ERU-UAW Initial Bargaining Goals

We, the Postdoctoral Fellows at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, present the following contract demands to (1) improve our working conditions, (2) better support Einstein’s mission to conduct world-class research, foster diversity, attract and retain talents, and (3) recognize the importance of its location in the Bronx. These demands are based on bargaining surveys completed by a supermajority of the over 220 Postdoctoral Fellows.

These demands reflect the specific needs of Postdoctoral Fellows and a vision for our research community. They consider the historic shifts towards a longer postdoctoral stage, the specific challenges of living in New York City, and the need for an academic pipeline supporting greater diversity among rising research faculty. We aim to ensure fair pay and benefits for all Postdoctoral Fellows; to help all Postdoctoral Fellows’ career development; to provide greater stability for non-citizen researchers; to provide paid leaves of absence for Postdoctoral Fellows who become parents; to ensure that Postdoctoral Fellows with families can afford childcare and associated costs; and to build a truly inclusive, accessible, and diverse research community free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination.

We believe that achieving these goals will facilitate the recruitment and retention of the most talented, diverse group of Postdoctoral Fellows and enhance our ability to produce the world-class research conducted at Einstein.

1. Establish fair wages

We strive for improved pay for all, commensurate with the value of our work and the high cost of living. This includes significantly increasing competitive pay minimums, guaranteed experience-based annual salary increases, and transparent options for merit-based increases.

2. Increase access to housing

We aim for guaranteed, equitable, and affordable access to housing for all Postdoctoral Fellows for the entire duration of their appointment, increased control and transparency in housing criteria and assignment, increased quality conditions and amenities, and improved resources and support for those seeking accommodations outside of Einstein housing.

3. Create a more family-friendly workplace

We seek fully paid parental leave, significant financial support for childcare, and affordable insurance coverage for dependents.

4. Enhance retention, advancement opportunities, and job security

We aim for transparency and consistency for all renewal, advancement, and dismissal proceedings, timely reimbursements, clear expectations associated with promotions, raises, and dismissals, improved minimum notice for non-renewals, and increased minimum appointment lengths.

5. Increase support for international researchers

We strive for improved visa options, appointment lengths, access to information on visa options, support for visa and Green Card processing, immigration, and stronger protections for international researchers.

6. Ensure freedom from harassment and bullying and prevent retaliation

We aspire for a fair, prompt, and enforceable process for addressing workplace harassment and bullying, including but not limited to sexual and gender-based incidents. We aim to establish measures to prevent any form of retaliation against individuals who report such incidents or participate in the resolution process.

7. Improve healthcare for all

We aim to improve the quality, timely accessibility, and affordability of medical, mental health, reproductive health, dental, and vision coverage, including dependent coverage and access to an expansive network of healthcare providers.

8. Foster a safe and productive work environment

We seek to establish a fair and transparent process for promptly addressing health and safety concerns within the workplace. We aim to improve accessibility to wellness resources and recreational facilities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to the well-being of Postdoctoral Fellows and their families.

9. Ease the burden for new employees

We strive for an efficient and transparent hiring procedure, including offer letters that detail funding sources and length of available funding, responsibilities, salary, benefits, access to the resources necessary to perform the work, explanation of current and future visa options, support for relocation costs, financial support for new hires, and access to the ERU-UAW contract agreement.

10. Broaden access to and improve retirement and other benefits

We want the right to better plan for our futures through improved retirement and other benefits, including life insurance, disability insurance, tax withholding for all researchers, and access to free financial and tax advice.

11. Improve rights to paid vacation and leave

We aim for enhanced and guaranteed access to paid holidays, vacations, medical, family, bereavement, and other leaves of absence.

12. Expand access to educational resources and professional development

We strive for access to funds supporting individual and professional development opportunities, including courses offered at Einstein, tuition assistance, expansion of support from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the “Career and Professional Development for Graduate Students & Postdocs”, and expedited reimbursement for work-related expenses. We also aim to expand access to teaching and mentoring opportunities for Postdoctoral Fellows.

13. Improve transit and parking benefits

We aspire for improved and equitable shuttle services, as well as parking and public transport benefits, to relieve the burden of commuting costs and provide support for Postdoctoral Fellows with bicycles, cars, and other forms of transportation.

14. Recognize and promote union rights and representation

We aim to maximize the ability of our union to engage in effective representation, including various standard provisions on union representational rights and contract enforceability. Additionally, we aim to ensure that all new postdoctoral employees receive adequate orientation about rights and benefits under our contract.

15. Protect academic freedom and intellectual property and ensure fair compensation

We strive to improve intellectual property and academic freedom rights, including clear guidelines on authorship criteria and protection against listing without consent. We aim to establish mechanisms that ensure fair compensation for all intellectual creations, including those that are licensed, patented, or sold, to recognize the contributions of Postdoctoral Fellows appropriately.