Postdoc observers gathered before the start of the bargaining session last week
As we continue our campaign to win secure and competitive conditions for WCM postdocs, we met with WCM in person last week for our 37th bargaining session. Read on for a short update on that session, as well as on our continued efforts to stop cuts to federal research funding.
During the bargaining session, we continued working toward a fair agreement that secures competitive salaries while addressing WCM’s concerns regarding potential funding uncertainty. As recent postdoc actions have clearly communicated widespread discomfort with WCM’s approach to these issues, they attempted to modify their Force Majeure proposal. However, their effort to be responsive still fails to change the fundamental problem that this article would allow WCM to pay us less while expecting us to perform the same amount of work, which postdocs find unacceptable and out of step with other postdoc union contracts. Meanwhile, our Emergency Layoff proposal continues to be directly responsive to their concerns about potential funding uncertainty.
A bargaining observer said the following about WCM’s latest Force Majeure proposal:
“WCM’s proposed modifications to the Force Majeure clause fail to change the underlying issue with the article: in practice, it still gives WCM the discretion to reduce postdoc salaries and benefits under vaguely defined circumstances and with limited notice. Force Majeure would leave postdocs vulnerable to pay cuts outside of our control.”
— Dilan Rasool, Postdoctoral Associate in BMRI
In what we hope was some useful discussion during the session, we continued to make clear to WCM’s bargaining team that Force Majeure is not acceptable to our unit. Postdocs have fought hard for higher salaries that reflect the value we bring to our labs, and we cannot allow WCM to pay us less while expecting us to continue to assist with grants, mentor students, perform benchwork, and generally keep research running. Research labor costs money, and WCM must decide if they want to remain a competitive institute by agreeing to pay us what we are worth and withdrawing Force Majeure. We still await WCM’s counter on Emergency Layoff, and we are coordinating with them to find new bargaining dates in September.
Upcoming Town Hall to Defend Science Funding
We also continue to work to fight the federal funding cuts that led WCM to propose Force Majeure and Layoffs in the first place. Along with unionized researchers at Columbia, Mount Sinai, and Albert Einstein, we are planning a Kill The Cuts Town Hall sometime in September near WCM with our federal elected officials. This will be a chance to develop political allies who can fight on our behalf for research funding in Congress. If you are interested in attending and/or helping plan the Town Hall, please look out for a signup link soon!
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any thoughts or questions.
In solidarity,
Luca Posa
Postdoctoral Associate in Biochemistry and Biophysics
On behalf of the WCMPU-UAW Bargaining Committee