UW Postdocs in Their Own Words
Postdocs matter and must be united
When I completed my PhD and became a postdoc, I knew that I had to be prepared to work long hours, overcome intellectual challenges, and make individual sacrifices to stay competitive in an international field. But I did not expect I would have to deal with a different problem: what to do when my position was suddenly eliminated with no warning. I want to tell my story, so that other Postdocs can take steps now to protect themselves by forming a union.
I have worked as a postdoctoral researcher for five years. Since I joined the University of Washington’s BIOE department, my work is in synthetic biology and bioengineering, where we are working to develop a clearer understanding of how genes change due to genetic instability in different conditions so we can better identify, treat and cure disease. I have published more than a dozen papers on my research, given numerous presentations, and received consistently positive feedback about my work from previous and current advisors.
For International Postdocs Like Me, Having a Union at UW is More Important than Ever
The ultimate shattering of my safe bubble happened at the beginning of 2017 as a result of a combination of changes in the political climate as well as some other random events. A lot of my friends suffered (or would have suffered) from the new rules pertaining to visas and immigration (that were ultimately rejected by federal courts, at least for now). One of the best scientists I know will not be able to work in a few months because the premium processing of H-1B visas has stopped and UW does not support (and by support I do not mean financial support but by signing their applications) green card applications of postdocs or even research scientists. I — a legal permanent resident with a green card — even had to cancel my trip back home due to the infamous “travel ban”. The current proposed cuts in research funding, changes in national lab hirings, and increased barriers to hiring non-US citizens as researchers in industries is scaring all of us, postdocs, who are seeking a job in any venue. Will we find a job? If so, can we get the support we need? If we cannot find a job, are we still supported as postdocs? The clear answer to these questions is we do not know and it seems that everyone else is too busy with their own problems to even care.
I am a United Academic Worker
For the past 8 months, I have joined other postdocs to discuss unionization with our peers across the University of Washington (UW) campuses. I’ve heard some horror stories, confirming that we must demand better: a postdoc who lost benefits when they were awarded a prestigious fellowship, which changed their job title; another who resorted to driving his wife to Canada to deliver their baby after the university had denied them health insurance because of their international funding source; and more. These events, while upsetting, make me feel all the more committed to what we’re working toward. And we’ve found that a majority of postdocs are in favor of unionizing.
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If university administrations approach collective bargaining as an opportunity to work together, the resulting partnership can help universities become paradigms of well-managed, fair, and effective workplaces. It is in everyone’s best interest that careers in academia and, more broadly, in science are realistic and appealing for more people. You can afford rent! You can have a family! You can report sexual harassment! Scientific excellence can only be achieved with talented, well-mentored people, and the changes we hope to bring about through our union will help attract and retain them.
Pregnancy Discrimination in Science (and Why We Need Unions)
I am an international scientist with more than 10 years of experience as a postdoctoral researcher. I have worked in three different countries including the U.S. My work has mainly focused on the use of modified viruses to change the genome (gene therapy) to either treat cancer or correct genetic diseases.
I am currently a permanent resident in the U.S., but previously I have worked on both student (J1) and worker (H1B) visas. When I first came to Seattle, I joined a research group at the UW as a postdoc. The group leader is one of the most brilliant, respected and internationally renowned scientists in the gene therapy field. In the lab he demanded high quality work, but he also diminished scientists and postdocs. You could hear from him racist and misogynist comments and jokes, even when most of the people in the lab were international postdocs and half of us were women. However, he never complained about my work, he was always happy with my professionalism, my performance and my results. A few times he referred to me as the best postdoc he ever had. After two years of hard work he pointed me for promotion in the department.
Dear UW Administration: We’re hoping you’ll support us.
Today, to land a job as a senior scientist within academia and, increasingly, industry, a Postdoctoral (Postdoc) position is required. When I decided to stay in science after my PhD to pursue the goal of being a professor, I didn’t have multiple types of jobs to choose from — the academic Postdoc was it. I love my research and my fellow Postdocs feel the same way. We are Postdocs because we love science and want to make a career out of it. But just because we love what we do doesn’t mean that we love everything about our job, and our love of our research definitely does not mean we should passively accept the current state of the Postdoc. This is why many of my peers and I at the University of Washington (UW) have been organizing to form a Postdoc union. After literally hundreds of smart and nuanced conversations, we have heard from the majority of Postdocs that they support unionization. We recently filed a petition with the state labor board of Washington to call an election this fall.
Unionizing for Collective Power
I enjoy working on projects that may help to solve some of our toughest environmental challenges. There are over 1100 postdocs like me at UW, each of whom are in some way tackling the big problems of the world. The work we do is vital for, as the university’s official mission states, “the preservation, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge.”
At the same time, many postdocs are at a critical point in their careers and personal lives. They may be applying for faculty jobs or research grants, starting families, or navigating visa requirements to remain in the country. Meanwhile, the cost of housing in Seattle is on the rise, pushing postdocs farther from the university. Although these issues affect many workers at UW, postdocs are relatively invisible on campus, and do not have the same say in our own working conditions and rights as many other UW employees. The main difference is that thousands of these other employees — like graduate employees — have formed unions and bargain as equals with the UW Administration.
The price of being a woman: how some UW postdocs are charged discriminatory health care premiums
I am a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington. In my research I use climate models and water isotopes archived in ice cores to study Earth’s past climate, which helps to improve predictions of Earth’s future climate. l feel lucky to work here and hopefully make a difference in the world. But I had a negative experience in the beginning acquiring health care, in which I was quoted a discriminatory premium by an insurance company that offers health plans for postdocs in my situation and is listed on the University’s website.
When I arrived at the University a bit more than a year ago, I was told that, because I am paid directly by an external funding source, I was not eligible for University-provided health care benefits through the Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB). This meant that I had to find my own health insurance.
An Issue of Equity: How I’m Paying the Price for UW Denying my Health Care
I am a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Washington, and have enjoyed my time here working with colleagues to advance science in my field of evolutionary biology. But as a UW employee I’ve also been subject to a deeply unfair policy that stripped my health insurance coverage and has resulted in an immense amount of personal and professional hardship. I’ve helped start a Postdoc union and am pushing for a first contract to make positive change but think it’s also important that a wider audience know my story.