RSVP for our organizing workshop TODAY (Thursday), May 15th, at 5 PM!
On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, and Tuesday, May 06, 2025, we met again with our administration for the 17th and 18th bargaining sessions. While we made progress in these sessions, it also made even more clear that Einstein is still dismissing many urgent concerns of postdocs. Attend our organizing workshop TODAY at 5pm to discuss how to get Einstein to make more progress – RSVP here.
After we had been making progress and having constructive discussions in the last several sessions, we are happy to announce that we reached a Tentative Agreement on the Job Postings article in our 18th bargaining session. We think this article will ensure a transparent and equitable application process for Postdoctoral Fellows starting at the posting of the job opportunity.
On International Postdoctoral Fellow Rights, there are still many areas of discussion that keep us from reaching an agreement, as Einstein rejects multiple of our key provisions designed to mitigate the additional burden on international postdocs, such as financial support for visa-related expenses and longer visa durations. Additionally, Einstein seeks to deny access to a neutral third party for enforcing this Article, further amplifying the uncertainty international postdocs face under current political conditions.
Additionally, we discussed the following articles in our last two bargaining sessions:
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Discipline and Dismissal: Einstein still rejects holding a meeting before a disciplinary action is issued, preventing a proactive approach to resolving workplace issues
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Appointment and Reappointments: Einstein refuses to extend appointment lengths while at the same time seeking to establish a probationary period
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Performance Reviews: Einstein seeks to establish unilateral assessment of the Postdoctoral Fellow’s work performance as a basis for discipline and termination
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Professional Development: Einstein rejects offering protected time to invest into career development activities
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Training: We are getting close to reaching agreement that will ensure universal access to job-related trainings
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Union Rights and Access: Einstein is still denying protection from retaliation to postdocs involved in Union activities
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Grievance and Arbitration: Einstein once again revokes provisions that both Parties had previously agreed upon, trying to create unnecessary delays in addressing workplace issues
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Workspace and Materials: Einstein insists on retaining discretion on whether they provide postdocs with workspace, facilities, equipment, resources, and materials that are necessary to perform their assigned duties
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Health and Safety: Einstein revokes commitment around Postdoctoral Fellows’ participation in committees that address health and safety issues arising at Einstein
You can access the full text of these proposals using our online bargaining tracker.
Our next session is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET and will be held in person. Click here to RSVP if you’d like to attend this or a future session and see the process firsthand!
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As always, we encourage you to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback by simply replying to this email.
In Solidarity,
Silvia C. Hernandez
Postdoctoral Fellow, Medicine – Cardiology
ERU-UAW Bargaining Committee