Pledge: I stand with UW Research Scientists & Engineers and Postdoctoral Researchers in their fights for fair wages; strong workplace protections against harassment, discrimination and bullying; and a democratic voice in the workplace. Fair contracts for UW workers now!

UAW 4121 Postdocs and Research Scientists & Engineers (RSEs) are fighting for:

·   A living wage! 30% raises for RSEs and 72k for Postdocs

·   End the unfair labor practices! Stop violating labor law and reclassifying worker unilaterally

·   No more delays! UW must bargain a fair contract now

Throughout the bargaining process, University Administration has continued to stall and employ union-busting tactics. A majority of Research Scientists/Engineers declared their desire to unionize over a year ago, but still have yet to win a contract. Additionally, University Admin recently reclassified hundreds of employees and required them to begin tracking their hours in order to avoid the state-mandated pay raise that would have kicked in at the beginning of the year. Tracking hours severely disrupts their work.

In response to these egregious union busting tactics, workers have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. Out of 959 ballots cast by the RSE unit, 879 voted YES; for the Postdoc unit, 401 ballots were cast, with 386 voting YES.

The labor of academic workers is essential to the functioning of the university and forms the foundation of academic research, driving progress in countless fields. Yet these workers are exploited: underpaid, overworked, and undervalued. Workers have a right to fair wages, benefits, and decent working conditions, and we know that collective bargaining and striking are the most powerful tools the working class has for achieving these goals.

For workers to win, they need broad community support for their struggle. Will you pledge to attend a rally or strike if workers are forced to escalate or go on strike?