Postdoctoral researcher unionization

Last updated

Postdoctoral researcher unionization is the formation of labor unions by postdoctoral researchers (postdocs). It has been driven by increasing competition for scarce tenure-track faculty positions, leading to more people residing in postdoctoral positions for a longer time. Unions often challenge the low pay, minimal benefits, and lack of job security that are typical of postdoctoral positions. [1] Unionizing is however sometimes seen as creating a culture clash of tension between postdocs and their academic advisors, and some question the suitability of a union for a temporary position. Some universities seek to avoid pushes for unionization by proactively addressing the concerns of postdoctoral researchers. [2]

Contents

Postdoctoral unions exist only at a few universities. They have often been formed with the help of other unions at the same institution; for example, before the University of Massachusetts Amherst union was formed, postdoctoral researchers were the only class of employees not already part of a union. [2] The National Postdoctoral Association, which is a professional association rather than a labor union, is officially neutral on the issue of postdoctoral unionization. [3] The Boston Postdoctoral Association, the largest 501c(6) postdoctoral organization and largest regional organization, has not publicly declared a position on postdoctoral organization. [4]


History

The first stand-alone postdoctoral researcher union was UAW Local 5810 at the University of California system. [1] As of 2010 it represented about 6,400 postdoctoral researchers, [2] which was estimated to be about 10% of the United States total, [5] and is the largest postdoctoral researcher union in North America. [6] Efforts to form this union had begun in the early 2000s, and it was officially formed in 2008. [7] Its first contract was ratified in August 2010. This led to establishing a minimum salary with annual increases, the availability of insurance benefits, guaranteed vacation time, paid maternity leave, and just cause protections for discipline or dismissal. [1] [8]

Postdocs at Rutgers University unionized in July 2009. [2] In 2010, a postdoctoral union at the University of Massachusetts Amherst was formed, and in 2012 it ratified a contract providing for salary and benefits, the first of its kind in the University of Massachusetts system. [7] Postdoctoral unions also exist at the University of Connecticut Health Center and the University of Alaska in the United States, and at McMaster University, the University of Western Ontario, and the Université Laval in Canada. [6] In 2018, the 1,100 postdocs at the University of Washington voted to unionize, becoming the second-largest postdoc union in the United States. [9] Also in 2018, postdocs at Columbia University formed the first certified postdoctoral union at a private university in the United States after successfully petitioning the NLRB, [10] and the postdocs at the University of Connecticut formed a union. [11] [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Auto Workers</span> American labor union

The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States and southern Ontario, Canada. It was founded as part of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in the 1930s and grew rapidly from 1936 to the 1950s. The union played a major role in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party under the leadership of Walter Reuther. It was known for gaining high wages and pensions for auto workers, but it was unable to unionize auto plants built by foreign-based car makers in the South after the 1970s, and it went into a steady decline in membership; reasons for this included increased automation, decreased use of labor, movements of manufacturing, and increased globalization.

A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies. Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary academic appointment, sometimes in preparation for an academic faculty position. According to data from the US National science foundation. The number of holders of PhD in Biological sciences who end up in tenure track has consistently dropped in the last decades from over 50% in the 1970s to contemporary levels of 20% [direct reference needed]. They continue their studies or carry out research and further increase expertise in a specialist subject, including integrating a team and acquiring novel skills and research methods. Postdoctoral research is often considered essential while advancing the scholarly mission of the host institution; it is expected to produce relevant publications in peer-reviewed academic journals or conferences. In some countries, postdoctoral research may lead to further formal qualifications or certification, while in other countries, it does not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foxwoods Resort Casino</span> Hotel and casino complex

Foxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel and casino complex owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on their reservation located in Ledyard, Connecticut. Including six casinos, the resort covers an area of 9,000,000 sq ft (840,000 m2). The casinos have more than 250 gaming tables for blackjack, craps, roulette, and poker, and have more than 5,500 slot machines. The casinos also have several restaurants, among them a Hard Rock Cafe. It has been developed since changes in state and federal laws in the late 20th century enabled Native American gaming on the sovereign reservations of federally recognized tribes.

The Graduate Student Organizing Committee (GSOC) is a labor union representing graduate teaching and research assistants at New York University (NYU).

Graduate student employee unionization, or academic student employee unionization, refers to labor unions that represent students who are employed by their college or university to teach classes, conduct research and perform clerical duties. As of 2014, there were at least 33 US graduate employee unions, 18 unrecognized unions in the United States, and 23 graduate employee unions in Canada. By 2019, it is estimated that there were 83,050 unionized student employees in certified bargaining units in the United States. As of 2023, there were at least 156 US graduate student employee unions and 23 graduate student employee unions in Canada.

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 educational organization in the United States that is dedicated to enhancing the quality of the postdoctoral experience for all participants. Since its founding in 2003, more than 200 institutions have adopted portions of the NPA's Recommended Postdoctoral Policies and Practices. Today, the NPA has 240 organizational members, whose research efforts are supported by 70,000 postdocs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals</span> Labor union in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) is a labor union in Pennsylvania that represents about 8,300 nurses and allied health professionals.

The 2007 General Motors Strike was a labor union strike that lasted three days from September 23 to September 25 of 2007 organized by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. The UAW were engaged in talks with General Motors (GM) to negotiate a new labor contract but were unable to come to an agreement before the deadline. Consequently, 73,000 workers walked out forcing 80 GM facilities in 30 states to cease operations. After the two day strike, the two parties reached an agreement in which the UAW union would assume the responsibility for managing retiree healthcare liabilities. The UAW previously went on strike against General Motors in 1970. 

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob King (labor leader)</span> Trade union leader

Robert Thompson King is an American lawyer and labor union activist and leader. He was elected President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) on June 15, 2010. His term of office ended in June 2014, and King announced his retirement, being succeeded by Dennis Williams as head of the UAW.

Graduate Employees Together – University of Pennsylvania (GET-UP) is a group of graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania that is trying to become recognized as a union. The group, first formed in the spring of 2001, and affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). In 2004, according to exit polling by The Daily Pennsylvanian, the limited set of University of Pennsylvania graduate student employees included in the bargaining unit voted for unionization; however, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), before the votes were counted, decided that graduate students in private universities are not employees, while graduate students in public universities may be employees. The group began to re-form in 2016, and re-affiliated with AFT in October 2016. On March 2, 2017 the group once again decided to go public with their unionization campaign. The group has not been recognized by the University as a union for the purposes of collective bargaining.

UAW Local 5810 is the labor union representing postdoctoral researchers and academic researchers at the University of California. It is an affiliate of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) or AFL–CIO. UAW Local 5810 was chartered in 2008. The stand-alone postdoctoral scholar contract and academic researcher contract negotiated between UC and UAW are notable for being the first of their kind in the United States, respectively.

Colectivo Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Until July 2013, the company was known as Alterra Coffee Roasters. Colectivo roasts its coffee and makes all its food products in Milwaukee and is known nationwide as a wholesale coffee supplier.

Alan Michael Garber is an American physician, health economist, and academic administrator. He is the Provost of Harvard University.

The Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU), officially known as Harvard Graduate Students Union United Auto Workers (HGSU-UAW), is a labor union representing graduate students, teaching assistants, and other student employees at Harvard University. The bargaining unit comprises about 5,000 student employees, including graduate students working as research assistants and teaching fellows as well as several hundred undergraduate students holding teaching positions. Contract negotiations with the university are scheduled to begin in Fall 2018. HGSU is affiliated with the United Auto Workers labor union, whose 400,000 members include 45,000 graduate students and 30,000 academic workers.

The 2021–2022 Columbia University strike was a labor strike involving graduate student workers at Columbia University in New York City. The strike began on March 15, 2021, and ended on May 13, 2021. However, additional strike action commenced on November 3 and lasted until January 7, 2022, when a tentative agreement with the university was reached. The strike was organized by the Graduate Workers of Columbia–United Auto Workers Local 2110 (SWC–UAW), a labor union representing student workers at the university. The goals of the strike were an increase in wages, increased healthcare and childcare coverage, and third-party arbitration in cases of discrimination and sexual harassment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple and unions</span> Apple Inc. related worker organizations and unions

Apple Inc. workers around the globe have been involved in organizing since the 1990s. Apple worker organizations have been made up of retail, corporate, and outsourced workers. Employees have joined trade unions and formed works councils in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starbucks unions</span> Unionization efforts at the multinational coffee shop chain

As of June 2023, over 8,000 workers at over 331 Starbucks stores in at least 40 states in the United States have voted to unionize, primarily with Workers United. As of March 2023 none have yet enacted a collective bargaining agreement. This unionization effort started at a store in Buffalo, New York. About a third of Starbucks' Chilean workforce is already unionized, as well as 450 workers in New Zealand and one store in Canada. The longest Starbucks strike lasted 64 days, took place in Brookline, Massachusetts in September 2022 and resulted in the unionization of the employees at that location.

Tesla, Inc. is an American electric car manufacturer which as of January 2023 employs over 127,000 workers across its global operations, none of which are unionized. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has commented negatively on trade unions in relation to Tesla. Despite allegations of high injury rates, long hours, and below-industry pay, efforts to unionize the workforce have been largely unsuccessful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 University of California academic workers' strike</span> Strike in California, United States

The 2022 University of California academic workers' strike was a labor strike at all campuses of the University of California (UC) system, including the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. On November 14, some 48,000 academic workers went on strike for better pay and benefits. Led by the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union, it was the largest strike in the United States in 2022; union organizers describe it as the largest strike in all of U.S. higher education.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cain, Benjamin; Budke, Jessica M.; Wood, Kelsey J.; Sweeney, Neal T.; Schwessinger, Benjamin (2014-11-21). "How postdocs benefit from building a union". eLife. 3: e05614. doi: 10.7554/eLife.05614 . ISSN   2050-084X. PMC   4238050 . PMID   25415240.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gewin, Virginia (2010-10-06). "The spread of postdoc unions". Nature. 467 (7316): 739–741. doi: 10.1038/nj7316-739a . PMID   20930810.
  3. ↑ "Unionization". National Postdoctoral Association. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  4. ↑ "Boston Postdoctoral Association Advocacy site".
  5. ↑ Benderly, Beryl Lieff (2010-09-03). "The New California Postdoc Contract". Science Careers. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  6. 1 2 "FAQ". UAW Local 5810. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  7. 1 2 Carmichael, Mary (2012-03-23). "UMass Amherst postdoctoral union ratifies contract, setting precedent for other campuses – The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  8. ↑ "UC postdocs ratify contract". UC Health. 2010-08-12. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
  9. ↑ "U of Washington Postdocs Form Union". Inside Higher Ed. 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  10. ↑ "Columbia University Postdocs form union with UAW, petition NLRB for election; first private university postdoc effort expands growing academic union movement | Columbia Postdoctoral Workers". Columbia Postdoctoral Workers. 2018-08-10. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  11. ↑ "Our union is certified, join us for lunch to discuss next steps! – UConn Postdoc Union". UConn Postdoc Union. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  12. ↑ Firestone, Michelle (2019-04-26). "UConn postdocs seek new contract". The Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.