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UC Postdocs Without Contract Year After Choosing UAW |
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In August 2008, some 5,800 University of California (UC) postdoctoral researchers—”postdocs”—chose to join the UAW. But nearly a year later, they are still without a contract. A recent bargaining update on the Postdoctoral Researchers Organize/UAW (PRO/UAW) website said UC was “stalling and delaying” talks.
Union negotiators told the San Diego Union-Tribune that major issues, including wages, benefits, workload and workers’ rights are still on the table after months of negotiations. A UC spokesman told the paper talks were expected to go on for several more months.
The postdocs formed their union through majority sign-up and avoided the kind of anti-union campaign of intimidation and harassment that more and more employers use to thwart workers’ choice of joining a union.
But the slow pace of negotiations highlights the need for another provision of the Employee Free Choice Act.
Studies show that when workers vote for unions, fewer than half of them have a contract a full year later—and in more than a third of cases, workers still don’t have a contract after two years. Despite exercising their freedom to form unions against great obstacles, workers are unable to bargain for health coverage, retirement security, fair wages and safe workplace conditions.
The Employee Free Choice Act would provide a process to help bargainers reach an agreement through mediation and, for issues the parties are unable to resolve on their own, arbitration. Arbitration would occur only under the Employee Free Choice Act if either side requests it, after months of negotiations.
The postdocs typically work for five years in a faculty supervisor’s lab after receiving a doctorate or equivalent degree. They perform basic research on cures for major diseases and developing new technologies. They also publish scholarly articles and write grant proposals, all of which have helped bring hundreds of millions in grants and contracts to the university last year, the union said.
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The current “economic crisis” in California may be one cause of the bottleneck in bargaining. However one can blame Gov. Arnold “Terminator” Schwarzenneger as he and the California legislature refuse to consider raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations!
The other thing to consider is if the workers themselves are not willing to strike or engage in other forms of militant action, they will never be given the respect that they are entitled to!