Election Outcome (Faculty and Staff Message)

The National Labor Relations Board has counted the votes that were cast on Monday and Tuesday, and a majority of the Postdoctoral Scholars and Research Associates who cast ballots voted to be represented by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). Of the 1,195 individuals who were eligible to vote, 515 voted in favor of unionization and 13 voted against unionization. This means that Postdoctoral Scholars and Research Associates will be represented by UE.

We thank the voters for casting ballots and respect their decision. We look forward to beginning the process of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement that works for the University, Postdoctoral Scholars and Research Associates alike.

While the University and UE make plans to begin the collective bargaining process, we expect there will be questions about unionization between now and the day we have a final contract. Over the coming weeks, we will update the postdoctoral unionization website with new information and frequently asked questions that address the next steps in this process. If you have specific questions, please submit them via the online form. But please bear in mind that the effects of this week’s election on Northwestern’s operations and processes with postdocs and research associates will not fully be known or understood until a contract is finalized.

As we have stated before, Northwestern deeply values the contributions that postdocs and research associates make to the University’s research and teaching missions. We remain steadfast in our commitment to support and prepare them for future success.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost
First Chicago Professor of Finance

Eric Perreault
Vice President for Research