On September 18th, we met with the WCM administration for our 38th bargaining session. At the session, WCM presented a proposal on Force Majeure that they said included no movement, and a counterproposal on Layoff with some changes to their proposed order of layoffs. We emphasized that postdocs continue to oppose WCM having the ability to unilaterally undercut our pay, benefits, and workplace rights.
Postdocs are circulating an open letter urging WCM to withdraw Force Majeure — click here to sign.
We expressed disappointment at WCM’s minimal movement after having had six weeks to craft their response to our last full package proposal on August 8th. Recent months have also shown positive signs that major reductions to research funding — WCM’s main argument for Force Majeure — are increasingly unlikely, including the House and Senate rejecting the Trump administration’s 40% cuts to the NIH and a federal judge ruling that efforts to withhold Harvard’s research funding are illegal.
After providing this context, we asked questions about WCM’s proposal. Among other things, we asked WCM what type of financial losses would lead them to use Force Majeure. Disturbingly, WCM could not provide even a ballpark figure or confirm that they would not trigger Force Majeure in cases where the loss is relatively small compared to their research budget as a whole.
We also discussed WCM’s recent effort to convince postdocs to “accept” WCM’s offer, which they had yet to make to our elected Bargaining Committee. This attempt to bypass the Union was illegal, and we have filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (Case Number: 02-CA-373683).
After we told WCM at yesterday’s session that they had directly offered postdocs terms and conditions of employment that had not been previously proposed to us, WCM presented a version of their Compensation proposal from that email to the Bargaining Committee for the first time. Their proposal goes backwards by reducing the increase between Step 0 and Step 1 of the experience scale and changing the effective date of new salary minimums (e.g., $74,692 for a postdoc with 0 Years of Experience) from July 1, 2025, to the date we ratify our contract.
At the end of the session, we proposed additional bargaining dates: October 14th and October 29th. Several members of WCM’s team had to leave before the end of the session; WCM was not able to present a full counterproposal during the session. WCM said that they would offer a small group meeting to share their counter in advance of our next session on Wednesday, October 1st, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET (RSVP here).
We have the power to win the contract we deserve — but not without a fight. Please take a moment to sign the open letter urging WCM to agree to a fair layoffs provision to address financial issues, should they arise, instead of a Force Majeure clause. Read the letter and add your name here.
As always, please 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