As part of a growing international movement for better worker rights, the Union is establishing a  fair and clear process for negotiating our contracts. The following proposals will enable us to thrive both at the workplace and beyond, reflecting our value to Northwestern University (NU). Our platform is based on surveys filled out by members of our bargaining unit. Achieving these goals will facilitate the recruitment and retention of the most talented, diverse group of Postdoctoral Scholars and Research Associates. With your involvement in the contract campaign, we can win the fair workplace we deserve!

As a top priority for membership, we strive for enhanced job security, including:

• Ease the burden for new employees by establishing an efficient and transparent hiring procedure. Our offer letters will clearly outline funding sources and the duration of available funding, along with responsibilities, salary, benefits, and essential resources required to perform the role. The University will provide information on current and future visa options, relocation cost coverage. New employees will also receive a copy of the  NUPU-UE contract and a union orientation so they are confident of their rights and aware of union resources.

• Enhance retention and advancement opportunities by striving for transparency and consistency for all renewal, advancement, and dismissal proceedings (including just cause protections), timely reimbursements, clear expectations associated with promotions, raises, and dismissals, improved minimum notice for non-renewals, and increased minimum appointment lengths.

• Establish a strong grievance procedure that gives opportunities to resolve problems in a timely manner and allows us, for the first time, to enforce our rights under the contract with access to a neutral third-party arbitrator, without risk of retaliation.

Another key priority for membership is enhancing rights for international workers, as we have always faced challenges and precarity due to our status as visa holders. 

• Increase support and secure protections for international workers by ensuring the following:

• Improving visa options and appointment lengths

• Access to information on visa options; immigration assistance

• Support for visa and Green Card processing and renewal

• Funding and paid leave for visa-related fees and travel

• Better support structures for employees stuck outside the US

• Timely processing and return of immigration-related documents

• Access to resources/staff/training to assist in immigration matters. 

• Furthermore, we aim to ensure that:

• Immigration status will not be disclosed to Homeland Security without compelling reasons, and employees and the Union will receive advance written notice before any such disclosure.

• The NU Police Department will refrain from questioning or detaining employees regarding their immigration status and will not collaborate with ICE or DHS.

Finally, we focus on additional priorities for our union members, specifically Professional Development and the Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination. We aim to: 

• Secure protections, benefits, and professional development for all workers, including:

  • Ensuring we have high-quality access and covering expenses for training and professional development opportunities, including professional development leave; 

  • Additionally, we advocate for expedited reimbursement for work-related expenses. We also aim to broaden access to teaching and mentoring opportunities for Postdocs and to secure the right for them to apply for grants as Principal Investigators;

  • Requirements for physical health and safety of workspaces and labs, plus time-specific procedures for handling violations of these requirements;

• Protect academic freedom and intellectual property by striving for improved intellectual property and academic freedom rights, including clear guidelines on authorship criteria and protection against listing without consent. We aim to establish mechanisms that ensure fair recognition for all intellectual creations, including those that are licensed, patented, or sold, so that the efforts of Postdocs and Research Associates are appropriately acknowledged and valued.

• Guarantee a more equitable and inclusive environment for Postdocs and Research Associates by striving for policies that enhance accessibility and diversity, including dedicated cultural and affinity spaces, reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities, remote work rights, accessibility standards, the availability of gender-neutral restrooms, and designated spaces for religious practices and lactation. Additionally, we are committed to upholding policies that protect workers from discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, disability, caste, and other protected and marginalized groups.

This can only be achieved by strengthening our Union Security. We want to:

• Ensure our union is strong and flourishes by: 

  • Legally recognizing the union;

  • Ensuring NU deducts authorized dues from employee;

  • Assuring that all new postdoc hires are included in the union and allocating time for orientation to discuss employee rights and terms of the agreement;

  • Requiring NU to give the union meeting space on campus and allocating time to union activities, including capacity building, training, and skill development for union members and leaders to effectively represent members;

  • Defining the bargaining unit as broadly as possible.