UW Postdocs are covered by the following:
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Compensation
- Before having a union there was no minimum salary for postdocs – some people were making below $37,000 a year.
- In our most recent contract, we won a minimum salary scale that raised wages by 8-12% based on the 2021 NIH wage scale in blue.
- This is the union difference, as only campuses with Postdoc unions have been able to win guaranteed minimum wages.
| Years of Postdoc Experience | Compensation before 2018 | Compensation 2019-2021 | Compensation 2021-Now |
| 0 | No Min | $50,004 | $53,760 |
| 1 | $51,004 | $54,144 | |
| 2 | $52,024 | $54,540 | |
| 3 | $53,065 | $56,712 | |
| 4 | $54,126 | $58,608 | |
| 5* | $55,208 | $60,780 |
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Free Public Transportation
- Your employer ID card is also your UPASS, which means free rides on all the buses and the lightrail in Seattle.
- This is a savings of $600 per year!
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Healthcare for all UW Postdocs
- UW pays 85% of health insurance premiums
- Supplementary stipend for postdocs funded by external grants without health insurance
- Our union has fought for years to improve healthcare.
- We bargain with the state of Washington to lower our monthly premiums, with UW paying 85%
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Safe Working Conditions & Materials
- Right to a healthy & safe working environment – you cannot be forced to work in unsafe conditions.
- COVID-19 Safety and Protections: if you’re working in person during the pandemic, safety protocols and protective gear must be provided.
- No out-of-pocket costs for materials or equipment
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Appointment Security & Paid Time Off
- Appointment Security: Minimum one year appointment and protections against unjust termination
- Paid Time Off:
- 12 sick days
- 21 vacation days
- 11 University holidays
- Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML): 12-16 weeks of paid leave for a number of qualifying life events like parental leave, personal medical recovery, or caregiving if a family member is sick
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Equity in the workplace
- Survivor-centered protections against harassment and discrimination: You have access to a grievance procedure to address any instances of harassment or discrimination with survivor-centered protections
- Union peer-led, evidence-based trainings through the Empowering Prevention & Inclusive Communities (EPIC) training program.
- Rights to career development like secondary mentors and applying for grants as a PI
- Collective caregiver fund. Last year, postdocs who enrolled got an average of $1000.
- 2020: $30,000
- 2021: $45,000
- 2022: $50,000
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Postdocs have all of these rights because a majority of our co-workers have signed up as members of our union and fought to win them during negotiations with UW administration.
You can access the full 2021-2023 collective bargaining agreement at https://www.uaw4121.org/postdoc-contract-full/.
If you experience problems in any of these areas, please get in contact immediately, even if you’ve already contacted another campus resource or aren’t sure what you’d like to do. A union representative can help you figure out your options, and will advocate for you.
Questions? Problems?
206-633-6080
www.uaw4121.org
contractenforcement@uaw4121.org