Every sector of employment need a union for the various purposed and benefits. Event, in the academic world which include many kinds of working arrangement from the 'contract staff' and 'permanent staff'. According to Cain et al (2014:3):
"By joining together collectively in a union, postdocs also gained a voice beyond the campus. For example, UAW 5810 has enabled postdocs to increase our visibility and involvement in politics that influence science and society: this is particularly important at a time when the political climate is at times regressive and ‘anti-science’. For example at the end of 2013, when the Sequester loomed and science funding in the US was threatened, we started an initiative to roll back these cuts and improve overall science funding. Thirty nine congressional representatives from across the nation supported our initiative by signing onto a letter, circulated by Rep. George Miller and Rep. Jim McDermott, to the Congressional Leadership of both parties. Due to these and many other efforts, the deepest cuts in federal science funding have been averted, but we are continuing to push for research budget increases"
Based on this, just finish read the reality happened in University of California which explained below:
How postdocs benefit from, building a union. Members of UAW 5810—the union for postdoctoral researchers at the University of California—describe how their union has led to improved terms and conditions for postdocs.
the journey of the union followed the same steps of trade union movement which begin with few people with the willingness to working collectively. By doing a planning and action to that plan...they finally reach to the step on perform "collective bargaining'.
Some interesting fact that, event Albert Einstein (the Noble-prize winning physicist) among founding member of AFT Local 552 at Princeton in 1938 had some message to us:
"I consider it important, indeed urgently necessary, for intellectual workers to get together, both to protect their own economic status and also, generally speaking, to secure their influence in the political field.”
“But intellectual workers should unite, not only in their own interest but also and no less importantly in the interest of society as a whole.”
“An organization of intellectual workers can have the greatest significance for society as a whole by influencing public opinion through publicity and education. Indeed, it is the proper task to defend academic freedom, without which a healthy development of democracy is impossible.”
Source :Albert Einstein on Collective Bargaining
by that, this paper provide the reader of how the postdoc student finally success to collectively involved in decision making in the US. For more stories, read the article below:
How postdocs benefit from, building a union write by Cain et al. eLife 2014;3:e05614. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.05614
