The University still has not meaningfully engaged with our remaining demands! But we won’t back down.

On Wednesday, July 22nd, and Monday, July 27th, we held our 32nd and 33rd bargaining sessions with the University.

On July 22nd, we met over Zoom in a smaller group to discuss Intellectual Property (07/22/2026) and Research Integrity (07/22/2026). The University presented their counterproposals on both articles, and we asked clarifying questions to better understand their positions. Overall, a productive discussion that moved both articles forward, even though we haven’t reached an agreement yet.

On July 27th, we presented our counterproposals for Grievance and Arbitration; Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation; Intellectual Property (07/27/2026); Research Integrity (07/27/2026); and all of our economic articles (linked below).

This was the first bargaining session since Unit Members representing a supermajority of labs in our Union delivered a letter to President Rick Lifton, stating that if the University isn’t responsive to our demands, they will urge the Bargaining Committee to call for a strike authorization vote (SAV) — the first step towards setting a strike deadline. This is not a decision that will be made carelessly, but if the University continues to demonstrate as little willingness to bargain over our demands as they have shown so far, we agree that this may be a necessary step to demonstrate their importance to all of us.

During the session, we presented each of our proposals with detailed explanations of what community needs they address. While the University initially rejected our rationales out of hand and accused us of being slow and not bargaining in good faith, as the session went on, the University did appear more open to engaging with our articles, asking questions about several and agreeing to study the others.

That said, several issues remain unresolved, and we won’t know what the University’s counterproposals will look like until our session on August 27th.

On Compensation specifically, the University was direct: they will not even engage with our demands, not because Rockefeller cannot afford it, but because they don’t believe it’s “appropriate.” Let that sink in. This is not a question of resources; it is a question of what the University believes Postdocs and Research Associates deserve for their research labor.

The participation of our entire postdoctoral community will determine the strength of our contract — show the University that we will not back down by observing a session and joining our actions. Our next in-person session is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 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 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,

Deniz Abdüsselamoğlu

On behalf of the UPROR-UAW Bargaining Committee,

UPROR-UAW Proposals:

Childcare (07/27/2026)

Compensation (07/27/2026)

Grievance and Arbitration (07/27/2026)

Hardship Fund (07/27/2026)

Holidays (07/27/2026)

Housing (07/27/2026)