Yale-employed postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral research fellows this week voted to unionize during a secret ballot election facilitated by the American Arbitration Association (AAA), Provost Scott Strobel and Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs Lynn Cooley announced today in a pair of messages to members of the university community.
Out of 1,386 postdocs eligible to vote, 890 votes were counted. 859 ballots (96.5%) were cast in favor of unionization. The votes were counted and certified by AAA last night.
"These results will establish a postdoctoral bargaining unit at Yale, which will include all current and future postdocs with the academic rank of postdoctoral associate or postdoctoral fellow who are employed by Yale," Strobel and Cooley said.
Clinical fellows and associates employed by Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and/or Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) will be excluded from the union, they noted.
The university will now enter into good-faith negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement with Local 33-UNITE HERE as the exclusive bargaining representative for eligible postdocs, Strobel and Cooley wrote. The agreement, they said, will be based in part on the framework that Yale and the union previously agreed to, "which includes commitments that are important to the university's research and educational mission."
As is customary during contract negotiations, Strobel and Cooley said, changes to the terms and conditions of postdoctoral employment, such as minimum compensation and benefits, will be paused until a union contract is ratified.
"While contract negotiations often take a year or longer, Yale aims to reach an initial postdoc contract in under a year," they wrote. "We are fortunate that this process will benefit from the strong relationship already in place between the university and Local 33."
Cooley, the vice provost for postdoctoral affairs, is also dean of Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and C. N. H. Long Professor of Genetics and Professor of Cell Biology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Strobel, the university provost, is also the Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry.
In their message to postdoctoral associates and postdoctoral research fellows, the Yale leaders expressed gratitude to everyone "who continues to engage with respect and openness, acknowledging a variety of viewpoints on unionization."
"We also appreciate the many ways you enrich the university through your critical research, scholarship, and teaching, as well as your important perspectives and experiences," they wrote. "Throughout the negotiation process and beyond, we remain committed to supporting your careers and growth."
