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| Postdocs Talk |
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Joanna Chui
CABM
I am here for science. I'm so consumed with my research that I rarely
think about how I'm treated at work, what benefits I'm entitled to,
whether I have job security or if the postdoc next to me has the same
salary as I do. But when I do think of these things, I realize the
unfairness of the situation. Yes, the majority of postdocs have good
agreements and relationships with their PI, but what happens when
something changes? We have a right to be in the conversation. |
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Alan Wan
Chemistry
As the university administration confronts an unprecedented financial
crisis, all employees, including post-docs, must have a seat at the
table where budget issues are resolved. Postdocs, an absolutely
essential part of Rutgers' research effort, must be treated with the
same level of respect that our unionized colleagues (which includes
faculty, staff, and graduate students) already enjoy. Unfortunately,
our lack of a union means that the administration can unilaterally cut
postdoc programs, salaries and/or positions. A strong turnout during
our card campaign will send a clear message to the university, and to
the academic community as a whole, that we post-doctoral researchers
want our voices to be heard. |
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Meredith Staples
Center for Women and Work
At Rutgers, we are voting for a union in a process called "card-check."
Every postdoc must vote. Anyone who chooses not to sign, or forgets to
fill out the card, or fails while on a research trip to mail the card
back to an organizer, will be counted as a vote against the union. If
we succeed, a large postdoc majority will get out the message loud and
clear that our concerns need to be addressed. As a graduate employee at
Rutgers, I was in the same bargaining unit as the full-time faculty.
Grads had autonomy to discuss issues and make changes, but when we
negotiated our contract, we had the combined strength of the faculty
and graduate employees. Postdocs can have this too, but only if we
vote. |
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Gary Lu
Pharmacy
The salaries of postdocs are terrible. As a postdoc with an MD and a
PhD, I am very aware of the market value of my skill set, and I choose
to work at a university and work on research I believe in. Postdoc
salaries should come closer to reflecting the true value of what we
bring to the university with higher starting salaries and yearly
increases like those earned by our unionized colleagues who work with
us on grants and in the labs. |
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Leah Horowitz
Environmental Science
After I earned my Ph.D., I worked in Australia and the UK. In both
places, postdocs earn salaries that are 150 percent above the
equivalent positions in the U.S. There, contracts were extended over
the length of the entire postdoc which means you had greater job
security than at Rutgers where contracts have to be renewed every year.
While in the UK, I was automatically provided with health care, pension
and other benefits of a British citizen although I am American. To come
to the U.S., my husband (also a post-doc) and I took major pay cuts.
This is tough when you're trying to raise a family, as many post-docs
are. By organizing a union and negotiating a contract, we can move
closer to the dignified lives enjoyed by our colleagues abroad. |
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Jaime De La Rocha
Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience
Having a union/contract will substantially facilitate the option of H-1
visas. It will give all national and international postdocs similar
benefits: including enrollment in the ABP plan, more mobility outside
the U.S., and easier passage to a green card. The only way to eliminate
the difference between national and international postdocs is to come
together to negotiate a union contract. |
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Soon-yong Park
Physics
I joined the Rutgers community many years ago - first as a graduate
student and now as a postdoc. It's incredible that, as a grad employee,
I had guaranteed benefits, better health insurance and leave, and also
vacation. Now as a postdoc, none of our benefits is clearly laid out or
explained, and these benefits are inconsistent among us. Some PIs give
us time off when we need it and some do not. Often, we don't even ask.
With a union, we won't have to guess what our benefits are and we won't
be afraid to use them.
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Lemma Ebssa
Entomology
My main concern is lack of clarity on benefits for postdocs. At first I
didn't know if I was entitled to paid holidays - which I'm not. I come
from Europe where labor law is set by each country; the government, not
the employer, determines your rights and benefits. I knew what to
expect. At Rutgers I've wasted hours trying to determine my benefits. A
union contract will lay this out for postdocs so we can focus on our
work -- science. Organizing a union is our first step.
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Leslie Emtage
Waksman Institute
I am expecting my second child soon. This time I would like paid
maternity leave. When I gave birth to my first child, I took unpaid
time off. My PI made a verbal agreement that he would keep my line
open. Although I appreciate my PI's willingness to give me time off and
allow me to return, I feel that my years of study and loyalty to
Rutgers should amount to more than just a hope that my job will be
there when life happens. Recently, a family member passed away. Again,
my PI gave me one month of unofficial, paid bereavement. I am lucky for
my good-natured PI. But postdocs need more than luck. We need job
security when our families need us. We are professionals and we deserve
respect.
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Gunasekaran
Singaravelu
Waksman Institute
Providing on-campus accommodation at subsidized rent to postdocs should
be seriously considered for two reasons. First, rent is so high that
one-bedroom housing is a luxury for an average postdoc. Second, having
a house near the lab would tremendously improve our productivity as,
for example, one can quickly visit the lab anytime - including night
hours or weekends - to set up a reaction or follow up on a timely
experiment.
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