On Wednesday, September 10th, we had our 26th bargaining session with the Einstein administration. Einstein had 14 proposals on their side, most of which were first introduced by us at our 2nd bargaining session on September 26, 2024. Even though most proposals have been presented by us several times and discussed extensively, Einstein came back with only 3 counterproposals that again showed only small movement towards an agreement.
The counterproposals presented by Einstein were:
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Employment Records: After almost a year, Einstein continues to resist implementing an electronic employment records system, which is needed to ensure we can access our records regardless of our schedule or location and guarantee that we can review them in a timely manner when needed. They also refuse to notify us when our records are shared with funding agencies or the government, and to provide former postdocs with a copy of their records.
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Union Access and Rights: Einstein finally agreed to provide Union representatives with the information we are entitled to regarding the composition of our bargaining unit on a semi-monthly basis. However, Einstein still insists on restricting Union representatives’ ability to perform their legal obligations by limiting their access to Einstein spaces and now attempting to restrict their time to confer with other Union representatives and postdocs to “non-working time.”
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Grievance and Arbitration: Einstein has agreed to our procedure in concept, which guarantees we have the option to attempt to informally resolve workplace issues with our immediate supervisor at the Pre-Step before filing an official formal grievance at Step One. These attempts at reaching an informal resolution are encouraged, but not required, as we can instead choose to initiate a grievance at the formal Step One. At all steps of this process, we will have the right to bring a Union representative. However, Einstein still refuses to agree to a guaranteed timeline for the timely resolution of grievances and insists on limiting the powers of an arbitrator to enforce the terms of our contract.
As we mentioned in our last update, we were made aware that Einstein attempted to change policies and/or procedures that apply to or impact us without notifying the Union and in clear violation of our right to notice and an opportunity to bargain over these changes. After an initial review, we determined that Einstein is proposing to change 47 policies and/or procedures that apply to or impact us, and we consequently demanded to bargain over them.
As we are now at the one-year mark of our negotiations, we want to remind everyone that your participation is crucial. Over the next couple of weeks, we will intensify our efforts by reaching out to Department Chairs, emphasizing our commitment to improving the work conditions of all postdocs in our unit and our desire for a fair contract ASAP. Our collective participation through observing bargaining sessions, talking to our coworkers about the rights and benefits we want at Einstein, and other actions that show our power and need for change, is what will move Einstein to reach a strong agreement that meets or exceeds those reached with postdocs at our peer institutions.
Our next session is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, September 30, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 5:30 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,
Paulina Alatriste González
ERU-UAW Bargaining Committee
Einstein Counterproposals:
Appendix: Standard Grievance Form
Einstein’s Postdoctoral Fellow Mistreatment Policy
ERU-UAW Counterproposals:
Memorandum of Agreement: Einstein’s Postdoctoral Fellow Mistreatment Policy