WCMPU-UAW members rallied for a fair contract last month
Click here to sign our open letter demanding NO FORCE MAJEURE!
We are writing with a few updates on our campaign. First, we have confirmed two upcoming bargaining sessions on the following dates, one coming up this week:
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Thursday (tomorrow), September 18, 2025, from 12 PM to 4 PM
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Wednesday, October 1, 2025, from 12 PM to 4 PM
At our last session, WCM told us they would provide an updated counter proposal by tomorrow’s session. Click here to RSVP for an upcoming bargaining session.
Last week, WCM sent an email to postdocs, appealing directly to our members to “accept” WCM’s proposal, bypassing our elected bargaining committee and purposely failing to include critical information on WCM’s current position on salaries. Not only is it disappointing that the administration is trying to pressure postdocs to accept an offer that would leave us less secure, but it is also illegal to attempt to bypass the bargaining process in this way, which is why we have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board to hold them accountable. We protest these actions and demand that WCM immediately stop interfering with and attempting to coerce us in exercising our legally protected rights, and instead focus on negotiating with our bargaining committee in good faith to reach an agreement on a fair contract.
The email leaves out important facts regarding the nature of this proposal. In fact, both sides have been in agreement on minimum salaries in line with the Sinai postdoc contract since April 2025. However, WCM has delayed these raises by conditioning them on a Force Majeure provision that would make salaries less secure than they are currently. This provision would allow WCM to unilaterally change terms agreed to in our contract. WCM has said that they would reduce salaries below agreed-upon rates, as if they had never agreed to them, in response to changes in funding like we’ve seen this year. In order to ensure that raises are both guaranteed to take effect and permanent, WCM must withdraw Force Majeure.
In response to WCM’s continued efforts to take advantage of the Trump administration to push unnecessary and harmful proposals and commit blatant unfair labor practices, we are circulating an open letter urging WCM to agree to a fair layoffs provision to address financial issues, should they arise, instead of a Force Majeure clause that leaves us all at risk. Please add your name here.
WCM may try to increase their efforts to pressure postdocs to support their proposal. If you see or hear of any messages similar to this one being emailed to postdocs, or shared directly by faculty, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at organizing@wcmpostdocunion.org.
In solidarity,
Kaitlin Murtha
Postdoctoral Associate in Cell and Developmental Biology
WCMPU-UAW Organizing Committee