a historic labor strike is underway in New Jersey for the first time in Rutgers University's 257-year history it's 9 000 full and part-time Educators walked off the job the action comes after nearly a year of bargaining between the university and the three unions representing those workers the strike affecting some 67 thousand students at the state's Flagship School in all three campus locations that's New Brunswick Newark and Camden classes and research canceled now Governor Murphy is getting involved as mediator senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan has been following the picket line all day and has the latest faculty and medical staff from three Rutgers University Unions walked picket lines today launching an unprecedented strike after months of negotiations over wages and job security came up short of an agreement nine thousand members on campuses across New Jersey walked out it is felt from the beginning like they were pushing this I don't think they really fully understood that we are really United in this management has been so intransigent at the bargaining table they have been we have been bargaining for months and months and months and they have not been taking our demands for equal pay for equal work and job security and access to Affordable Health Care seriously these are serious demands they are imminently affordable and we should have had more progress by this point the three unions opted to strike despite a mediator joining contract negotiations this past Saturday tenured professors come planed Rutgers still isn't offering enough to its part-time adjunct professors and graduate workers we've made progress on some important issues and that's been really gratifying and it's it's merged as we've built pressure on them but there's some critical issues that we have to win we can no longer have our adjuncts living on starvation wages or our grad workers and I remember being a graduate assistant and part-time lecturer myself having new children and really struggling to put food on the table and I don't want that for them and so I'm out here to represent those folks us demonstrating our power as a collective body we really show that you know we hold power and that you know we have to be taken seriously last night Governor Murphy tweeted an invitation for negotiators to meet in his office and gave his word talks would continue in good faith a Rutgers spokeswoman stated we are encouraged and welcome his leadership and are hopeful that we can quickly come to a resolution of the remaining outstanding issues an hour after the meeting began Murphy noted our Administration is committed to ensuring that Rutgers Educators and staff are able to continue their critical work and importantly that Rutgers students particularly given that we're on April 10th with the clock ticking toward the end of the school year that those students are able to pursue their education Union president Rebecca given also welcome the governor's intervention and hoped it would forestall threatened legal action by the University president so far we believe that the president has decided not to go to court yet we're pleased we think that's a good faith showing and we think that can help us get it done too Rutgers President John Holloway advised students last night to work on their assignments and attend classes today but many told us that professors had canceled instruction they told us to like not worry about it too much we could learn through like online through ourselves two classes today both of them are canceled my classes tomorrow are also canceled what do you think of that um I think the teachers are doing the right thing I think I'm very proud that they're standing up for themselves all of our group chat were really confused on if we had class or not the professor didn't email us no messages so half of the class showed up and our teacher walked in junior Jenna Moran did have class today but says she's not sure about classes tomorrow tomorrow if the strike enters the second day the strike impacts 67 000 Rutgers students no contract at a rally this afternoon unions including the AFL-CIO expressed their support so did congressman Frank pallone I am told to president Holloway I've expressed as best I can what your concerns are what your demands are and I will continue to try to work with the administration to have a fair contract Union reps say they expect talks to continue into the evening and called on members to sign up for Picket duty tomorrow in New Brunswick I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight news [Music]