Last updated: October 6, 2026
This recap details the second mediation session, fourteenth overall bargaining session for the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the University of Washington and UAW Postdoctoral Scholars.
Union Counter Proposals
The Union presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. The full contents of the package are outlined below:
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Article 1: Purpose and Intent
As part of this package proposal, the parties would agree to maintain current contract language in this Article.
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Article 4: Appointments and Reappointments
As part of this package proposal, the parties would agree to maintain current contract language in this Article.
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Article 12: Intellectual Property and Academic Rights
As part of this package proposal, the parties would agree to maintain current contract language in this Article.
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New MOU: J-1 Visa Duration
The Union counter proposed that hiring units would request two year visas starting thirty (30) days of ratification instead of ninety (90) as proposed by the Employer.
The Union presented a package proposal in which all provisions would need to be accepted in their entirety. The full contents of the package are outlined below:
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Article 19: Professional Development & Career Counseling
The Union withdrew its proposal to create a UW Postdoc Travel Awards program and reasserted its proposal that Postdoctoral Scholars may seek to serve as an official instructor of record in a class for the purpose of advancing their professional skills, and that they would not be excluded from such opportunities on the basis of their funding source.
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MOU: Professional Development
As part of this package proposal, the parties would agree to strike and remove this MOU.
Next Steps
The next UAW Postdoc and UW bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, and will be held virtually.