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.

The bargaining unit includes 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 included in the bargaining unit, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements.

Whether NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows will be part of the bargaining unit remains an open question, which has not yet been decided.

Excluded from the unit are all other employees, MD-only Postdoctoral Researchers, JD-only Postdoctoral Researchers, Senior Research Associates, Clinical Research Associates, Senior Clinical Research Associates, Clinical Fellows, Feinberg Fellows, Postdoctoral Fellows (Direct), Visiting Postdoctoral Fellows, managerial employees, guards and supervisors as defined under the National Labor Relations Act.

Postdoctoral Scholars and Research Associates who (a) met the criteria in the “Included” definition above; (b) did not meet the criteria in the “Excluded” definition above; (c) received pay, via payroll, in the June 2025 monthly (June 30) or July 25, 2025 bi-weekly payroll; and (d) had not quit or been discharged for cause after the designated payroll period for eligibility.

No. If you meet the bargaining unit definition, 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.

The University and the union are obligated to engage in a process known as “collective bargaining” with the ultimate goal of entering into a contract that covers the terms and conditions of employment for bargaining unit members.

There is no way to know the answer to this question at this point. Northwestern will bargain in good faith with the union, and the compensation and benefits that you currently receive could diminish, improve or stay the same.

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.

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 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. 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.