We write with several updates on our negotiations with UConn.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the interest arbitration vote. A majority of our members voted to authorize the Bargaining Committee to invoke arbitration, if necessary, to win a fair contract.
We are also happy to report we have now reached tentative agreements on a total of ten contract articles (see list below). Yet, we continue to face major intransigence from the administration on core issues, such as wages, health insurance costs, retirement, childcare, international Postdoc rights, and protections against discrimination and harassment.
Despite nationwide attention to the prevalence of discrimination and harassment in the workplace, including in academia, the administration outrageously continues to reject our proposal that grants Postdocs adequate protections against and recourse in cases of harassment and discrimination; and they have repeatedly rejected our proposal that Postdocs be given the same rights as UConn Graduate Assistants with respect to this important issue. Having recently celebrated International Women’s Day, this opinion piece by a member of our Bargaining Committee expresses why it is vital for the administration to ensure gender equity at UConn, including for Postdocs.
Just as we call on the administration to better support Postdocs, we believe it is also necessary for all members of the UConn community to work together to further the university’s mission. To that end, we have joined with other unions at UConn to voice support for state funding for UConn as Connecticut state legislators prepare to vote on a budget. You can read the joint statement of support from UConn unions here.
Going forward, we have an intensive bargaining schedule planned for late March and into April. We are determined as ever to reach agreement with the administration on a strong and fair contract by April 15th, the mutually agreed upon date. As we move forward in our negotiations, we greatly appreciate all your support in urging the administration to acknowledge the value of the work that Postdocs perform everyday to further the university’s mission.
Click here to get involved in our fight for a fair contract
Tentative Agreements as of March 5, 2019
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- Recognition
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employment Files
- Health and Safety
- Travel
- Training and Orientation
- Severability
- Union Security
- Union Management Committee
- Workspace and Materials
In Solidarity,
UConn Postdoc Union, UAW Local 6950 Bargaining Committee
Christina Baer, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Kirsten Grond, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Artemis Louyakis, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
James Mickley, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Neranjan Perera, Institute for Systems Genomics