Over the past year, we have seen mounting attacks on immigrants workers and scholars around the country. Many international postdocs have voiced that they worry daily about their ability to continue living and working in the UW community. However, the protections Postdocs won in our contract provide a source of reassurance. Our contract’s layoff notice window and position holds during visa delays give us stability if we face funding loss or immigration processing challenges. For example, over the course of the 60-day layoff notice period and US Citizen and Immigration Services’s (USCIS) 30 day grace period, some international postdocs have successfully applied for and received appointments! However, recent federal government actions (ICE tactics and detainments) have exposed the limits of UW’s willingness to protect its international students and workers. By organizing together, we can ensure UW admin prioritizes the implementation of concrete protections for postdocs facing visa processing delays, unfair detention, and/or funding instability.
International postdocs are fundamental parts of many of our workplaces, and they deserve to feel protected and valued for their contributions to UW. What international postdoc protections matter most to you and your colleagues? As we prepare for bargaining this summer, it is vital that your priorities are reflected in the next contract. Take 10 minutes to fill out the postdoc bargaining survey, and help shape the fight for our next contract.
Postdocs are bargaining for a new contract in 2026, and there’s lots of work to do. Winning greater protections and benefits for all international postdocs 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? 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.
In Solidarity,
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