Our PWU Bargaining Team (Bteam) came back refreshed and ready to met with OHSU’s representatives on Tuesday, November 29th for their 6th bargaining session.
Our union proposed/countered:
- Intellectual Property Rights (proposal – Article that proposes to have representation during meetings regarding intellectual property developed at OHSU.
- Joint Labor-Management Committee Meeting (proposal) – Article establishing an ongoing meeting between the Union and OHSU on the implementation of the contract and emerging issues for Postdoc working conditions.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (proposal) – Article that introduces a bottom-up approach to increasing the recruitment and retention of Postdocs from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Recognition (counter/TA'd) – Article declaring the union’s right to bargain changes in working conditions with representation from AFSCME, and addresses who is covered by the collective bargaining agreement (i.e. postdocs).
OHSU proposed/countered:
- Appointments and Reappointments (counter) – Article outlining postdoc appointment term durations, timelines for non-reappointment notice, and items in appointment letters.
- Time and Effort Commitment – Article outlining the average hours in a general workweek and flexible scheduling
- Performance and Expectations (counter) – Article outlining general procedures for Postdocs and their advisors on developing workplace expectations.
- Career Development (counter) – OHSU proposed 5 career development days that are do not require taking leave, opposed to our proposal of 15 days.
- Layoffs (proposal) – OHSU proposed language pertaining to layoffs, copied from University of Washington’s contract.
A lot of progress was made by our Bteam and OHSU management. We reached a tentative agreement on Recognition, and made good progress on the counters from OHSU. We also proposed a progressive DEI article aimed at keeping valuable scientists from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds in science. Highlights from our new proposal included:
- An institutional assessment of the recruitment and retention of postdocs at OHSU
- Protections for postdocs during pregnancy
- 1 day off for cultural & religious observation
- Additional DEI training resources and certification for the purpose of enriching the workplace and providing adequate resources for grant DEI statements
- Fund for an annual DEI symposium
- Optional career mentoring for postdocs from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds
- Pilot research funds for Persons Excluded due to Ethnicity or Race
As it stands, we have not reached an agreement on this ambitious proposal. Your Bteam, however, highlighted how mutually beneficial this initiative is for postdocs and OHSU by providing actionable items to dismantle systemic oppression that have contributed to a “leaky pipeline” in academic research. Your union is about providing you with a representative voice, and OHSU a better place for ALL scientists!
In solidarity,
The PWU Bargaining Team
