HUNDREDS OF UW RESEARCHERS AND POSTDOCS TO HOLD MASS ACTION, DISCUSS POSSIBLE STRIKE
This is the latest mass action by University of Washington Research Scientists/Engineers and Postdoctoral Researchers who are fighting for fair contracts
Seattle, WA – The nearly 2,400 Research Scientists/Engineers (RSEs) and Postdocs at the University of Washington are escalating their contract campaigns again, with hundreds turning out for a mass action on Thursday to discuss the status of negotiations and for each unit to decide whether and when to strike. RSEs and Postdocs have been bargaining with UW administration for months and have yet to reach agreement on successor or initial contracts, due to UW administration breaking the law in bargaining. Press is welcome to attend.
“We don’t want to strike but if UW leaves us with no choice, we have to stand up for ourselves and our colleagues. UW needs to stop bargaining in bad faith and stop evading the law, and agree to fair contracts that respect us and the incredibly important contributions we make to research and science,” said Abby Gambrill, Research Scientist, Physiology & Biophysics.
“UW Postdocs are simply asking for what other Washington state employees and many Postdocs at leading institutions are already getting—like childcare support and fair wages which enable us to focus on advancing science and staying in the research careers we love at UW,” said Luci Baker, Postdoctoral Scholar in Mechanical Engineering.
“As one of the 6,000 Academic Student Employees at the University of Washington, I am signing the pledge to respect the picket line. UW needs to know that an injury to one is an injury to all. I stand in solidarity with Postdocs and RSEs as they fight for fair contracts, and raise the bar for all workers here at UW,” said Anastasia Schaadhardt, Academic Student Employee in the Information School.
WHAT: A mass action to discuss the status of Postdoc and RSE bargaining, and each unit will decide whether to strike and when.
WHEN: Thursday, May 25 at 12pm
WHERE: Drumheller Fountain [google maps]
WHO: UW Research Scientists/Engineers, Postdocs, and community supporters.
UW RSEs and Postdocs often work closely together, and—along with their other unionized colleagues, Academic Student Employees—are key to powering the University’s research operation, which brings over $1 billion per year in research grants and contracts. These groups are escalating their contract campaigns to draw attention to the University’s unlawful behavior that has delayed negotiations and created obstacles to reaching agreement. In particular, the Unfair Labor Practices hinge on the University’s efforts to evade the state law governing overtime and wage standards for salaried employees.
This mass action comes on the heels of several other escalations. On May 11, Postdocs and RSEs packed a UW Board of Regents meeting; during the public comment period they implored the Regents to use their power to urge UW Administration to reach agreement with their units. On April 24, hundreds of Postdocs and RSEs rallied at the main campus, and again on May 1 at South Lake Union campus, in support of fair contracts. It also comes in the wake of successful strike authorization votes by both units. Of the members voting, a resounding 96.3% of Postdocs voted yes to authorize their bargaining team to call a strike if necessary; and 91.7% of RSEs voting voted yes. On April 19, they received strike sanction from MLK Labor Council and the Joint Council of Teamsters 28.
RSEs won their union election in June, 2022 and have been in negotiations with UW for their first-ever contract since August. Postdocs began in October 2022; their collective bargaining agreement expired on January 31, 2023.
Postdocs and RSEs are part of UAW 4121, the union of just shy of 1,500 staff researchers, 900 Postdocs, and over 6,000 Academic Student Employees at UW. Academic Student Employees at UW last held a strike in 2018. The UAW represents 100,000 higher education workers across the US, including more academic student employees and more postdoctoral scholars than any other union.
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