Our election to formally establish our union, UPROR-UAW, is coming up on September 18th and 19th in Welch Hall-Great Hall (9 am – 1 pm and 3 pm – 7 pm). To hear from fellow Rockefeller postdocs about why we are organizing, as well as colleagues who have unionized recently at other institutions, join us at our Town Hall tomorrow (Thursday) at the Carson Family Auditorium at 12pm.
On Monday, we received a second email from the Rockefeller administration about our unionization campaign, this time focused on current benefits. Disappointingly, this and the previous message, sent on 8/26, include a number of misleading points that seem intended to discourage postdocs from voting “yes” in our election. We hope this email can help to clarify some of the messages from the administration that may have been confusing to postdocs and faculty.
Organizing by researchers across the country has helped improve the postdoc experience, including our own pay and benefits. Salaries at Rockefeller have recently improved partly in response to the nation-wide movement of postdocs unionizing and increasing standards for compensation at many institutions. This is true across NYC, where conditions have improved dramatically across institutions since postdocs at Columbia won their first contract in 2020, and most recently at Sinai in 2023. (see timeline highlights below).
Voting “yes” is a way to make sure conditions continue to improve at Rockefeller and at peer institutions, and protect what we already have in a binding contract. Without a union, Rockefeller can alter our benefits unilaterally. We saw this recently with the CFC, when the administration made changes without notice that disrupted relationships between staff and parents and our children. Where current benefits are adequate, unionizing would allow us to protect them, because Rockefeller would have to negotiate any changes with us. We decide what to prioritize in bargaining, and our contract only goes into effect once we vote to approve it.
There is more we can win with a union, including new rights that would make Rockefeller more equitable and inclusive. If you think we deserve better in areas like family benefits, support for international workers, equity for fellows, or protection against unfair termination, harassment, and bullying, unionizing would allow us to bargain for those goals. Like other unionized postdocs, we could also negotiate for a neutral grievance procedure to enforce our rights, with clear timelines and the ability to take issues to a third-party arbitrator, outside Rockefeller, for a final decision. Check out how other academic workers have used the grievance process to address workplace discrimination.
It is important to stay informed and vote – the more of us who participate, the stronger the mandate we will have to seek improvements in bargaining. So spread the word, come to vote, and bring your colleagues. Let’s work together for a better postdoc experience at Rockefeller!
In solidarity,
Jorge Almagro,
UPROR-UAW Organizing Committee
Highlights of recent salary increases:
June 2020 – Columbia postdocs negotiate $60,000 minimum, highest in the city at that time.
July 2021 – Rockefeller increases minimum salary to $60,250.
December 2023 – Sinai postdocs $72,500 minimum, the highest in the country for postdocs.
July 2024 – Minimum salary for Sinai postdocs increases to $73,500, per union contract.