TL;DR: Enrollment in the Postdoc Caregiver Fund is open now until March 27th. The Family Friendly workgroup will respond to all enrollments by April 10th. Fill out the Postdoc Bargaining Survey to contribute your thoughts on Postdoc Salaries!
Most postdocs agree: money is tight these days. Rent, food, utilities, loan payments, family care, and on and on. $68,460 — UW Postdocs’ minimum salary — is not enough to live on in Seattle. Sure, it’s more than you made in grad school. But to start a family, buy a home, support your parents? Currently, UW Postdoc salary minimums are $68,460 ($56,484 for Paid Directs), which is below the Washington state overtime eligibility threshold of $80,168.Even the incredible UAW 4121 Postdoc Caregiver Fund we established when we first unionized, and have maintained at $75,000 through the strength of our collective power, doesn’t solve the overall problem of insufficient pay. If you’re a caregiver, you know at the top of your to-do list is signing up for this fund. The enrollment period is now open until 5pm March 27th, and the Family Friendly workgroup will respond to all enrollments by April 10th.
You can review enrollment eligibility and sign up here. Note that if you have enrolled in the past, please enroll again to continue to receive funds. If you have any questions or want to join other Postdocs fighting for caregiver support in our workplace, please email the UAW 4121 Family Friendly Working Group at familyfriendly@uaw4121.org.
All postdocs know that we deserve adequate compensation for our expertise, knowledge, and careers at UW! As we head into bargaining this year, your input on Postdoc salaries and the rest of our priorities is essential for shaping what we bargain for and how we can win. Share your thoughts about Postdoc wages and more in the bargaining survey. In 10 minutes, you can add to our collective knowledge of our working conditions, and help create a resource that reflects the needs of all postdocs. Encourage your coworkers to fill out the survey, too. The more input, the more strength, the more power.
POSTDOC BARGAINING SURVEYPostdocs are just a few months from bargaining a new contract in 2026, so there’s lots of work to do. Winning higher wages requires our collective resources and power. If you’re not a member yet–can you take a minute to join as a dues-paying member now? This is your union, and there has never been a better time to get involved.
In Solidarity,
Postdoc Bargaining Team
Jacob Sacks, Computer Science and Engineering
Cassandra Henderson, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Winston Dredge, Genome Sciences
Mateo Lopez Espejo, Psychology
Haruki Hirasawa, Atmospheric and Climate Science
UAW 4121 Family Friendly Workgroup
Xiangyu Gao, Computer Science & Engineering
Steffi O’Daly, Oceanography/CICOES
Lou Baker, Mechanical Engineering
familyfriendly@uaw4121.org