On Wednesday, the Sinai administration formally responded to our petition to unionize.
We petitioned for graduate student workers who are teaching or researching to be included in our union. Sinai did not accept this petition. As a result, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will take time to hear our and Sinai’s legal arguments so that it can issue an official ruling determining “an appropriate bargaining unit” for our union.
Sinai made a number of arguments challenging our proposed union. Most disappointingly, Sinai has taken the official position that graduate student workers are not “employees” and should be denied the right to vote on unionization and engage in collective bargaining.
Considering Sinai’s opposition to our postdoc colleagues’ unionization efforts, we should not be surprised by this response. We’re confident in our proposal for a union of graduate student workers at Sinai and are preparing for the upcoming hearings with support from our national union, United Auto Workers (UAW). As Sinai employees, we play a critical role in producing the research that makes this a world-renowned institution, and we intend to fight for our right to collective bargaining and win.
Upcoming events…
We will be joining a contingent of academic workers in the Queer Liberation March. The group will be meeting this Sunday June 25, at 3PM at the northwest corner of Foley Square by the statue. RSVP here to let us know if you can make it https://forms.gle/Q5T3xnBjHsrdgZkT6
We will schedule more Town Halls soon to keep everyone informed on the development of our case. Look out for those dates in the coming days and weeks.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. Feel free to reply directly to this email, and a fellow student worker will be in touch.
Remember, we are the union, and we have the power.
Carina Seah
Genetics and Genomic Sciences
SSW-UAW Organizing Committee
For updates on our union, check out sinaistudentworkers.org and take a minute to like and follow us on Twitter.