I’m Steffi, a Postdoc in the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies department here at UW and a mom to a 12-month-old, and I’m writing to remind you to enroll in the Postdoc Caregiver Fund by March 27th!
I think Seattle is a wonderful place to raise children and has among the best access to healthcare in the country, attracting Postdocs who are parents and caregivers. However, over the past few years, Postdoc parents and caregivers have seen escalating prices for childcare and reduced access to childcare in the Seattle area. For example, the waitlist for UW childcare centers is 2-3 years long, completely impractical for me and most Postdocs here at UW. As a parent-Postdoc, I worry daily about my ability to pay for– and secure– childcare while continuing to advance in my career.
Fortunately, I worry just a bit less, thanks to the financial assistance and protections UW Postdocs have already won in our contract. Through the dedicated collective action of previous cohorts of UW Postdocs, I can count on:
- Generous paid vacation and sick leave (34 days annually!), which can be used flexibly for all Postdocs, but which is particularly helpful when you’re navigating the hurdles of raising a child, like on those days when daycare is closed or my child is sick.
- A $75,000 annual fund distributed by need to us Postdocs who are parents or caregivers. While this fund is in no way equivalent to the cost of full-time childcare and caregiving, it certainly helps offset some of my costs. It also provides a foundational framework from which we can bargain to increase support for parents and caregivers in our new contract. (If you haven’t yet, apply today if you are a parent or caregiver–applications for Spring are due 3/27.)
I’m a firm believer in the power that organizing together can generate. If we work together, I’m confident we can ensure UW admin prioritizes supporting the needs of UW’s Postdoc parents and caregivers, so that we can continue doing excellent research in our respective scientific fields. If you haven’t already, join me in taking 10 minutes to fill out the postdoc bargaining survey and help establish our priorities for our next contract, including how to better support parents and caregivers.
Postdocs are bargaining for a new contract in summer 2026, and there’s lots of work to do. Winning greater protections and benefits for all postdoc parents and caregivers requires our collective resources and power. If you’re not part of your union – can you take a minute to join as a dues-paying member now? When you join, click “I want to get involved” to get more plugged in to how you can help! This is your union, and there has never been a better time to get involved– reply to this email to get in touch.
In Solidarity,
Steffi O’Daly, CICOES (Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies)
As well as:
Postdoc Bargaining Team
Haruki Hirasawa, Atmospheric and Climate Science
Jacob Sacks, Computer Science and Engineering
Cassandra Henderson, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Winston Dredge, Genome Sciences
Mateo Lopez Espejo, Psychology