Why unionize?
Jonathan Mercado-Reyes
Postdoctoral Associate | Molecular Pathobiology
New York is the epicenter for societal and cultural transformation and has a long history of immigration. Amidst the current internal crisis of the country, we are among the small efforts that can compound into bigger change. I am proud to be an international scholar – as researchers, we all have the right to fair visa processing and protections, access to affordable housing, and to improve our families’ living conditions through collective bargaining.
Linus Vogt
Postdoc Associate | Math
With research funding now more unpredictable than ever, postdocs need a strong safety net that protects our interests. This is especially true for international scholars who additionally have to deal with visa uncertainty. The best way to ensure this is to stand together in solidarity and form a union for all postdocs.
Maggie DeMaegd
Postdoc Fellow | Center for Neural Science
I support the unionization of NYU postdocs because there is strength in numbers. Unions build community among employees, ensure support both financial and through benefits, and create parity across positions.
Rishi Bhandia
Postdoc Fellow | Physics
I support the NYU postdoc union as it allows to form an organization that will advocate effectively for researchers at a time when both funding and visas are politically precarious. Via collective bargaining, the union can negotiate protections like healthcare continuity, transparent policies for visa sponsorship, and fair processes for resolving disputes.
Satyam Khanal
Postdoctoral Associate | Chemistry
As an international worker, I believe that having a postdoc union will help us gain job stability, as our whole livelihood is dependent on having valid work status. With a union, we can collectively bargain over stronger rights as international visa holders.
Charlie L. Rodríguez Deliz
Postdoc | Center for Neural Science
Throughout my years at NYU—first as a graduate student, now as a postdoctoral researcher—I’ve witnessed the dedication and talent that drives our research enterprise. We create science that serves the public, yet too often struggle with housing costs, inadequate wages, and unsustainable expectations around work-life balance. A union—particularly of researchers for researchers—gives us the collective voice we need to advocate for the support that will make our work truly sustainable. When researchers can focus on discovery rather than financial stress and burnout, everyone benefits.
Susan Benear
Postdoc Associate | Psychology
At the institution where I earned my PhD, there was an established union that was responsible for our healthcare coverage and salary increases. Without the same bargaining power at NYU, we can’t guarantee that postdoctoral researchers here will have access to the resources we deserve as valuable employees of the university. A postdoctoral union at NYU will ensure protection for existing benefits and advocacy for improvements in the future.
Ornob Alam
Postdoc Associate | Biology
Industries with unionization tend to have higher wages and stronger worker protections. Graduate and postdoctoral researchers substantially contribute to NYU’s academic and research mission, but are poorly compensated while remaining particularly vulnerable to the whims of their employers with very little protection. It is not a level-playing field with a giant corporate entity like NYU, and having a union allows us to collectively advocate and bargain for fairer treatment.
Fabio Diaz
Postdoc Associate | Computer Science & Engineering
NYU is a large, prestigious university, in part due to its high level of scientific production. However, these do not necessarily reflect improvements in postdoctorate work conditions that significantly contribute to the university’s science achievements. With a union, Postdocs come together to participate in decision-making processes and negotiate with NYU for improvements in research conditions, including safety, job security, and transparency.
Amber Kline
Postdoc Fellow | Center for Neural Science
I am in full support of a union to ensure full protections and benefits for all postdoctoral researchers. Postdocs are an integral part of the academic system and have years of highly specialized skills, experience and expertise, but universities often refuse us compensation equivalent to our contributions. For example, NYU postdocs who have earned fellowships for their work, which is still under the purview of NYU and their academic mentor, lose employee benefits that are offered to Postdoc Associates. Even if they begin their tenure as an Associate, earning certain fellowships through work performed at NYU leads to a loss in benefits such as the 401K matching program, FSA access, employer contributions to social security, and others. Individual departments are under no obligation to advocate for postdocs, which leaves us vulnerable to these unfair practices.
Aster Perkins
Postdoc Associate | Center for Neural Science
Amid on-going attacks on international workers, trans people, and scientific workers writ large, we need a strong union to protect our community and fight for strong protections for immigrant workers, healthcare, and workplace rights.
Carla Golden
Postdoc Fellow | Center for Neural Science
I support having a union because a union is the best way for postdocs to have collective power at NYU. Postdocs do important research at NYU, and as workers, we know what we need for our well-being and for our workplace to run. We make the best decisions when we make decisions about our workplace democratically, and a union lets us have the power to make those choices.