Postdoc observers before Monday’s bargaining session
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On Monday we met with WCM for our 27th bargaining session, which was also our second in-person session. Our goal this session was to better understand why WCM continues trying to go below the basic rights won by unionized postdocs at Mount Sinai, including the rationale behind their Force Majeure proposal.
Through these discussions it became clear that WCM sees Force Majeure as a measure to expand their ability to make unilateral decisions about our employment, including gaining the ability to lay off postdocs and reduce compensation and benefits, in the event of a financial emergency. When asked what contingency plans WCM has made, they were unable to provide a concrete response.
It is deeply frustrating that WCM would raise layoffs at this point, more than a year into negotiations. We have maintained since the start of bargaining that the only conditions under our contract where a postdoc can lose their position would be by termination for just cause, or resignation. By arguing now that WCM can lay off postdocs for economic reasons, they are once again shifting the goal posts for reaching a fair agreement, as they did when they significantly lengthened the process for survivors of sexual harassment, going back on nearly six months of progress. WCM’s Force Majeure proposal would have us waive our legal rights to contest unilateral changes to our contract, as well as our right to address layoffs or any other changes WCM decides to make through our union grievance procedure.
WCM then reiterated their “supposal” (a possible proposal they could make in the future) of providing a two-day notice of changes and discussing them with us first, but made clear that if we did not agree with their terms, they would still retain the ability to implement such changes unilaterally. WCM claimed that agreeing to this would give us more “agency,” while declining to agree could make them more likely to engage in mass layoffs.
We want to be clear: WCM is using the current political climate to try to pressure postdocs into agreeing to let WCM change our contract with minimal notice, using the threat of layoffs in the event of cuts to indirect costs or imminent funding lapses.
WCM expressed a need for “shared sacrifice,” in which postdocs take on the financial burden of lost grants. However, as early career researchers and a majority international workforce, this could mean “sacrificing” our families’ ability to stay in the U.S. and our entire careers. We strongly encourage WCM to work with us to find solutions that do not rely on asking postdocs to make disproportionate sacrifices.
We ended the session by asking more questions about WCM’s opposition to reasonable visa leave and a timely housing process. WCM provided some useful information in response to these questions, and expressed some openness to reconsidering their position.
Postdocs formed a union to improve our working conditions, job security, and wages. We have negotiated with WCM for over a year not only to make the postdoctoral research program more equitable, but to make our positions as stable and predictable as possible. This goal is more important now than ever, and we will fight back against any attempt to make our diverse workforce even more precarious.
Make sure to sign up for the next bargaining session on June 2, 2025, to keep the pressure up and show WCM that we will fight together. Feel free to reach out with any thoughts or questions.
In solidarity,
Caitlin Williams
WCMPU-UAW Bargaining Committee