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Weill Cornell Medical College postdoctoral researchers voted to unionize this week, shortly after graduate student workers at the affiliated Cornell University chose to do so.
The Medical College unionization vote was 328-4, with nearly 70 percent of eligible voters participating, according to a news release from the new union. It's called Weill Cornell Medicine Postdocs United, and it's affiliated with the UAW, a major player in the continuing unionization of grad workers across the nation.
“WCM Postdocs face unpredictable salaries that don’t match the skyrocketing cost of living in New York City, bureaucratic hurdles for international workers, insufficient family benefits, and the lack of enforceable protections against sexual harassment, discrimination, and bullying," said Dr. Caitlin Williams, a postdoc, in the release. "These challenges add unnecessary stress to the postdoc experience and make it more difficult to focus on quality research.”
The union will represent all postdoctoral trainees performing research in New York City, where the college is based, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
The college said Thursday it won't appeal the election. A spokesperson emailed Inside Higher Ed a statement.
"We are committed to making Weill Cornell Medicine a place where everyone can do their best work in a supportive community, and we welcome the opportunity to build a relationship with UAW," the statement said. "We look forward to negotiating a collective bargaining agreement that reflects our shared values and addresses the needs of our postdocs.”
