UW Postdocs rally for a fair contract

Postdocs are escalating their fight for fair wages and stronger protections for international scholars

SEATTLE, WA (January 23, 2025) – On Friday, hundreds of postdoctoral scholars at the University of Washington gathered on campus at Mary Gates Hall to rally for a fair contract. Joined by supporters from the UW community, the workers spoke about their contract demands and demonstrated their solidarity as they fight to secure a strong contract.

UW Postdocs’ contract is set to expire on January 31, 2025. 

Among their demands, Postdocs are fighting for fair pay that reflects the reality of Postdocs’ research work and greater protections for international scholars, who comprise nearly half of all Postdocs at UW and face increased uncertainty due to the incoming Trump Administration.

“Being an international postdoc comes with its challenges. Many of us are on temporary visas, which can create insecurity, making it difficult to speak up for ourselves or negotiate better working conditions. On top of that, we face high living costs, visa fees, and travel expenses. We don’t want to feel like we’re here temporarily or that we’re replaceable. We want to be valued and supported,” said Qiuxian Li.

Postdocs and supporters rally at UW on Friday. Photo: UAW 4121

So far, UW Admin has presented proposals that fail to bring wages in line with Washington State’s minimum wage law. Rather than simply raising the minimum salary so that all Postdocs can continue to carry out their critical work, UW Admin is shifting the burden to faculty, labs and departments who must choose between breaking the law or letting crucial work go undone.

“For the kind of cutting edge research that we do, it’s impossible to anticipate the amount of time one will need for a complicated experiment and to wait on getting approved for overtime. That’s why we’re fighting for a pay raise in line with the state’s minimum wage law so we don’t have to track overtime—overtime which UW Admin has also made clear probably won’t be approved. We don’t want our science to suffer,” said Philip Creamer, a Postdoc in Hematology.

There are 800 postdoctoral scholars at the University of Washington. Postdocs are researchers who have earned their PhD and drive critical research at UW, from developing new therapies to fight disease, designing policy to tackle climate change, and advancing new technologies, in addition to mentoring students and more.

Additional bargaining dates are scheduled ahead of the contract expiration date.

Learn more at uaw4121.org