In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released a report showing that rates of sexual harassment and assault are pervasive throughout academia – second, in fact, only to the U.S. military. In equity surveys we conducted during the 2018-2019 academic year among postdocs and academic student employees (ASEs), we found similarly high rates, with 60% of women, 40% of men, and 80% of non-binary people reporting experiences with harassment while at UW.

Our Local has a strong history of taking action to address these serious issues. For instance, in 2019, hundreds of Postdocs and allies turned out to a powerful work session on sexual harassment held by Seattle City Council Member Teresa Mosqueda, and subsequently won some of the strongest anti-harassment protections in the country.

Photo of crowd of hundreds of people seated inside

Hundreds of Postdocs and supporters came together in May 2019 for Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda’s Work Session: “Confronting Discrimination and Harassment Through Collective Bargaining at UW”

At the 2019 NASEM Summit on Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Academia, we presented our poster #WeToo: Taking on Sexual Harassment Through Collective Action (pdf) on the critical role of unionization for addressing the structural roots of sexual harassment in academia.

WeToo Taking on Harassment Through Collective Action

 

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