On Tuesday 6/4, we met with WCM for our latest bargaining session. We are pleased to report progress on several fronts. However, we were also concerned to see WCM attempt to weaken our proposed rights and protections to below what unionized postdocs at Mount Sinai and Columbia have in their contracts.
In the session, we reached new tentative agreements on three articles: Health and Safety, Travel, and Workspace and Materials. This marks a substantial step towards ensuring fair employment practices and transparency for all our members. Details of these agreements are available in our bargaining tracker.
However, the session also included a number of challenges. Concerningly, WCM opposed expanding enforceable protections against discrimination for multiple disadvantaged communities, weakening standards that postdocs have won at Mount Sinai and Columbia. They also opposed key elements of our intellectual property (IP) proposal that would give us more ownership rights for the results of our hard work, including trying to prevent us from using our union grievance process and neutral arbitration to resolve disputes over PI status for independent research grants. Finally, we discussed changes WCM proposed to the international researcher rights article. Disturbingly, WCM seemed to suggest that visa-related expense reimbursement should be left entirely to the discretion of the PI. We pushed back, explaining the importance of WCM supporting postdocs with visa renewal-related expenses. WCM said they would seek further clarification and get back to us.
We will continue to push for progress on remaining articles and keep you updated on developments. We look forward to our next bargaining session on June 11, which WCM agreed to in response to the overwhelming support shown by our open letter, signed by a majority of postdocs, calling for a more intensive bargaining schedule. Your support and involvement are crucial as we strive for a fair and comprehensive contract—sign up to observe an upcoming bargaining session here!
In solidarity,
Peter Hámor, Pharmacology
WCMPU-UAW Bargaining Committee
Summary of provisional tentative agreements:
Health and Safety: provides the enforceable right to a safe work environment for postdocs and their unborn children, as well as protective equipment, first aid materials and information, safety training, and information on asbestos removal projects and exposure to toxic chemicals
Travel: guarantees the right to have all work-related travel expenses fully paid for in a timely manner; establishes a system whereby the postdoc’s WCM department will pay for major travel expenses like lodging, airfare, and registration fees in advance
Workspace and Materials: ensures that postdocs at WCM will be provided with the space, equipment, resources, services and materials needed to do our research work, including remote work