Monday, September 23, 2019
Dear Colleague,
We have important updates and action items in this email. There are five main subjects, including:
- Wage Increase Delayed
- General Meeting
- Sign Up for Membership
- Congressional Representative’s Support
- Support Other Workers!
Wage Increase Delayed
This June, we ratified our first collective bargaining agreement, a standard setting contract that increased Postdoc payroll by $4M total this year, won the free $600 UPASS, standardized 12 weeks of paid family leave for all Postdocs (including non-birth parents), and included dozens of other significant gains. An aspect of this contract was that UW Admin agreed that wage increases we negotiated – retroactive to August 1st – should have been paid by September 25. However, administration informed us that these increases will instead be pushed to October 10.
While such a 2 week delay would perhaps be forgivable if it were an isolated incident, the pattern of delay, error, and even obstruction extends back for quite some time. As many of you know, there are also numerous individual issues and questions that have gone unanswered. This is unacceptable, and holding administration accountable starts with us. We now are filing another grievance in response to the delayed wage increases, and are having strategic conversations about what other steps we can take to meaningfully address the dysfunctions that impair the contract implementation. Your input is critical to developing a strong strategy that can involve all Postdocs.
General Meeting
Our first general meeting this academic year will be Wednesday September 25 from 4-5pm in the Life Sciences Building room 201. We will strategize the steps ahead, as implementation of our contract is a direct function of our organized response and cross-campus unity.
Children are welcome, and we are happy to provide childcare from a licensed provider in a nearby location. Please contact us by 5pm on Sept 24 if you wish to secure childcare.
Sign Up for Membership
As we continue to see, UW Admin will not fully respect our rights unless we collectively push them to do so. No one will be contributing dues until the wage increases go into effect. To build a strong majority, foster equity in science and create power to implement the contract, sign up now.
Congressional Representative’s Support
Members of Congress are paying attention to UW Postdocs and the intersection of our labor, international scholarship and STEM research. This past Friday at the UW Postdoc Research Symposium, staff representatives from the offices of Representative Pramila Jayapal, Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Patty Murray were in attendance at our invitation, supporting UAW Postdoc members.
Now more than ever it is essential for us to make our voices heard on issues that have a dramatic impact on Postdocs such as science funding, immigration policy, paid family leave and pay equality. At this Wednesday’s general meeting, we will discuss our political strategies to support Pro-Science, Pro-Immigrant Rights, Pro-Gender Equity, and Pro-Labor elected officials, and the role our elected officials will have in our contract implementation and upcoming bargaining.
Support Other Workers!
Over 50,000 UAW workers are on strike again this week as General Motors continues to refuse to share with the workers that make them profitable. Sign on to this open letter to support them in their struggle.
UW Medical and Dental Residents are facing difficult and protracted negotiations with UW Labor Relations and are organizing a week of action. On Wednesday 9/25 please join the 15 Minutes Walkout at the Front Entrances of UWMC, HMC, VA, and SCH.
In solidarity,
The UW Postdocs United / UAW 4121 Bargaining Committee:
Tina Angerer, Bioengineering
Pamela Baker, Biological Structure
Leandro Casiraghi, Biology
Matthew Crane, Chemistry
Ivan Cruz, Biological Structure
Marina Dütsch, Earth and Space Sciences
Max Friedfeld, Chemistry
Kelly Hines, Medicinal Chemistry
Hannah Horowitz, Atmospheric Sciences
Ajay Jajodia, Medical Genetics
Andrew Jenkins, Chemistry
Jiae Lee, Biochemistry
Michael Mack, Chemistry
Kim Meier, Psychology
Kelly Patton, Physics
Cristi Proistosescu, Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean
Abdul Basit Shaikh, Pharmaceutics
Michael Taylor, Bioengineering
Jian Wang, Chemistry
Huajun Xu, Chemistry