Attend our upcoming bargaining session on international worker rights on July 16th!
On Thursday, June 26, 2025, we had another meeting with the administration for our 21st bargaining session.
In our previous bargaining session on May 20, 2025, we had a long discussion about the importance of support for international workers, including hearing testimony from a postdoc sharing the challenges she faced during her latest visa renewal. In our session on June 26th, we were disappointed to receive a counterproposal on International Postdoctoral Fellow Rights, which falls far short of the rights other unionized postdocs in New York City have won at their institutions. When asked why Einstein is unwilling to offer financial support for visa-related costs, our administration suggested that postdocs would not have to renew their visa stamps abroad, given that the work authorization could be extended at Einstein.
This disturbing comment shows how out of touch Einstein’s administration is with the needs and struggles of its international workforce. Not renewing the visa stamp would mean that we are not able to travel internationally during our time at Einstein, especially since they are also rejecting our request for longer initial visa durations. This is unreasonable, and we will stand our ground to fight for measures that alleviate the disproportionate stress international postdocs face.
In order to show Einstein that this is an urgent issue for postdocs, we urge you to join us in bargaining on Wednesday, July 16th.
At the session, we also presented counterproposals on Appointments and Reappointments, Union Rights and Access, and Discipline and Dismissal. We laid out the advantages of our proposal for a proactive and transparent Discipline and Dismissal procedure, which would inform the postdoc and the Union of any intended disciplinary action against a postdoc and ensure they have an opportunity to respond before it is taken. After this discussion, we are hopeful that Einstein will reconsider this preemptive approach to discipline, since resolving workplace issues before a potential escalation is in the best interest of both Parties.
Our next in-person session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 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.
As always, we encourage you to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback by simply replying to this email.
In Solidarity,
Juliane Grimm
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cell Biology
ERU-UAW Bargaining Committee