Added that adjuncts will be offered comparable benefits to full-time faculty members.

Article XI – Initial Appointment and Reappointment

• Added process for rehiring adjuncts based on who has taught a course most recently
• Increase class cancellation pay ranging from ⅛ to full pay, depending on when class is canceled

Article XIII – Promotions

• Added seniority-based pay raises based on semesters taught (summer semesters count): 
• 6 semesters, 10% increase, with the title of Senior Adjunct Professor I
• 12 semesters, 20% increase, with the title of Senior Adjunct Professor II
• 15 semesters, 25% increase, with the title of Senior Adjunct Professor III
• 20 semesters, 30% increase, with the title of Senior Adjunct Professor IV
• 30 semesters, 40% increase,  with the title of Senior Adjunct Professor V

New Article – Adjunct Class Assignments

• Added: no limitations on how many classes adjuncts may teach per semester.

Article XXXI – Professional Development

• Increased total amount of fund to $50,000 per academic year
• Added rollover of unused money in the fund
• Increased the amount Adjuncts can receive from the fund during the academic year from $1,000 to $3,000.
• Added provision for a UCAN committee to control the approval of funds

Article XXI – Tuition Benefit for Adjunct Instructors

• Increased tuition remission for NJIT classes to 100% and increased the number of covered classes to 2 courses per semester
• Added 50% tuition remission per semester for two classes at any state university 
• Added 50% tuition remission for 2 courses at NJIT per semester while adjunct is employed

New Article – Modes of Instructional Delivery

• Added that up to 4 class sessions per semester can be taught in any mode at the adjuncts’ discretion

Article XXX – Transportation, Parking Fees & Expenses

• Eliminated parking fees for adjuncts. 
• Added public transportation benefits (transit passes, reimbursements), called Qualified Transit Fringe Benefits
• Added the reinstatement of a shuttle covering the areas of Harrison, East Newark and Kearny. 

Article XX – Support for Adjunct Instructors -> Orientation

• Increased the number of orientations every semester.
• Added department & school-based orientations during the first week of classes

Article XXVI – Grievance Procedure

• Deleted language limiting the number of UCAN reps can bring to a grievance hearing.
• Extended grievance filing timelines. 

Article XXV – Sick Leave

• Defined that sick hours will be counted as 1 clock hour of class time = 1 hour of sick time. 

Article XII – Joint Committee of Adjunct Appointments, Evaluations & Career Advancement

• Deleted this article in full. Article replaced by new language in articles XI and XIII. 

Article XIV – Evaluations

• Deleted this article in full. Replaced by new language in article XIII.