Members want overtime compensation, vacation days for employees

By Alex Meier, Correspondent

Rutgers University Student Assembly voted to approve a proposal last night that aims to bring University President Robert L. Barchi’s attention to University employees’ pay during Superstorm Sandy.

RUSA
Lianne Ng / Staff Photographer .
Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency on Oct. 29 because of the storm, yet staff members were required to come into work, said Darlene Smith, vice president of the Union of Rutgers Administrators-American Federation of Teachers.

Both essential and nonessential personnel were required to report to work, she said.

“Some of them stayed home because they couldn’t get off the roads. We were told to stay off the roads. Some … can’t afford to lose any days of work. Maybe they’re the sole breadwinner in their household,” Smith said.

Some staff members came into work, but others were turned away from the city of New Brunswick by police officers, she said. At noon, the University told employees that they could go home.

“That meant people were driving home when the storm was building up and even though it wasn’t as bad as it got later that evening, it was not great conditions to be on the roadways,” she said.

In the event of a school closure, essential employees are usually compensated for their overtime with time and a half. Nonessential employees are compensated as they usually are.

Despite the University’s closing at noon, records show the University remained open, Smith said. Employees were not compensated for the hours they worked before noon.
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