Columbia postdocs authorize strike

Postdoctoral researchers at Columbia University voted by over 90 percent margin to authorize a strike, the workers' union announced over the weekend after six months of negotiations at the bargaining table failed to result in a contract. 

Both the union and management remain in negotiations but around 1,000 postdocs, associate research scientists and associate research scholars have been unable to resolve disputes with the university over appointment length, childcare funding and more said Andrew Little, the president of United Auto Workers Local 4100, the workers' union.  

Most of the bargaining unit is made up of international workers, Little said, who are looking to agree to a union contract that upholds protections that have been under threat from the Trump administration.  Boosting job security and placing guarantees for longer appointments are key for these workers, Little said, who have faced threats of deportation under Trump.

 “We've been bargaining now with Columbia for several months, and this comes after a year of instability that our workers have experienced due to chaos at the federal level,” Little said. “I hope that we could work together with the Columbia administration to reach an agreement that recognizes the crisis that researchers are facing at Columbia and generally." 

Around 850 workers participated in the strike authorization vote, Little said.

Key for union members is creating an $80,000 salary minimum – similar to what researchers make at other institutions, Little said – and creating stronger protections to ensure that workers receive year-long appointments instead of sporadic three-or-six-month posts. The union also wants Columbia to increase the amount it pays into workers' flexible spending accounts in order to cover childcare costs.

“Columbia and Columbia Postdoctoral Workers-UAW Local 4100 have been meeting regularly over the past five months to negotiate a new successor contract, and the parties continue to meet," a Columbia University spokesperson said in a statement. "Meaningful progress has been made across a range of issues, and the University remains committed to reaching an agreement that benefits everyone as quickly as possible.” 

Workers say they ultimately hope to resolve their contract at the bargaining table without a strike 

“We want to avoid having to strike. We want to do the research that brought us to Columbia and that contributes to the University’s mission,” said Anna Yoney, an associate research scientist. “But our work deserves to be respected, and our working conditions need to be sustainable. This vote sends a clear message: we are united and we are prepared to strike if necessary to win a fair contract.”