Topline Summary:
Our elected Bargaining Committee met with the JHU admin on Monday for the 12th time, and we were joined by two postdocs as observers. We started the session by signing a Tentative Agreement (TA) on Union Rights and amending and re-signing our TA on Agreement. We then presented the JHU admin with three counter-proposals: Workspace and Materials, Bargaining Unit Information, and Health and Safety. After initial questions and discussion, the JHU admin handed us two counters: Workload and New Employee Orientation. They also informed us that they are rejecting our proposals around establishing a system and protocols Employment Records for postdocs, and our Public Safety proposal despite agreeing to similar terms with other unionized workers at Hopkins.
After a caucus, the JHU admin gave us an additional counter, and we verbally agreed to TA on Workspace and Materials. While we’re encouraged by reaching another TA and the progress we’re making, we’re discouraged and concerned by the JHU admin’s continued unwillingness to discuss terms around our safety, development, and rights. If you also find this unacceptable, we encourage you to read and sign our Union’s Open Letter to show the JHU admin that we stand together in seeking meaningful changes to our conditions, not more of the same.
Our Counter-Proposals:
After signing a TA on Union Rights, we presented the JHU admin with three counter-proposals: Workspace and Materials, Bargaining Unit Information, and Health and Safety. Our counter on Workspace and Materials took into account observer testimony from our last session, which clarified that postdocs can be PIs on grants with financial authorization rights, and we are proposing that postdocs who are PIs be allowed to determine if they keep non-Capital equipment purchased with their own grant. The JHU admin gave feedback on what language they would like, and we agreed to consider the matter.
In our counter on Bargaining Unit Information, we are asking for clarifying information on how postdocs are funded and if they have dependents enrolled in the medical plan; this will help our Union to anticipate potential issues related to funding sources and understand the scope of postdocs with dependents who rely on related benefits. We are also maintaining our position that we should receive sensitive information in de-identified aggregate form on a monthly basis, which is the cadence the JHU admin has agreed to for the other bargaining unit information we receive.
In our counter on Health and Safety, we clarified that OSHA regulations grant us the right to accompany inspections, and we are asking that postdocs receive up-to-date information on emergency support and security considerations for work that happens outside of JHU workspaces. We agreed to incorporate our Workplace-Incurred Injuries or Illness proposal into our Health and Safety article, but we maintained our position that protocols must be accessible and that postdocs are covered by workers’ compensation.
JHU Admin’s Counter-Proposals:
The JHU admin then gave us two counter-proposals: New Employee Orientation and Workload. In New Employee Orientation, the JHU admin struck out much of our proposal in the name of maintaining as much control over orientations as possible (i.e. cadence, frequency, materials, format, etc.), and limiting our Union’s ability to share information with new members of our bargaining unit. They also want to wait to implement these orientations for a full year after signing our contract, and want us to commit to language that says we will not disparage JHU, despite not holding themselves to that same standard in the contract language. We’ve been more than willing to negotiate and reach compromises through 12 sessions, but in this contract language, the JHU admin is letting us know that they do not view us as good faith partners in this process.
In Workload, the JHU admin is acknowledging that we are salaried employees, but not assigning our workload to a weekly hourly average, which a.) goes against their current policy and b.) makes it more difficult for us to credibly grieve if our workload is repeatedly going above and beyond expectations. Speaking of grievances, they’re also proposing language that requires any workload dispute must be attempted to resolved by the postdoc and their Supervisor before being grieved, despite informal resolution already being a part of our proposed Grievance and Arbitration Procedure, and ignoring the power dynamic at hand which may make it uncomfortable or difficult for a postdoc to bring up workload concerns to the person that is assigning them their work. Their proposal does not make Johns Hopkins more equitable, and needlessly opens us up to potential unfair retaliation or discriminatory behavior.
Before breaking for caucus, the JHU admin let us know that they are rejecting our Employment Records proposal, which would establish a system that allows every postdoc at Hopkins to ensure documents relevant to our employment are stored, accessible, and accurate. Pier institutions have these procedures in place, but the JHU admin is currently unwilling to work with us on procedures and protocols to maintain these documents. They also rejected our Public Safety proposal for the second time despite much of our proposal mirroring what has been agreed to with other unionized employees at Hopkins. This not only makes Hopkins a less equitable place to work for postdoc compared to other employee groups, but less safe as well.
When we returned from caucus, the JHU admin presented us with a counter to our Bargaining Unit Information proposal that we countered earlier in the session. While some progress was made, they are continuing to deny providing information on a regular basis that helps our Union monitor and prevent unfair hiring/firing practices from occurring based on a postdoc’s immigration status and nationality, and ensure new hires are properly enrolled in the correct health insurance plan based on their and their family’s needs.
What can you do today to support winning a great first contract?
We continue to make progress, but as you can see from looking at the Bargaining Tracker, we still have work to do that will take all of our participation to win the improvements we’ve been fighting for here at JHU. Doing the following will help tremendously in our collective effort:
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Sign our Open Letter: Supportive postdocs across JHU are going around to gather signatures that show the JHU admin that we stand united in our aspirations to win a great contract, and that we need it now. Read and sign the open letter today!
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Observe our bargaining session on Monday, August 17th: Members of JHU’s Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) will be attending our bargaining session on Monday, 8/17 in the Miller Research Building (MRB), Room #G01 on the East Baltimore Medical Campus. We’re calling on anyone who has gone through the OIE investigatory process to resolve an issue to observe this session to ensure our Bargaining Committee can accurately confirm or question the information they provide, and for our members to provide testimony around their experiences with OIE to show that we need improved accountability and rights in handling cases around discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and bullying. If you have experienced this, we invite you to attend and share more about this at our session on 8/17, or anonymously share any details you’re willing to provide with our Bargaining Committee using this form linked here.
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Join our Bargaining Committee: Interested in getting more involved with contract negotiations? Consider nominating yourself to be a part of our Bargaining Committee! We are currently seeking to fill one (1) vacancy, and nominations are open to all eligible Union supporters [all Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Fellows who are currently employed by the institute and have filled out a PRO-UAW authorization card (link here) or a bargaining survey (link here). Click here to learn more about the responsibilities of bargaining committee members, and if interested, email a note and candidate statement to elections@hopkinspro-uaw.org to accept nomination.
Please reach out to us at this email or individually if you have any questions or thoughts about our bargaining process.
In solidarity,
Ben Seicol, Otolaryngology/ Head & Neck Surgery
Cat LaCourse, Pediatrics
Jaime Eugenin von Bernhardi, Neuroscience
Saakshi Dulani, Physics & Astronomy, Philosophy
Tianyu Cao, Pathology
PRO-UAW Bargaining Committee