Above: Postdocs and Research Associates delivered a letter urging Rockefeller to remain neutral and agree to a fair and efficient process.
Yesterday, we delivered an Open Letter to President Lifton and Dean Stearns, signed by researchers in labs where the majority of us work at Rockefeller. In our letter, we informed the administration that more than 80% of postdoctoral researchers have signed up in support of forming our union. We also urged the administration to remain neutral and let us know their availability to meet with us by next Monday, August 12 so we can discuss a fair and efficient process for moving toward bargaining. Click here to read the Letter.
The next step is for us to file with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an official election where we can vote on forming our union. It is possible that Rockefeller will try to persuade postdocs to vote “no” in this election, as the administrations did at Columbia, Mount Sinai, and, just this past May, at Albert Einstein Medical College. Conversely, the Weill Cornell administration chose to remain neutral and worked collaboratively with postdocs on an agreement for a fair union election last year.
Despite these efforts, our colleagues at other NYC institutions voted overwhelmingly to unionize. Researchers at Columbia and Sinai have negotiated significant improvements, including the highest minimum salaries for postdocs in the country, while those at WCM and Einstein are working towards first union contracts. If you experience any such efforts at Rockefeller, please don’t hesitate to let us know at info@rockefellerpostdocunion.org so that we can discuss the best way to respond.
We will make sure to keep everyone updated on Rockefeller’s response as we move forward. Let us know if you have any questions or thoughts.
In solidarity,
Calvin Leonen
UPROR-UAW Organizing Committee