Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Dear Colleague,
We had a productive meeting with management yesterday but we’re still not done. The contract does not go into effect until we reach a full agreement. Here’s a summary of bargaining and information on Wednesday’s City Council Session. Attendance on Wednesday is crucial.
We reached tentative agreements on five important articles:
- Non-discrimination and Harassment – the Non-Discrimination and Harassment article contains strong protections for Postdocs against harassment and discrimination and dramatically increases the likelihood of Postdocs to report. The article contains strong protections from sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination, retailiation, and inappropriate workplace behavior while providing for interim measures when a Postdoc files a complaint. When combined with other protections we’ve already negotiated: a fully arbitrable grievance procedure, protections against arbitrary discipline/dismissal, and the right to choose a secondary mentor, this article incorporates multiple recommendations of the NASEM report.
- Transportation Memorandum of Understanding – Starting July 1st, all Postdocs will get a fully subsidized UPASS. This is a $600/year benefit for each Postdoc.
- Leaves – this comprehensive proposal encompasses paid and unpaid leaves, including vacation, bereavement, sick leave, vacation, and faith and conscious time off. The article also covers the new Washington State Family and Medical Leave Act, which will provide paid family and medical leave for public employees starting in 2020.
- Management Rights and Responsibilities – describes the rights and responsibilities that UW administration maintains during the lifetime of the contract. Other sections of the contract modify these rights and responsibilities.
- Purpose and Intent – describes the purpose of our Collective Bargaining Agreement, and how the parties can go about modifying the agreement.
There are several articles left:
- Wages – UW proposed a slight increase to the pay steps for Postdocs in their 3rd – 5th years, but this scale is still below the NIH/NRSA pay scale, and they are not committing to provide restitution of wages from denied raises.
- Healthcare – outstanding issues include providing healthcare insurance for Paid-Direct Postdocs.
- Childcare – UW still has not agreed to our proposal to create a $100,000/year pool from which Postdoc parents would receive payments to cover childcare costs.
- Duration – while UW agrees the contract should last two years, they currently are proposing the expiration date should he June 30th, which doesn’t work given Postdoc work schedules. We’ve countered that it’s better for the contract to expire in February.
We will hear presentations from Postdocs and community experts underscoring our need for a contract at a Work Session of the Seattle , this Wednesday, May 8th, at 5:30 p.m. The location is the University Friends Meeting center: 4001 9th Ave NE, Seattle, WA. Postdocs are gathering at these locations at 4:45 pm and then walking over together:
- Drumheller Fountain (https://goo.gl/maps/vzScSuadLFeFqYoy9)
- Health Sciences Building J-Wing Courtyard (https://goo.gl/maps/NcaH58utaFFGtius8)
- Life Sciences Building, 1st floor cafe (https://goo.gl/maps/2yV2Za2m3oNkvBUUA)
- The Fisheries Building Courtyard (https://goo.gl/maps/xw51cSB5nRriMcz46)
In solidarity,
The UW Postdocs United / UAW 4121 Bargaining Committee
Tina Angerer, Bioengineering
Pamela Baker, Biological Structure
Matthew Crane, Chemistry
Marina Dütsch, Earth and Space Sciences
Max Friedfeld, Chemistry
Hannah Horowitz, Atmospheric Sciences
Megan Ivory, Physics
Ajay Jajodia, Medical Genetics
Andrew Jenkins, Chemistry
Jiae Lee, Biochemistry
Michael Mack, Chemistry
Kelly Patton, Physics
Cristi Proistosescu, Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean
Abdul Basit Shaikh, Pharmaceutics
Thomas Smith, Medical Genetics
Michael Taylor, Bioengineering
Jian Wang, Chemistry
Alex White, Psychology
Huajun Xu, Chemistry