FAQs

Northwestern University values the contributions that Postdoctoral Scholars and Research Associates make to its research mission. We provide firsthand training and experiences that prepare our Postdocs and Research Associates for a range of career outcomes. The University remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting these individuals for future success.

A union is an organization that, in exchange for dues and/or fees paid by individuals it represents, serves as a representative for a group of employees, negotiating with the employer to establish terms and conditions of employment and addressing grievances.

The NLRB (also called the Board) is an agency of the United States government that enforces and oversees administration of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the federal labor law that covers most private employers. Among its principal functions, the Board:

• Holds secret ballot elections to determine if employees wish to be represented by a union for purposes of negotiating and establishing the terms and conditions of employment with their employer and, if so, by which union;
• Prevents and remedies unlawful acts (called unfair labor practices) committed by employers or unions.

The Board has published an overview of employer/union rights and obligations, accessible on the NLRB website.

A bargaining unit is a group of similar employees sharing a “community of interest” and who are collectively represented by a union. When a union is seeking to form a bargaining unit, the union initially decides who it wants to include, but the ultimate composition of the unit must be approved by the NLRB.

The NLRB, with input from both Northwestern and the union seeking to represent Postdoctoral Scholars and Research Associates (the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, known as UE), has approved a potential “bargaining unit” (a group of individuals collectively represented by a union) that includes the following: All Postdoctoral Researchers employed by Northwestern University at the Evanston and Chicago campuses in the following positions: Postdoctoral Scholar and Research Associate.

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows are considered Postdoctoral Scholars and are eligible to vote, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements. NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows may ballots subject to challenge, and the question of their inclusion in the bargaining unit will be decided at a later time.

The NLRB has also approved a list of scholars and employees who are excluded from the potential bargaining unit: MD-only Postdoctoral Researchers, JD-only Postdoctoral Researchers, Senior Research Associates, Clinical Research Associates, Senior Clinical Research Associates, Clinical Fellows, Feinberg Fellows, Direct Postdoctoral Fellows, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellows, managerial employees, guards and supervisors as defined by the Act.

A union seeking to represent a group of employees first needs to obtain “authorization cards” (defined below) from at least 30% of people they want to represent. Once that is done, it can present the cards to the NLRB and request an election. On July 8, 2025, a labor union, the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) filed a petition with the NLRB seeking to represent "the majority of Northwestern University postdocs and research associates for the purpose of collective bargaining." The University and UE have worked together and with the NLRB to reach an agreement on the details for a secret-ballot election that will take place Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 on the Evanston and Chicago campuses.

Authorization cards are signed, written or electronic declarations submitted by members of a potential bargaining unit stating that they want a particular union to represent them. Typically, unions collect authorization cards as part of an organizing drive in advance of presenting them to the NLRB with a request (which is called a “petition”) for an election to determine if a majority of eligible voters wants to be represented by the union.

A union can submit the cards in support of a petition for a representation election to the NLRB. On July 8, 2025, the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) filed a petition with the NLRB seeking to represent "the majority of Northwestern University postdocs and research associates for the purpose of collective bargaining."

No. Each voter is free to vote as they choose during the election, regardless of whether or not they signed an authorization card. Signing a card does not obligate a person to vote yes, and choosing not to sign a card does not obligate a person to vote no. The voting process is described below in the section titled “The Election Petition and Process.”

Yes. If you are represented by a union, you may be charged dues, initiation fees, fines and assessments, among other costs. Unions decide these costs without employer or NLRB input and usually seek to have dues and fees directly taken out of employees’ paychecks.

It is important to understand that there is a difference between being in a union-represented bargaining unit and being a union member. If the union is voted in and you are in a bargaining unit position (i.e., a Postdoctoral Scholar or Research Associate), you will be represented by the union (even if you prefer not to be) and you may still have to pay fees to the union.

A bargaining unit member may decide not to become a "union member," but they will still be represented by the union if the union wins the election. Unions usually require “non-members” to pay a fee to the union called an “agency fee.” The agency fee is essentially a service charge to cover the union’s costs for administering the collective bargaining agreement that covers all bargaining unit members’ employment terms, and the agency fee is usually about the same as union dues, though sometimes it is less.

Unions will typically seek to include a “union security clause” in their contract. Union security clauses sometimes say that all employees must join the union or pay an agency fee as a condition of employment. We can’t predict whether a union contract would have a union security clause since the University and the Union would have to bargain over it, but most union contracts do have these clauses.

A petition is a formal request from a union to the NLRB asking for a secret-ballot election to decide if a majority of employees in a potential bargaining unit wishes to be represented by a particular labor organization for the purposes of collective bargaining. When submitting a petition, a union must show that at least 30 percent of the employees in the petitioned-for bargaining unit want the union to represent them.

Every eligible Postdoctoral Scholar and Research Associate should vote during the Aug. 25-26 election. Keep in mind that union representation elections, like political elections in the U.S., are decided by a majority of votes cast. This means that if turnout is low, a small group of employees could decide the question of union representation for everyone.

No. If you are included in the bargaining unit and the union is voted in, you will be represented by the union whether or not you voted and regardless of how you voted. This includes future Postdoctoral Scholars or Research Associates.

If a majority of the votes cast in the election are for the union, then the University and the union are obligated to begin a process known as “collective bargaining” with the ultimate goal of entering into a contract.

There is no way to know the answer to this question at this point. Northwestern would bargain in good faith with the union, and the compensation and benefits that you currently receive could diminish, improve or stay the same. That said, it is important to understand that postdoctoral researcher positions are often directly tied to and contingent on the availability of external funding, which is a finite resource. To the extent that compensation and benefits increase, such increases will need to be covered by those same finite funding sources.