16. a. Nothing in this act shall be construed to deprive any officers or employees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey who become employees of University Hospital of their rights, privileges, obligations, or status with respect to any pension, retirement, or health benefits system. The employees shall retain all of their rights and benefits under existing collective negotiations agreements or contracts until such time as new or revised agreements or contracts are agreed to and such employees shall continue to be represented by the majority representative that represented them as employees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey unless the employees choose to change their majority representative pursuant to law. University Hospital shall assume all obligations under existing or expired collective negotiations agreements that covered employees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey on the effective date of this act and who become employees of University Hospital.

Employees in an existing University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey negotiations unit who are transferred to or become employees of University Hospital shall be deemed to constitute an appropriate collective negotiations unit under the “New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act,” P.L.1941, c.100 (C. 34:13A-1 et seq.).

Nothing in this act shall affect the civil service status, if any, of those officers or employees. Nothing in this act shall affect the tenure, rank, or academic track of any person holding a faculty position that is associated with University Hospital.

b. The employees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey who become employees of University Hospital pursuant to the provisions of this act shall not be considered new employees for any purpose and shall retain any accrued seniority, rank, and tenure, which shall be applied when determining eligibility for all benefits, including all paid leave time, longevity increases, and promotions.

c. If employees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, who become employees of University Hospital, are transferred to, or otherwise become employees of, a new entity as a result of a restructuring or reorganization pursuant or subsequent to this act, those employees shall remain “employees” within the meaning of the “New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act,” P.L.1941, c.100 (C. 34:13A-1 et seq.) and any applicable State pension and health benefits laws, and shall retain all of their rights and benefits under existing or expired collective negotiations agreements or contracts until such time as new or revised agreements or contracts are agreed to. The new entity shall be an “employer” within the meaning of the “New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act,” P.L.1941, c.100 (C. 34:13A-1 et seq.) and any applicable State pension and health benefits laws, and shall assume all obligations under existing or expired collective negotiations agreements that covered employees while employed at University Hospital or the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey immediately prior to their transfer to the new entity. Employees in a University Hospital negotiations unit, who are transferred to a new entity, shall be deemed to constitute an appropriate collective negotiations unit under the “New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act,” P.L.1941, c.100 (C. 34:13A-1 et seq.).

d. Employees of University Hospital, who become employees of a new entity pursuant to the provisions of this act, shall not be considered new employees for any purpose and shall retain any accrued seniority, rank, and tenure, which shall be applied when determining eligibility for all benefits, including all paid leave time, longevity increases, and promotions.

L.2012, c.45, s.16.