Sign up for a Strike Informational Webinar on Wednesday, July 2nd 2025 at 5pm!
On Tuesday we had our 31st bargaining session with WCM. After asking them some clarifying questions about WCM’s existing Layoff proposal, we responded with a comprehensive package proposal of our own.
In our package, we continued to reject Force Majeure, which would allow WCM to alter the terms of our contract unilaterally and with minimal notice, undermining every benefit and protection that we have fought for over the past two years.
We also reasserted the need for parity with the rights won by our colleagues at Mount Sinai that they fought for and won through organizing and going on strike for 13 days—Relocation Assistance to assist postdocs moving to New York, an Emergency Support Fund to help pay for childcare and other emergency expenses, Housing that includes rent caps to protect against displacement, Compensation that includes backpay dating to January of this year to reflect the amount of time we’ve spent as the lowest paid postdocs in NYC, and a reasonable amount of Visa Renewal Leave.
At our previous session, for the first time, we made a proposal to account for the current issues affecting research funding. We proposed an Emergency Layoff provision that would provide a clear process, timeline, and protections for postdocs laid off by WCM, and which they could only use in response to economically exigent circumstances. This was a major divergence from the Sinai contract, which prohibits all layoffs. By agreeing to allow any form of layoffs, we made a major move towards WCM. At our session on Tuesday, we made a further move to try to reach an agreement. Under our most recent proposal, Postdocs flagged for a potential layoff would receive two months of bridge funding to allow for time to find alternative sources of funding, then three months of notice to give postdocs time to find a new position and stay in the country.
This contrasts with WCM’s most recent layoff proposal, which allows for layoffs at any time and for any reason, and also provides for no minimum notice before termination when a layoff occurs. This is unacceptable and will harm the most vulnerable among us, especially our international community. It is clear to us that WCM does not take seriously the very real issues that our community would face in the event of layoffs with no notice period.
A postdoc observer at the session said the following:
“I’m really worried that the university administration is preparing for major changes like restructuring leading to layoffs. What scares me most is that postdocs like myself, especially the most vulnerable ones like those on visas, will be the first to feel that. I know academia is going through very hard times, but for most postdocs this is about survival, and WCM’s current layoff proposal is completely unresponsive to that. I’m afraid the university won’t think twice about sacrificing us. I do not feel protected at all being able to be laid off at WCM’s whim with minimal notice.”
— Violetta Ivanova, Postdoctoral Associate in BMRI
We asked WCM for more bargaining dates and have yet to hear back from them. We reiterated to WCM that we voted by 92% to authorize a strike in April, and we will not wait much longer for a contract that both lifts our working standards and protects us in the current environment.
While we await WCM’s response to our package proposal and additional dates, we will host a Strike Informational Webinar this Wednesday, July 2 at 5:00pm. In this session, we will hear from other unionized postdocs that have exercised their rights to strike and won strong contracts, and answer common questions about striking. If you have specific questions you would like answered, please submit them when you sign up.
As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to organizing@wcmpostdocunion.org.
In solidarity,
Krithika Karthigeyan, Postdoctoral Associate in Pediatrics
On behalf of the WCMPU-UAW Bargaining Committee