11th, 12th, and 13th Bargaining Sessions: Another TA and agreement on a new Expense Reimbursement Policy

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We held our 11th, 12th, and 13th bargaining sessions with the University on August 1st, 6th, and 8th (respectively). These were busy and productive sessions, during which we exchanged proposals on almost every article currently on the table (as well as introducing a new one), which you can read on our online Bargaining Tracker and at the end of this email. The updates for each session are below:

Friday, August 1st and 8th: 11th and 13th bargaining sessions:

The past two weeks saw a number of bargaining sessions over status quo operations and policies, this time on a proposed update to the University’s Travel and Business Expense Reimbursement Policy. Most of the proposed revisions are minor, but one substantive update pertains to burdensome travel expenses (especially flights and conference registration). In the past, the University offered travel advances directly from the University’s funds, though they were very rarely used. The University proposed that it will no longer offer these advances, and instead recommends that conference and air travel expense purchases can be made using the HOL’s corporate card when available. This keeps postdocs and research associates from needing to spend hundreds or thousands of their own dollars to present their work at conferences, for example, when they would need to wait months for reimbursement. Reimbursements will still be allowed and supported, which is currently the most common method of financing the business-related travel of Unit Members.

On August 11th, we reached a formal agreement through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) available on the Bargaining Tracker, where you may also read the new policy now in effect.

Wednesday, August 6th: 12th bargaining session:

The 12th bargaining session saw the exchange of 16 proposals, including one Tentative Agreement (TA) on the Job Postings article. This brings us up to five TAs, a number we hope will soon increase rapidly now that both Parties are presenting counterproposals and discussing our areas of disagreement at every session. The University presented counters on International Researcher Rights, Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments, Discipline and Dismissal, Union Rights and Access, Union Security, and Grievance and Arbitration. The Union presented counterproposals on Employment Records, Health and Safety, Intellectual Property, Training, Professional Development, Workload, Travel, and Workspace and Materials, as well as introducing a new article, Research Integrity.

In short, the University made some small concessions towards the Union’s position on many articles, but there are still large gaps that need to be closed in order to meet the best standards set by postdoc union contracts in NYC and ensure that Rockefeller continues to lead. For example, the timelines the University proposes in Grievance and Arbitration (see pages 21-26) would leave Unit Members languishing with unresolved grievances for months. And the three-month period of notice of non-reappointment in Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments (see pages 5-11) is actually a proposal to make our current working conditions worse since we currently receive six months’ notice! We proposed these articles to create protections for Unit Members and make Rockefeller a better place for us to work; we hope that the University administration soon comes to realize that a strong contract will create a better research environment for both us and them.

Our counterproposals focused on expanding the rights and protections of Unit Members beyond the existing policies. For example, the Health and Safety proposal reasserted the need for pregnant Unit Members to receive information about risks and hazards to their unborn child/children and proposed the formation of a committee to discuss ongoing health risks on campus. The new Research Integrity article ensures that Unit Members cannot be retaliated against for adhering to the fundamental principles of scientific practice. Professional Development asserts rights to developing skills and training that will be of use to Unit Members even after they’ve left the University. The Workspace and Materials article is nearing a tentative agreement, with the latest exchange focusing on Unit Members’ right to receive from the University all workspace and materials necessary for Unit Members to perform their assigned duties, with no exceptions. The University assigns us our duties, so in the event they are unable to provide something that we need to perform them, they have the ability to reassign our duties. To read more about these proposals and all others from the 12th Bargaining Session, consult the tracker, email us at info@rockefellerpostdocunion.org, or reach out to any member of the Bargaining Committee.

As always, our power at the table is a direct reflection of your support. The last several bargaining sessions have seen the rapid exchange of many articles. But we rely on constant demonstrations of support from the Union membership to maintain pressure — observe a session, join an action, and keep talking to your colleagues about the bargaining process. Our next in-person session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 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, as well as all previous proposals, using our online bargaining tracker.

In solidarity,

Stephen Thornquist
On behalf of the UPROR-UAW Bargaining Committee

UPROR-UAW Proposals:

Employment Records

Health and Safety

Intellectual Property

Professional Development

Research Integrity

Training

Travel

Workload