Exciting news – we have finalized an election agreement with NYU that will allow us to vote on our union! After a few months of discussions, we were able to reach an agreement on a unit definition and a fair election process through the American Arbitration Associate (AAA). NYU has also agreed to refrain from interfering with our decision to unionize by remaining neutral in the election. The full text of the agreement can be read here.
Importantly, this means we are finalizing election dates for within the next month (likely end of September). Please be on the lookout for these dates and additional information on voting in the coming days!
If you would like to be involved in efforts to get out the vote in your department, please reach out to info@nyuresearchersunited.org, or whichever colleague in your department has most recently been in touch. Winning our union takes all of us together! It will be important that as many postdocs as possible participate in our vote, so that we have a strong mandate to begin bargaining collectively with NYU.
We look forward to joining a movement of thousands of fellow postdocs across New York City, and many other members of the NYU community, who have organized with UAW. If you would like to share why you’re voting yes for our union, and how collective bargaining could enhance our experience as a postdoc, please write a testimonial here.
Please don’t hesitate to reply with any questions or thoughts.
In solidarity,
Rishi Bhandia, Physics
on behalf of NYU Researchers United/Postdocs-UAW Organizing Committee
You can find additional FAQ below:
Q: How do I know if I’m eligible to vote?
A: If you’re receiving this email and employed as an NYU postdoc at the time of our vote, you would be eligible to participate in our upcoming election! You can read the full outline of the proposed bargaining unit on the first page of our election agreement with NYU.
Q: If I have an additional appointment as adjunct faculty, can I vote in the election?
A: Yes, the NYU administration has specifically agreed that postdocs with co-appointments as adjunct faculty are included.
Q: When will our vote take place?
A: The specific dates of our election are still being determined, but we expect the earliest it will take place will be at the end of the coming month (September). It will be important that as many of us as possible participate in our vote, to ensure we have as much power as possible to begin bargaining. We will send more information soon once our election is scheduled.
Q: How can I get involved in our effort?
A: Reply to this email and a colleague will be in touch! You can also take a moment to share a brief testimonial about why forming a postdoc union would be important to you here.