UC Postdocs Negotiate for Better Benefits, Rights

by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Just before their previous contract expired in October, University of California and the UC postdoctoral union (UAW 5810) reached a one-year agreement that union members will vote to approve next week.

With the union threatening to stage a UC-wide strike, negotiators from UC and the union were able to find common ground on issues that had eluded consensus in prior negotiations. UC agreed to yearly raises and improved healthcare benefits for all postdocs as well as expanded rights for international postdoctoral researchers. More than 6,000 postdocs throughout the 10 UC campuses will have the chance to vote from Oct. 19 to 27 on whether to approve or reject the contract.

If approved, the agreement would also require the University to form a new Family-Friendly Committee to explore how to reimburse postdocs for childcare.

Union president and former UC Davis postdoc Anke Schennink said the union was able to remove any salary reductions from the agreement in the last hour of negotiations.

“The University had proposed a number of different wage cuts, and they would basically lower the take-home pay for postdocs,” Schennink said. “That was definitely a point that was talked about until the last moment.”

Under the terms of the agreement, postdocs will receive yearly raises based on the National Institute of Health’s inflation index.

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[Source]: Daily Nexus