On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, we had our 22nd bargaining session with the Einstein administration. Einstein invited Krishma Azmat Dutt, Manager of the Office of International Services (OIS), to the session to clarify existing procedures and regulations relevant to international workers. At the session, Einstein attempted to justify their disturbing counterproposal on International Postdoctoral Fellow Rights, which falls far short of what postdocs at peer institutions receive. However, Krishma’s answers to our questions largely confirmed that it would be possible and, in many cases, simple for Einstein to agree to our demands, like offering postdocs the option of sponsorship for an eligible visa for the maximum duration of the visa upon initial offer of employment.
We would like to thank all the postdocs who accompanied us to observe the discussion of this proposal. Seeing so many of us taking the time to participate makes it clear to Einstein that we notice when they propose something unacceptable, and your presence supporting the Bargaining Committee makes clear that the positions we take reflect the priorities of all postdocs at Einstein.
After concluding that discussion, we presented our counterproposals on Employment Records, Professional Development, and Research Integrity, and Einstein gave us their counterproposals on Appointments and Reappointments and Union Rights and Access. You can read the full text of these (and all other) proposals using our online bargaining tracker.
We want to highlight some major concerns with Einstein’s counter on Appointments and Reappointments: they rejected our proposal to provide postdocs with appointment security, which would guarantee the continuity of the terms of our appointments for the established duration of our appointments. Additionally, Einstein no longer wants to commit to noting in the appointment or reappointment letter if the appointment is renewable, and include the conditions for such renewal. We are disappointed to observe the inequality between the commitment that postdocs bring to the institution and the disrespectful way that Einstein treats us, denying us transparency and stability when it comes to our position.
Our next in-person session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, 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!
As always, we encourage you to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback by simply replying to this email.
In Solidarity,
Federica Zanotti, Stem Cell Institute
ERU-UAW Bargaining Committee