On Friday, November 14th, we held our 18th bargaining session with the University.
We have seen real movement at the bargaining table in the past few sessions as both sides work to resolve key differences and identify areas of alignment. Last week, this resulted in a Tentative Agreement on Workload, which ensures that our work schedules will be reasonable and related to the research needs of the project, with the emphasis placed on meeting the responsibilities assigned to the position, making progress toward research and/or professional goals, and demonstrating research and creative capabilities, rather than on working a specified number of hours. Additionally, we reached two (Tentative) Tentative Agreements on Training and Workspace and Materials after we made a statement on the record regarding our position on a related management right. For now, we won’t sign Tentative Agreements for these articles until the University receives our written counterproposal on Management Rights at a later date.
We presented six other proposals: Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments; Discipline and Dismissal; Grievance and Arbitration; International Researcher Rights; Union Rights and Access; and Union Security.
In turn, the University presented Employment Records, Health and Safety, and Professional Development.
In the interest of reaching a complete agreement on the grievance and arbitration procedure, we have continued to make meaningful movement on Grievance and Arbitration that is responsive to the University’s position, including on the timelines and the powers of the arbitrator. But the University continues to propose timelines to resolve violations of the contract that are unacceptably long — far longer than those established in the postdoc contracts at Mount Sinai and Weill Cornell Medicine. Similarly, in an effort to weaken our rights as individuals and as a Union, the University continues to push for a dangerous provision to make Grievance and Arbitration the “sole, exclusive, and final process” for resolving all complaints arising from “or related to” alleged violations of the contract. This would mean giving up our right to decide which potential remedies afforded to us under the law and the contract we would like to pursue (e.g., waiving our right to go to court, outside of the Union grievance procedure, when applicable, including for violations such as harassment). We have firmly rejected this section and will continue to reject it if the University reasserts this position. We moved closer to agreement on Employment Records, where the main open questions relate to how easily Unit Members may access the records or correct mistakes. We significantly narrowed differences on International Researcher Rights, but we continue to assert that the University should provide Unit Members with financial support for visa-related expenses and support Unit Members through their visa/work authorizations, especially when there are delays.
In Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments and Discipline and Dismissal, we agreed upon the standard protection against unfair discipline or dismissal, which is “just cause,” but the core fights over job security and the length of appointments are still on the table. Finally, the University presented its existing health and safety practices as a prelude to a new Health and Safety counterproposal, with a presentation by Amy Wilkerson. This presentation was extremely helpful, providing a detailed understanding of which health and safety protections the University is currently equipped to provide. We will refer to this presentation as we refine our positions within this article.
You can access the full text of these proposals using our online bargaining tracker.
The fight for fair and transparent working conditions continues, and your voice matters. We urge you to stay engaged, share your experiences, and stand with us as we push for the rights every Postdoc and RA deserves.
Our next in-person session is scheduled for Friday, December 05, 2025, from 11:00 AM 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!
Have questions or feedback? Don’t hesitate to reply to this email — your input strengthens our collective power.
In solidarity,
Joanna Krzyśpiak
On behalf of the UPROR-UAW Bargaining Committee
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UPROR-UAW Proposals:
Appointment Security: Appointments and Reappointments
International Researcher Rights
University Proposals:
Tentative Agreement (10/31/2025):
(Tentative) Tentative Agreements: