On May 8 and 9, Princeton postdoctoral researchers will vote to decide if they are going to unionize.
Princeton University Postdocs and Scholars (PUPS) recently announced that over 65 percent of postdocs have signed union cards after the card campaign went public in December. Unionization efforts have been ongoing for some time. The most recent push originated with a January 2023 open letter by 50 postdoctoral researchers that called for a higher minimum salary and a December rally organized by PUPS.
The election ballot will read, “Do you wish to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by ‘PRINCETON UNIVERSITY POSTDOCS & SCHOLARS-INTERNATIONAL UNION, UNITED AUTOMOBILE, AEROSPACE AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT WORKERS OF AMERICA, AFL-CIO?’” Postdoctoral researchers will be able to choose between “Yes” or “No” options.
Jessica Ng is a postdoctoral research associate at the High Meadows Environmental Institute, and serves as a union organizer for PUPS. In a statement to The Daily Princetonian, Ng wrote, “A lot of hard work from many people over the past few years has led to this milestone.”
A 2016 guest opinion submitted to the ‘Prince’ by then-postdoctoral researcher Aaron Bornstein addressed the debate for graduate unions eight years ago. “No one could seriously argue that improving the economic conditions of their workers has reduced the research productivity of these institutions,” he wrote. Bornstein is now an assistant professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at UC Irvine.
Ng added that PUPS “appreciate[s] that Princeton has agreed to our terms for the election.”
According to the election agreement, both the University and the union waived their right to a hearing. The University will also provide a list of eligible voters to the petitioner of the union, Jeremy Meyer. Meyer is the legal representative for PUPS.
In a statement to the ‘Prince,’ Dean of the Faculty Gene Jarrett wrote, “The University respects the right of eligible employees to unionize.”
According to Jarrett’s statement, the University supports the secret-ballot election. “A secret-ballot election is the most inclusive, fair, and secure method for eligible employees to express their preference whether to be represented by the United Auto Workers,” he wrote.
The postdoc election announcement follows less than a week after Princeton Graduate Students United (PGSU) filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Ng expressed that PUPS “is also thrilled that the graduate student union has filed for their election and look forward to improving our conditions as academic workers across multiple sectors at Princeton.”
Princeton has the potential to be the last Ivy League university to recognize graduate and postdoctoral unions. Graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania will have their union election on May 1 and 2, while all other Ivy Leagues schools already have postdoctoral unions or associations.
The postdoctoral union election dates are May 8 and 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The elections will be held in room 302 of Frist Campus Center.
“We encourage all eligible postdoctoral researchers and associate research scholars to vote … Whatever the outcome, our priority is to preserve an environment where all Princeton employees are valued and can thrive,” Jarrett wrote.
Ng echoed this message. “We encourage every postdoc and scholar at Princeton to vote in the elections … we know that a strong majority of workers in our unit understand the benefits of unionization,” she wrote.
Victoria Davies is an assistant News editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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