Overview of package offered to UAW postdocs in advance of strike
At the 25th bargaining session between the University of Washington (UW) and United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4121 for a successor collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for Postdoctoral Scholars (Postdoc Scholars), Postdoctoral Scholar Fellows (Postdoc Fellows) and Postdoctoral Scholars Paid Directs (PDRs) UAW rejected the UW’s last-best-and-final proposal and instead moved forward strike plans. Both parties were joined by Public Employment Relations Commission mediator Sean Leonard.
Previous recaps are published on the UW Labor Relations website.
Timeline
- Oct 2022 – May 2023: Successfully reached 40 tentative agreements on the successor contract for the postdocs including:
| Childcare fund increase | Increased transparency and information around grant funding |
| EPIC continuation | Reasonable accomodation* |
| Equity Survey |
* New to this agreement.
- June 6, 2023: Bargaining started at 10 am and continued late into this evening. The university presented its last-best-and-final proposals to the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4121. The Union rejected the proposal and it was decided to stop mediation for the day and schedule additional dates.
- June 7, 2023: The Union began a strike at 5:00 am.
While the University and the union have been able to come to agreement on many issues important to the postdocs and to the University, there are three issues in which we have made progress but are not yet in agreement: compensation, overtime and duration.
Compensation | Employer proposal | Union proposal | Key difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimums | Postdoc Scholar salary minimum raised to $65,508 effective 1/1/23; resulting in an increase of previous minimum of approx. 8 – 22% over previous salary minimum. Provided an average salary increase of nearly 13% for approximately 480 Postdoc Scholars Within this population: • 375 received an increase of more than 5%, • 130 received an increase of 20% or more. | Postdoc Scholar salary minimum increased to $65,508 effective 1/1/23; minimum salary increase of 8% effective January 2024. • For some Postdoctoral Scholars, this would result in increases of about 30% in 12 months. | A difference of $5,241 in salary minimums. |
| Across-the-board salary/stipend increases for Postdoc Scholars and Postdoc Fellows | • A salary/stipend increase of no less than 2% in 2023. • A salary/stipend increase of no less than 2% on anniversary date in 2024. | A salary/stipend increase of no less than 2% every year of the contract LIMITATIONS Postdoc Scholars that received a pay increase of 2% or more on or about 1/1/23, will not be eligible for another pay increase until 2024. Postdoc Fellows that receive a pay increase of 2% or more between 2/1/23 and 7/1/23, will not be eligible for another pay increase until 2024. | The UW’s proposal provides for 2% across the board increases, while the Union’s 2% increase provides limitations on who is eligible. |
| Ability to exceed 2% pay increase for Postdoc Scholars | The 2% increase to be received on the anniversary date is a minimum, allowing PIs, departments, schools and/or colleges to provide larger increases, as fits their needs and available resources. | Agrees with Employers proposal | No difference |
| Increases to stipend minimum for Postdoc Fellows | Stipend minimum raised to $65,508 effective 7/1/23; approx. 8 – 22% over previous salary minimum | Stipend minimum raised to $65,508 effective 7/1/23 | No difference |
| Increase stipend minimum for Postdoc Fellows after1/1/23 | Stipend minimum increase to $65,508 on 7/1/23 or upon appointment, reappointment or anniversary date (whichever comes first); approx. 8 – 22% over previous salary min. LIMITATION: Postdoctoral Scholar-Fellows with new appointments, reappointments, or anniversary dates (whichever comes first) after January 1, 2023, will have their total stipend increased to $65,508. | Stipend minimum increase to $65,508 on 7/1/23 or upon appointment, reappointment or anniversary date (whichever comes first) | |
| Increase to stipend minimum for Postdoc Fellows after 1/1/24 | Stipend minimum increase by 8% to $70,749 upon appointment, reappointment or anniversary date (whichever comes first) | A difference of $5,241 in salary minimums | |
| Funding for PDRs | Paid a minimum of $53,760 from their non-UW funding source. | Paid a minimum of $56,484 after June 1, 2023 | A difference of $2,724 in min funding for PDRs and the specification that funding minimums must be paid by the non-UW funding source. |
| 2024 Increase to funding minimum for PDRs | Paid a minimum of $54,840 from their non-UW funding source | Paid a minimum of $58,743 | A difference of $3,903 in min funding for PDRs and the specification that funding minimums must be paid by the non-UW funding source. |
| Postdoc Scholar retention increase | Agree to retain the current contract language that allows a salary increase at any time to ensure retention. | Agrees with Employers proposal | No difference |
Overtime | Employer proposal | Union proposal | Key difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours tracking | Should any salaried Postdoc Scholar employed by the University become overtime eligible in accordance with federal or state laws or regulations, the overtime eligible Postdoc Scholar must track the hours they worked | Agrees with Employers proposal, however, is proposing new salary minimums to keep Postdoc Scholars salary exempt from OT eligibility. | The union is proposing that this language only apply to exceptions to the fulltime status inherent in Postdoc Scholar positions. |
Duration | Employer proposal | Union proposal | Key difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-year contract, expiring 6/30/25 | 10-month contract, expiring 4/30/24 | 14 months |