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On Friday, December 5th, we held our 19th bargaining session with the University. In this session, the balance of proposals was shifted heavily to the University’s side. While we brought forward three counterproposals—Health and Safety, Employment Records and Professional Development—the University presented counterproposals on a package of nine articles: Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments, Discipline and Dismissal, Grievance and Arbitration, International Researcher Rights, Management and Academic Rights, No Strike – No Lockout, Union Rights and Access and Union Security. The University also countered our proposal on Employment Records in the same session. Regrettably, they continue to withhold the core articles Intellectual Property and Prohibition Against Discrimination and Harassment, neither of which have crossed the table in months.
Across both this session and the previous, our bargaining team has continued to make substantial, good-faith movements on every article we presented—narrowing differences, clarifying language, and adjusting positions to move us closer to fair, comprehensive agreements. And when we did not adjust our position on specific demands, it was based on the many conversations we have had with those who will be affected by those demands. Each of our counters aimed to close gaps and show clear willingness to resolve outstanding issues.
Unfortunately, the University did not always reciprocate this effort in their own proposals. Thus, across multiple articles, their counters repeated previous positions—without meaningful improvement—even after we had already made substantial adjustments on our end. For Grievance and Arbitration, the University repeated the same deeply problematic proposal we raised concerns about last session, which would impose excessively long timelines and delay our ability to bring complaints to neutral arbitrator, as well as make the grievance process the sole, exclusive, and final avenue for addressing violations. This appears intended to limit our ability to exercise our current rights under the law. Similarly, in response to our request that Unit Members be informed of their legal rights during disciplinary processes, the latest Discipline and Dismissal proposal appears to limit rights to union representation only to HR meetings, rather than any potential disciplinary setting (which is our right under the law). In Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments, the University continues to insist on one-year appointments as the default, even when the researcher brings their own multi-year funding. They also persist in attempting to roll back the status quo on nonrenewal notice, which would leave postdocs with less security than they currently have. In International Researcher Rights, the University declined to include meaningful support for visa-related issues. Their proposal still lacks commitments on financial support for visa-related expenses, timely processing of documentation, or structured assistance when delays or complications arise. This is especially concerning given how essential international researchers are to the University’s scientific mission, making up the majority of UPROR-UAW. And they refuse to offer basic information needed to maintain functional Union operations – for example, ensuring that labs do not discriminate on the basis of immigration status, gender, or nationality – that we requested in our Union Rights and Access article.
We will continue to approach each session with the goal of reaching a strong, equitable first contract that reflects the priorities postdocs have consistently raised. But it is essential to recognize that meaningful progress requires both sides to engage constructively. While we have demonstrated real movement on every article received, the University must respond in kind and stop bringing back proposals that weaken standards or reduce existing rights.
As always, the more of us actively participating in our campaign, the more power we have at the table. Let’s keep that momentum going—observe a session, join an action, and help us keep the pressure on. Our next in-person session is scheduled for Friday, December 19, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET. Click here to RSVP if you’d like to attend this or a future session and see the process firsthand!
You can access the full text of these proposals using our online bargaining tracker.
Have questions or feedback? Don’t hesitate to reply to this email — your input strengthens our collective power.
In solidarity,
On behalf of the UPROR-UAW Bargaining Committee,
Merve Deniz Abdüsselamoğlu
UPROR-UAW Proposals:
University Proposals:
Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments (see pages 4-8)
Discipline and Dismissal (see pages 14-15)
Grievance and Arbitration (see pages 15-20)
International Researcher Rights (see pages 1-4)
Management and Academic Rights (see pages 22-25)
No Strike – No Lockout (see pages 20-22)