We proposed a lot of articles last week, so this is a bit of a long email! If you want a more informal discussion of the proceedings, please come by the next UPROR happy hour – date and time TBA or reach out at info@rockefellerpostdocunion.org
On April 30th, we held our fourth bargaining session with the University. This was a packed day: we presented four counterproposals for previously discussed articles and twelve proposals for new articles. The University passed two counterproposals to us to review further. We also reached two new Tentative Agreements (TAs)! As a reminder, a TA reflects the mutual understanding that the language of an article is acceptable final contract language to both Parties, subject to ratification by the membership.
It is typical in union contract bargaining to start with non-economic articles and reach many TAs before progressing to benefits and compensation. With this set of proposals, we have initiated discussion on the majority of our expected non-economic articles and anticipate spending the next several bargaining sessions reaching agreements on them. Summaries of each of the proposals and counterproposals discussed are below. As always, you can review the bargaining tracker for a history of our bargaining process with links to all proposals.
Tentative Agreements
We reached Tentative Agreements with the University on two more articles — Preamble and Recognition.
Preamble: This provision establishes shorthand to be used throughout the contract: the “University” for The Rockefeller University; the “Union” for the International Union, UAW, and its Local Union, UPROR-UAW; the “Parties” for both the University and the Union; and the “Agreement” for our eventual Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Recognition: This article establishes recognition of UPROR-UAW as our union using the bargaining unit definition from our Fall 2024 NLRB certification. It also introduces the term Unit Member, referring to any Postdoctoral Associate, Postdoctoral Fellow, or Research Associate.
Union Counterproposals
Union-Management Committee: This article describes the number of members and the role of the Union-Management Committee, which meets regularly to administer the eventual Agreement and ensure that the terms of the Agreement are being implemented smoothly. We responded to the University’s concerns about regular attendance by providing flexibility in the number of meeting attendees, rather than demanding a fixed number. In exchange, we hoped this would provide the flexibility needed to meet every month for the first year of the contract, when we expect that contract administration will require the most attention. The University responded to our proposal after their caucus, which you can read in the section below.
Grievance and Arbitration: Grievance and Arbitration outlines the process for addressing and remedying allegations that the University violated the contract. At the last bargaining session, the administration proposed a grievance procedure that could have taken more than half a year to reach a final binding decision on a grievance because of long intervals between each step. Long timelines do not benefit either Party, as they do not properly center the urgent need to resolve disagreements related to our contractual rights in an efficient manner. We proposed an enforceable timeline on par with what other unionized postdocs in NYC have won to ensure that issues are resolved quickly.
University Counterproposals
Union-Management Committee (UMC): The University turned around a second proposal for the UMC in the same session, making progress toward monthly meetings (with exceptions for July, August, and December) and a clearer Section 3, circumscribing the role of the UMC in contract interpretation. With this movement, both the University and the Union have come much closer together on terms, and we’re confident that we will soon achieve another TA.
Workspace and Materials: This article aims to ensure that all Unit Members have the necessary workspace, materials, facilities, equipment, and resources to carry out our work without unnecessary distractions that detract from our research. The University responded with a counterproposal that offers “reasonable access” and less explicit time commitments for providing access and reimbursement.
New Union Proposals
Appointment Security: This article ensures that once the University has appointed a Unit Member, they guarantee the position and conditions for their entire appointment length.
Appointments and Reappointments: This proposal would establish minimum academic appointment lengths, timelines, and content for appointment-related documents like offer letters. It would additionally ensure that Postdoctoral Associates and Fellows who wish to transition to the Research Associate position are able to do so as soon as possible.
Discipline and Dismissal: This proposal would ensure that Unit Members may only be disciplined or dismissed for just cause, and allows Unit Members who the University intends to dismiss or discipline a hearing to make sure the discipline is fair.
Employment Records: This article establishes consistent rules for the maintenance and access of employment records by Unit Members, ensures that those records remain confidential, and that records of warnings or discipline are only maintained for as long as they remain relevant to current employment.
Health and Safety: The purpose of this article is to ensure that all Unit Members have a safe and healthy workspace and an appropriate environment conducive to productivity.
Intellectual Property: This proposal affirms Unit Members’ rights to the intellectual property they help create during their time at the University and introduces safeguards against authorship disputes and scientific misconduct by protecting whistleblowers from retaliation. By addressing common issues related to intellectual property, this article supports Unit Members in advancing their own scientific goals while furthering the University’s mission of conducting transformative research.
International Researcher Rights: The aim of this article is to establish clear, enforceable rights and protections for international researchers in order to promote equity, reduce unnecessary burdens, and ensure a supportive, welcoming, and stable environment for all, regardless of immigration status. It addresses systemic barriers international researchers face, particularly around visa processes, legal support, financial burdens, and institutional accountability, with the ultimate goal of making the University a more inclusive and equitable place to work and conduct research.
Professional Development: This article ensures that the University prioritizes and supports our continued professional development by increasing and equalizing access for Unit Members to University resources, including establishing an optional IDP program and providing travel funds for all Unit Members.
Successorship: This article safeguards our union rights in the event that the University undergoes a change in ownership. It asserts that our hard-won, democratically ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement will continue to be in effect even in this scenario.
Union Rights and Access: This article seeks to strengthen the ability of our Union to engage in effective representation through standard provisions for providing information, communication, and access to areas where Unit Members work.
Union Security: This article ensures that Unit Members contribute equally to the cost of representation. Membership dues and fees are essential for making a Union work: they pay for us to carry out our representational duties and enforce our contract, including staff support, legal assistance, and other support such as the Immigration Hotline whose information was dispersed a few weeks ago, and appealing to Congress in our interests (such as to expand the H-1B visa program and to oppose the Trump administration’s attempts to cut NIH and NSF funding).
Workload: The Workload article aims to protect Unit Members against unreasonable workloads and ensures that schedules are the product of an agreement between the HOL and the Unit Member and are related to the research needs. This article also outlines the circumstances in which a Unit Member could be given a less-than-full-time appointment.
In solidarity,
UPROR-UAW Bargaining Committee