Join postdocs from across WCM at our Rally for Equity, tomorrow at 12pm!
On Monday, our Bargaining Committee met with the WCM administration for our 25th bargaining session. After a frustrating session on February 10th, we hoped to make further progress on Monday. While we continued to emphasize our core priorities, WCM failed to make greater movement on critical articles that are still pending, including withdrawing their probation article, having timely, neutral, and fully enforceable recourse for survivors of sexual harassment, equitable leave policies, affordable housing, support for childcare, and fair compensation.
WCM began the session by highlighting how potential cuts to federal science funding could impact WCM. Given this, they asked us to define our objections to their proposed Probation Period and their most recent counter on Discrimination and Harassment, which went backwards by lengthening the process for survivors of harassment by more than six months.
We explained that as postdocs in the UAW, we have been fighting back against threats to science funding since Trump’s first executive order, including rallying and speaking up alongside thousands of researchers from across the country last week.
Just as all of us are facing new pressures given the tumultuous political climate, the increased stress and precariousness for international scholars – and the recent layoffs of hundreds of government workers who were on probationary periods – make us even less open to considering a provision that would allow WCM to unfairly terminate us without recourse at the start of our employment. We refuse to undermine our job security and our wellbeing for the sake of WCM having the ability to fire us without a performance-related reason.
Likewise, the Trump administration is already trying to undermine protections against sexual harassment on campus. On Discrimination and Harassment, we listed a number of reasons why WCM’s counter-proposal is inappropriate and undermines progress – by moving backwards on their prior position and requiring survivors to face longer delays, a lack of enforceability, and no guarantee of timely meetings or updates, among other issues. We urged them to return to the language Sinai postdocs have in their contract. WCM said they would get back to us.
WCM was also unable to commit to meeting with us again until March 17, and did not provide dates for bargaining after this point.
WCM has the opportunity to provide more stable and predictable jobs, reduce the anxiety of international scholars, improve reporting of sexual harassment issues in labs, give postdocs access to New York State paid family leave and childcare support – making WCM more equitable for parents – end the problem of rent burden, and support postdocs facing financial emergencies. It’s important that WCM lives up to Dean Harrington’s stated goal of “providing a best-in-class work environment for all roles.” Join the next bargaining session on March 17th from 12-4pm to hold WCM accountable to these goals.
Due to WCM’s lack of progress in negotiations, postdocs are organizing a Rally tomorrow (Thursday), February 27 during lunch (12pm-1pm), outside 1300 York to show WCM our determination to win a fair contract. Please do not miss any scheduled work in order to attend this event. Click here to let organizers know if you can attend the rally.
In solidarity,
Caitlin Williams
WCMPU-UAW Bargaining Committee