Topline Summary:
On July 7th, our elected Bargaining Committee had our 10th session with the JHU admin, and we were joined by three postdocs as observers. We reached a tentative agreement (TA) on Job Posting, which improves the information that supervisors are required to provide upfront, and establishes the creation of a webpage specifically for open postdoc positions at JHU. However, while we made progress on some articles, the JHU admin’s counters to our proposals improving standards around Health and Safety, Non-Discrimination, and fostering an Inclusive Work Environment were largely crossed-out with rationale that was inconsistent and contradictory. You can find all of these articles and read current proposals in our Bargaining Tracker.
JHU Admin’s Counter-Proposals:
After reaching our TA, we opened the floor to the JHU admin to present their counter-proposals and ask any questions they had for our team. They presented us with five counter-proposals: Non-Discrimination, Harassment and No Retaliation; Inclusive Work Environment; Intellectual Property; Discipline and Discharge; and Health and Safety.
Their counter-proposal to our Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and No Retaliation article had 97% of our proposal crossed-out, as they want the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) to maintain as much control, power, and decision-making authority over cases around discrimination and harassment as possible. They also added a section that seeks to amend this article in response to Executive Orders (E/O), when we asked what JHU would do if an E/O conflicted with this article, they said they would “do what they want” and accept an Unfair Labor Practice lawsuit for illegally breaking our contract.
Their counter-proposal to our Intellectual Property article was even more restrictive, with our entire position crossed out. While we are working to ensure ownership, authorship, rights, and proper credit for the work we do and the value we bring into Hopkins, the admin’s counter simply seeks to codify their current policy while offering no improvements. We are giving these articles the consideration that they’re due while we draft our counter-proposals.
Some progress was made in negotiations around protections creating an Inclusive Work Environment, but our proposal to codify and improve the Interactive Policy by which employees are supposed to request disability accommodations was wholly rejected. The JHU admin conceded to provide free menstrual products in restrooms, but they pushed back on this being subject to the grievance procedure, insisting they can’t be held accountable. Enshrining and enforcing these protections in our contract is of paramount importance.
We’re coming closer together on Discipline and Discharge and Health and Safety, but there is still work to do and improvements to be made. The JHU admin maintained their position that postdocs who are suspended while undergoing a disciplinary investigation without pay, which is not in line with current JHU standards, will not be owed backpay for the time they missed while suspended in the event that they are not found to have done wrongdoing. They are also maintaining that we should not have the right to have a Union representative present during hazardous worksite inspections, which falls short of current and long-standing OSHA regulations and guidelines.
Our Counter-Proposals:
We then presented the JHU admin with four counter-proposals: Workspace and Materials; Union Rights; Bargaining Unit Information; and Grievance and Arbitration Procedure. We believe we are close to reaching agreements on these articles and, if accepted, will improve our working conditions and make JHU a more competitive place to work by exceeding the standard set by unionized postdocs at pier institutions.
We made one edit to Workspace and Materials that clarifies the conditions around which postdocs may keep or return non-Capital equipment (e.g. laptop) that is purchased for us to be able to do our jobs. In Union Rights, we clarified our position around what constitutes official Union business and the process by which a Union steward is able to secure time away from work to assist a postdoc in need of help. In Bargaining Unit Information, we reached some compromises that allow us to regularly receive information from JHU about the members of our bargaining unit to enable our Union to best assist and monitor ongoing conditions after we’ve reached an agreement on our contract, and ensure equitable practices free from discrimination in our workplace.
We also made progress towards reaching an agreement around our Grievance and Arbitration Procedure. We considered the JHU admin’s positions and compromised where we deemed appropriate, but we are committed to ensuring that the time for a grievance to move to a fair and impartial arbitrator is as expedient as possible, and remain steadfast pushing for extended timelines for survivors of sexual assault and harassment to file a grievance. This article will dictate how contract violations are handled and is of paramount importance, and we look forward to hearing back from the JHU admin.
What can you do today to support winning a great first contract?
We’re making 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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Observe a future bargaining session: Engage directly in negotiations! The more of us who attend bargaining sessions, the more the JHU admin understands how committed we all are to winning a great contract. The next session is Friday, July 17th, starting at 11:00am in MRB #G03 on the East Baltimore Medical Campus. Fill out this form and coordinate with other postdocs who plan to attend. Raychel Gadson, a postdoc in the History of of Medicine department, observed yesterday and had this feedback to share:
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“I’m really glad I attended a bargaining session and got to see how negotiations go. It’s clear that our Bargaining Committee approaches the table in good faith and with the goal of reaching mutual understanding with JHU not only on the language of our future CBA, but also the spirit. Despite the conversation having some tedious moments where both parties debated over language, our team was strategic and transparent about what we’re trying to accomplish, rather than unnecessarily nitpicky about verbiage. I honestly feel even more optimistic after seeing how competent and prepared our Bargaining Committee is. Obviously JHU has an interest in limiting what we get from a contract, but they also weren’t overly adversarial even though their rationale offered less transparency. All in all, I believe we’re in good hands, and I want to attend more sessions!”
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Sign our Open Letter: Supportive postdocs across JHU will be going around and reaching out 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. Stay tuned for more updates.
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Working Groups and Communications: There are different ways that everyone can get involved. If you’re interested in connecting with other postdocs who share your concerns, fill out this form to join a working group or become a member of our Communications team to help highlight our stories that support our bargaining and organizing.
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Join our Committees: If you’re interested in helping talk to our colleagues about the importance of winning a great contract, or want to be a member of our Bargaining Committee, reach out to us at info@hopkinspro-uaw.org to connect with an organizer in your area and learn more about next steps.
Together, we will win a contract that recognizes the value we provide to Hopkins, makes it a safer and more equitable place to work, and better enables our shared mission with admin in enhancing JHU’s promise of being the top-research institution in the country.
In solidarity,
Amanda Shaver, Biology
Ben Seicol, Otolaryngology/ Head & Neck Surgery
Cat LaCourse, Pediatrics
Jaime Eugenin von Bernhardi, Neuroscience
Mitch Cram, University Writing Program
Saakshi Dulani, Physics & Astronomy, Philosophy
Tianyu Cao, Pathology
PRO-UAW Bargaining Committee