Today was our sixth Postdoc Bargaining session and our bargaining team has made proposals on 16 different articles of our contract. We’ve reached tentative agreement with UW admin on two articles, and have only received counter-proposals from them on two other articles. Our next bargaining session is Friday 12/16 and
you can help drive progress by attending the Mass Meeting on Thursday 12/15 at 12pm. All proposals are with management now and collective action is our primary leverage – one hour of your time could substantially improve your next contract (and help the Research Scientists make progress too)!
Mass Meeting on 12/15
Your participation is needed to show UW admin that Postdocs and Research Scientists are united in our demands for fair contracts! Please attend the Bargaining Mass Meeting on 12/15 at noon! RSVP here: https://forms.gle/9ExND8RGbXHqDDmu6
This is an important contract bargaining Mass Meeting on Thursday, 12/15 at 12pm. It is critical that as many people as possible attend to demonstrate our unity and show management how important a fair contract is to all of us. This show of unity is essential to winning strong contracts not only for Postdocs, but also for Research Scientists and puts pressure on the UW administration before our next Postdoc bargaining session, which will take place the next day.
We are hosting several in-person groups around campus, and the effect will be strongest if you can make it in person. However, if you can’t make it in person, you can also join individually on Zoom. Please RSVP here (https://forms.gle/9ExND8RGbXHqDDmu6) and invite all the other Postdocs and RSEs you know to RSVP as well!
12/7 Bargaining recap
At our last full bargaining session, admin made a significant compensation proposal that would move the minimum compensation for most Postdocs to $65,508. However, there are still important areas their proposal doesn’t address: For instance, their proposal would eliminate the scale that guarantees wage increases for every year of experience, and it leaves behind Fellows and Paid Direct Postdocs. So, in today’s bargaining session, we made a counterproposal that would ensure all Postdocs – including Fellows and Paid Direct Postdocs – are brought up to a minimum of $70,000. Our proposal also includes increases for each year of experience, as well as annual adjustments to the experience-based pay scale.
Later in the session, we also exchanged proposals on Intellectual Property and Academic Rights. We have not yet received a response from them on the other proposals we made in previous sessions.
You can read all the proposals that both parties have made at the Postdoc Bargaining Center page, and please reach out with any questions.
Our next bargaining session is on Friday 12/16. As always, all Postdocs are welcome to attend. Thanks for your continued support and participation.
In solidarity,
UWPU/UAW Bargaining Committee
Luci Baker, Mechanical Engineering
Rebecca Bluett, Biochemistry
Brant Bowers, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Tucker Burgin, Chemical Engineering
Pat Erickson, Institute for Protein Design
Jer Steeger, Philosophy
