The Crisis of "PhD graduates and Early-Career Scientists" is "Anomaly in the Anatomy of Academy!?.

The Crisis of "PhD graduates and Early-Career Scientists" is "Anomaly in the Anatomy of Academy!?.

In the latest "Nature Editorial", the following Editorial piece appeared (linked below). While the piece carries grim reality check on PhD graduate students based on results from a recent survey done by Nature,intention sure is a good one, they do not know how to write a title. The title itself is a questionable one, the plight of early career or PhD graduates low pay or living wage according to nature is a Scandal, like a Hollywood movie scandal or Washington DC scandal, is it?,Really Nature?. 

The living wage for graduate students or Post Docs or early scientists is not a Scandal, it is rather endemic, intrinsic system wide corrupt practice, because the academic structure is "Designed" that way?. 

It is not a temporary issue or a scandal between a supervisor or University admin or govt funding agencies, it is a crippling bigotry in "Equitable" treatment of young graduates and PostDocs, and it is a chronic debilitating structural issue of American Universities, Institutions as well as the global academic centers.

It is a Crisis that will deteriorate scientific endeavors and future scientific discoveries, once the young generation of scientists realize what they see or undergo is by design, interest and involvement in such field will take a nosedive, it is too late but still can be repaired and fixed. 

Ofcourse time is running out

Quote:"This year’s survey should set loud alarm bells ringing for anyone involved with recruiting and training the next generation of researchers. It demands swift, decisive action from governments and funding agencies to secure the future of science and the broader economic and social benefits that flow from it"".

fortunately Science still is meaningful and attractive to young minds around the world regardless of so much fakery and political derailing of science and research that recently happened or still happening in the name of Covid-19!?. Massively politicized, manipulated and utterly faked, mane made pandemic that lots of Scientists knowingly participated, events and unscientific approach like this would push the young minds that are already weary of "living wage or pay crisis" away from research..!

However, the fight and protest  

Quote: " On 11 October, a graduate-student group at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, staged a walkout as part of an ongoing protest calling for a guaranteed living wage and for the kinds of rights and benefits that come with academic employment contracts. The group is also looking to form a union, which it wants Dartmouth to recognize"

these young scientists put up to resolve these living wage and benefits issues that catapulted into "Unionization", the union way of fix up sure can help and heal the academic fractures to some extent, some centers like Uconn Health Center (UCHC) where the first Postdoctoral Union was formed prospered, became one of the finest research centers in America contrary to what most thought, unionization will fail, will create rift and not the right path ultimately bow down to the unionization, that is spreading all across US. However, I caution that Unionization works and it is fine to embrace, but the leaders and policy makers and stakeholders got to "overhaul" the way academic and research centers function with regard to "living wages and Pays" to graduates, PhD students and PostDocs, they are the Pillars of Science, medicine and Research!. A nation without best scientists and research will ultimately fail, will be a failed society. 

This Scientific crisis must never be looked at as a temporary or short term issue or a scandal that will go away or carpeted under academic ladder? but this is a pervasive existence of  "anomaly in the anatomy of academy!?.", the pain and endurance among early career students and graduates, PostDocs is not felt only during economic crisis or inflation or wall street crash!!!! 

 Quote:"The resulting financial pressures weigh more heavily on some than on others. They bear down particularly hard on people from low-income households, those who might be first in their families to go to university, and people from under-represented or historically marginalized groups — the very people whom universities are working diligently to recruit and retain.

perhaps little more pain during inflation or economic crisis but like a long lasting chronic pain, living wages and standard of living pain endurance for them continue through any and all state or countries economic condition..!.

Quote: "Institutions need to re-evaluate their approach to PhD support"

Exactly, not just re-evaluate, be proactive and make changes to their policies to lend support and encourage in healthy ways than damn discouraging atmosphere, a "wholesome" academic structural change and upliftment is inevitable to safegaurd the young scientists future, thereby Science's future.

Link to Nature Editorial:

The scandal of researchers paid less than a living wage (nature.com)

This is a system wide structural corruption within the academic

 Link to the Nature Article below:

• EDITORIAL
• 02 November 2022

The scandal of researchers paid less than a living wage

The cost-of-living crisis is a fundamental threat for PhD scholars and early-career researchers. They need to be paid properly.

PS:

THIS IS AN EFFORT TO EDUCATE, UNITE AND VOICE FOR THE POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS/POSTDOCS IN USA. ALL THE POSTDOCS AND POSTDOC WELL WISHERS ARE WELCOME TO CONTRIBUTE AND POST YOUR MESSAGE HERE. GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS POSTDOCS.

PostDocs & US Congress: Congressman George Miller, Congresswoman Lynn Woosley and Congresswoman Barbara Lee give their Ears to PostDocs, Drill UC authorities?

A UC PostDoct says!

 personally know postdocs that have had each one of these issues. There is no way for them to fight because in the postdoc system there is no legal backing. I love science and I love my job. However, the postdoc system needs to change and I see unionization as an effective first step to accomplish this. I applaud Congressman George Miller, Congresswoman Lynn Woosley and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for their time and efforts to fight for us yesterday afternoon.

April 21, 2010

Congressional Hearing Scheduled on U Cal Postdoc Union Negotiation

PRO/UAW, the union representing postdocs on the University on California's ten campuses, won official recognition in August 2008.  Nearly 2 years later, the two sides in the postdocs' contract negotiation remain stuck, despite regular meetings that have produced agreement on a number of issues. Now, in a very unusual step, the Committee on Education and Labor of the U.S. House of Representatives has announced a hearing focused on these talks.

INTERVIEW with a PostDoc- OKi, Mathew O'Connor

some of the PostDocs Pics, courtesy: from PRO/UAW website

Breaking PostDocs News!!!!
PostDocs at the University of California Campuses are getting closer to Unionization!!.

One more step and they will be finalizing unionization of PostDocs at the UC campuses.

After a long fought out struggle to get recognition and respect, postdocs in UC came long way to get to this state of unionization, and it is worth looking at their plights, organizational efforts that lead to a successful majority card sign up.

At the time of this interview with one of the PostDoc activist and spokesperson OKi, UC Postdocs were waiting for the local labor board certification.

Oki popularly known is a postdoc, who's real name Mathew O'Connor, he is one among the postdoc organizing committee members and the spokesperson for the PRO/UAW. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the field of Bio-Engineering at the University of California, Berkley campus.

Oki, like other active postdocs at UC campuses are part of this organizational movement that is ongoing as of now in UC campuses. In an effort to bring the postdocs together to make their voices heard by the administrators and faculties.

PRO/UAW organizers recently submitted the petition to the PERB and waiting to hear from the labor board for the next step to officially announce their unionization and plan for negotiating a contract that would make postdocs life much better in UC campuses. If finalized this will be the second "POSTDOC UNIONIZATION" in US and in the world.

I Interviewed Oki on the phone a couple of weeks ago, here is it:-

Dr.Muni: I have read the news about 5000 PostDocs joining PRO/UAW, what is happening at the UC, can you tell me briefly about this news??.

Oki: Thank you for your call and I am very happy to be talking to you the poineer's of PostDoc unionization at the UCONN Health center. It is an exciting moment for us, what we have now is the majority of the postdocs about 3000 or more signed up for the union cards. This is good because now we can seek the PERB approval for joining the union.

Dr.Muni: Isn't this card sign up was going on for a while!, what happened in the earlier efforts to get postdocs sign the card?

Oki: Well, prior to this event, there were only 100 cards about two years ago. Which is very smaller number for us to do anything with it, also, about 600 of the signatures were disregarded as the "title" of PostDocs were changed to some other titles that was not in favor of a postdoc to get into such activities. This title change was one of the reason why we did not get majority sign up and we withdrew the petition last time, but now the organizing process is much more evolved and it is in a better condition now than ever.

Dr.Muni: This is a huge change and progress from the previous attempt?

Oki: Postdocs from all the campuses came forward to sign up. PostDoc's awareness, willingness to participate in union got better and better. Actually, they volunteered in huge numbers into this effort, so we have lot more postdocs with solidarity in thinking and working together, this involvement is a must for unionization process to grow up. So, the postdocs and the union UAW members worked together to get the majority cards signed up.

Dr.Muni: Now you have the cards in hands, what is next?

OKi: We have filed a petition for the approval from PERB, and are waiting for the PERBs decision for our next move.

Dr.Muni: What is PERB, and what is it's role?. Do you have to go for a campus election?

OKi:PERB is the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) of California, this is the authority to decide on the cards signed, the board will check the details of the postdocs, legiteacy, appointment verification and finaly certify that we are employees and we have a majority signed up the union card.

Dr.Muni: Once PERB is approved, do you have go for election?.

OKi:No, No election is required if PERB authorizes our cards. It is different from the Uconn Health Center labour board recognition, where a election was required to prove the majority. In PERBs case, once cards are in majority, this is in itself an approval to join the union. [check the PRO/UAW website for updates: Updates from the PRO/UAW Organizing Committee, Fellow Postdocs]

Dr.Muni: Good, so the next process is to announce the unionization and work on the policies

OKi: Yes

Dr.Muni: Why do you seek a Unionization and what are you going to achieve?

OKi: Union is a voice, we are hopeful that this will bring us a equal voice in the administration where we will participate on decision and policy making, this establishes a power relation with the university.

Dr.Muni: Is there any other Postdoc Union in US or in the world?.

OKi: Uconn Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut is the only Postdocs in US, and it is the only postdoc union in the world. As of today, to my knowledge this is the only postdoc union in the world and ours will be the second, but ours will be the largest PostDoc union in the world once we complete this process.

Dr.Muni: What is your understanding about Uconn Postdoc union and did you learn anything from them?.

OKi: Uconn PostDocs are the pioneers, they had set a president by unionizing, going through all the struggle for recognition and better treatment of PostDocs, this is a great model for postdocs community all over US and the world, what they achieved is phenomenal success and it is a great inspiration for us.

Dr.Muni: One last question, what is next and what is to expect in the coming weeks?.

OKi: Well, we are waiting for the PERB approval, once we hear their decisions, we will formulate the PostDoc union and move on on to negotiate our first contract, just like how the Uconn Postdocs got their very first best contract signed and approved within 6 months time. We will go from there.

Dr.Muni: Thanks Oki, I appreciate your time and this happy news with me.

Oki: Thank you Dr.Muni, we are happy to share this news with the pioneers of postdoc unionization, looking forward to chat with you soon about the progress

5000 Postdoctoral Researchers from University of California campuses Join UAW!!

Hmmm...!!!, this is one of the news I was anticipating to take place long, long time ago. This is a slow progress, but considering the complexities and slavery that exists in the academic circles, the PRO/UAW's effort to get the postdocs sign the cards to join Union is a great success.

It is not an exaggeration to say here that there was a huge noise in the minds of academics and postdocs when they heard PostDoc Union for the first time from the Uconn Health Center Postdocs. Because, there was no such thing as postdoc or researchers union few years ago, though the university faculties in many places are in union. Postdocs talking about union was considered like a taboo or something unimaginable or some kind of a academic insult, how ignorant these academics, postdocs and union bashers in the universities??.

Well, just after we (Uconn PostDocs) unionized the postdocs successefully at our UCONN Health Center via the 3837 local union branch of AFT-CIO, the University Health Professionals (UHP) (AFL-CIO is affiliated to American Federation of Teachers). We sat down for negotiating a contract, it was not a smooth ride or spoon feeding blessings, it was a long standing fight against the administration and the academics to gain some respect, equity and position in making policies and rules to the university administration. First we had to go the state labour board to get a recogniztion as employees (what a tragedy that our working system is so dilapidated and skewed that PostDocs are not employees, those in the administration, Professors and ignorant people will trumphet this lines : Oh Postdocs are not employees, Oh Postdocs are temporary, Oh postdocs are trainees...all those fuc....! craps), we had to win over all these intricately woven ignorance, then after the board gave us upper hand and recognized us as employees, we had to organize an election, there were steps to derail our efforts and hard work, there were intimidation and direct threats, but we did not give up, we fought with all the courage and putting our only jobs in risks, we won the election, then within 6 months we struck a great deal of contract which brought smiles, happiness and dignity in the labs, though the faculties (some of them?) and administration felt the blow on their face, they started realizing this is real and truth and they have no other choice to co-operate and accept reality......what happened after this is a great working atmosphere, no more intimidation or threat, no more disrespect and the university is doing good, probably better now with this heightened PostDoc consciousness, a respect that was brewed over years at the Uconn is in fruition..........all the postdocs benefit from our efforts.

We knew right away this historic event is going to cause some tremors in the academic circles, but there were lot of people who do not believe in change or positive reconstruction of academic/university policies did not give a second look at this great historic event of UCoNN, but wait and see.

The Dhamma work is very powerful, it might move slowly but it is powerful enough crack the most strongholds of our academia, the University of California Postdocs effort to join PRO/UAW is the first largest crack the Postdoc unionization is making, it will sure extend beyond what one can think or conceive in their minds about the role and values of postdocs, if you mistreat them or mistreated them for decades, it is time to look back and do what is needed to be done for postdocs, or else perish in your thoughts, a unionization drive will kick your ass.........!!!.

Ever since the Uconn PostDocs got unionized, there was a commotion among the faculties, university administrations, govt agencies and postdocs as well as the unions as to whether or not the postdoc unionization effort will die down with the Uconn alone or will it transcend to other university campuses and institutions. The answer is what is happening in at the PRO/UAW!........

5,000 University of California Researchers Join UAW

by James Parks, Jul 11, 2008

Some 5,000 postdoctoral researchers at the University of California (UC) took a huge step toward joining a union after a majority signed cards authorizing the Postdoctoral Researchers Organize/UAW (PRO/UAW) to represent them in collective bargaining.

“We’re excited that postdocs have formed their own union so they can have a stronger voice in their workplace,” UAW Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Bunn says in a statement.

These workers make significant contributions to biomedical and other scientific advances, and deserve the same voice that other workers have.

PostDoc News & This Blog "PostDoc World"?

Immmmm...It has been three months since I updated or posted "postdoc" news. Instead of delving into the reason why? ofcourse hectic work schedules and other committments is one of the main reason, but I always did catch upon the happenings and brought them here immediately. I believe there is little lull on the postdoc world, not much is happening at the moment or whatever?.

But, today I was browsing the web for postdoc events, something caught my eyes. The salary issue in the UCLA system. It seems the UC system passed a resolution to follow upon the NIH Scales for PostDocs, good news but is in't too slow a change?. We did this four years ago at the UCONN Health Center and three years since the postdocs got their increased salary. Anyways, it is still a good news for those UCLA postdocs, not sure what the postdocs in other university and campuses are doing about their salary. Better get these basic needs straightened up during this momentum, or else you will be lagging behind others and slogging your life away for pennies.

Here is the UCLA news:
UC-wide Postdoc Salary Minimums to Increase (effective Oct 1st, 2007).
Submitted by ajzz on April 27, 2007 - 5:17pm.
Advocacy salary
Dear Colleagues,
The UC system has finally passed a resolution to base its postdoctoral salary minimums on the NIH rate. This much awaited change will be phased in over the next two years. Please see the attached message from the Vice Chancellor for details.
Cheers!

Ajay Gopal
President, SoPS____________________________________________________________________
UCLA Graduate Division------------------------------------Office of the Vice Chancellor &

Dean
Dear Department Chairs and Principal Investigators:
I am writing to inform you of the University's recent decision to augment the minimum salary scales for Postdoctoral Scholars to matchthe minimum levels supported by NIH. The annual salary ratescurrently range from $32,304 to $78,372. They will be increased according to the following schedule:

October 1, 2007: increase to $33,000
October 1, 2008: increase to $35,500
October 1, 2009: increase to $37,000 or
the annual level of the NIHNRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship and Training Grants,
whichever ishigher.

At UCLA, while many of the Postdoctoral Scholars are already beyond these levels, we still have a substantial portion for whom this will represent an enhanced level of support. Your cooperation inimplementing these changes will be appreciated.

Sincerely,
Claudia Mitchell-Kernan
Vice Chancellor Graduate Studies
Dean Graduate Division

Good Job folks!.

Note the Change in URL

I changed the postdoc world publishing title (URL) to: http://postdocunion.blogspot.com
thanks,
Muni

PostDocs & Mentoring:- Association of American Medical Colleges

The Association of American Medical colleges (AAMS) is making efforts to create a positive atmosphere to discuss postdoc issues by creating a "Compact", I am not sure the details of what is this compact means, as I have not read the details, but from the post in their website http://www.aamc.org/research/postdoccompact/ as well as from an article appeared in Nature by Paul Smaglik, naturejobs editor, the compact is an initiative for a nationwide discussion on postdoc and mentoring issues. Mainly aimed to improve the postdocs plight?. We have to wait and see how effective an initiative and their service to the postdocs and mentors?. In any case, such efforts need to be encouraged and appreciated, a good move.

Jan25, 2007
Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors
The Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors is intended to initiate discussions at the local and national levels about the postdoctoral appointee-mentor relationship and the commitments necessary for a high quality postdoctoral training experience. The Compact was drafted by the AAMC Group on Graduate Research, Education, and Training (GREAT) and its Postdoctorate Committee, and it is modeled on the AAMC Compact Between Resident Physicians and Their Teachers.

Jan 25, 2007,
Paul Smaglik's article in www.nature.com
A better deal for postdocs and their mentors?
The Association of American Medical Colleges last month approved a document that, if it becomes more widely adopted, could revolutionize postdoctoral training. The association's Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors (http://www.aamc.org/postdoccompact) is powerful because it gives both parties clear responsibilities and sets clear expectations for each side. It tells postdocs to take primary responsibility for their career development. It states that their research project should be developed with their mentor, and that this should have clearly defined goals and timelines, all of which, ideally, should be agreed at the time the postdoc appointment is made. It asks postdocs to follow good research practices, to adhere to ethical standards and to treat their colleagues with respect. It also challenges them to assume more responsibility as their project progresses and puts the onus on them to request formal performance reviews. And, finally, it charges them to seek professional development activities outside the lab, both in terms of scientific and career development.

PhDs & Changing trends in Job Market?

sPostDocs and the changing job market, an article by Paul Smaglik, the Nature jobs Editor provides some hints about changing trends in career for PhDs.

Demand for PhDs is uncertain in a changing market.
Paul Smaglik
"For recent graduates who are struggling to beat hundreds of other applicants to claim a full-time post, the answer is fairly obvious. But for those in industry who are trawling this sea of talent, the issue is less clear cut. Many recruiters say that they are unable to find the skills they require in the traditional marketplace. Depending on your level of cynicism, this is either an honest assessment or an apologia for outsourcing farther afield".