Postdoctoral Researchers in California Ratify Labor Deal

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Wall Street Journal

By CARI TUNA

The United Auto Workers union representing about 6,500 University of California postdoctoral researchers ratified an agreement on wages, benefits and workplace protections with the university system, the groups announced Thursday.

The agreement, which covers roughly 10% of the country's postdoctoral researchers, ended a year and a half of contentious negotiations, which spurred a congressional hearing, said Norval Hickman, a smoking-cessation researcher at the University of California, San Francisco and member of the union's bargaining committee.

The contract marks the largest number of postdoctoral researchers to strike a labor agreement with a U.S. university, Mr. Hickman said.

The deal comes as the UAW has sought to extend its reach beyond the auto industry by organizing employees in other sectors—from casino workers to university staffers—amid a long-term decline in membership.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703723504575425590474045262.html?mod=rss_US_News

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Write to Cari Tuna at [e-mail]

[jpak]

1. wow - hope they do the same for adjuncts

:thumbsup:

[MoonGlow]

2. The academic powerbase - adjuncts & postdocs

[Omaha Steve]

3. Welcome to the DU

And Palin made a face about teachers this week.