UE in the News

As the war in Iran continues, some labor unions in Pennsylvania are mobilizing to speak out against it.

Members of United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America Local 667 in Pittsburgh, which represents workers at the East End Food Co‑op, say they’re expanding anti‑war and what they call "anti-imperialist" organizing.

Union President Fritz Geist said the union’s Eastern Region has passed a resolution urging members to join protests, partner with anti‑war coalitions and press elected officials for action.

On October 31, the UE National Officers published an op-ed in In These Times on Palestine and Gaza. They explain why, even beyond the prospects of a ceasefire, UE is calling for an end to US military aid to Israel — and why other unions should be working towards the same thing.

Hundreds of postdoctoral scholars and research associates at Northwestern University voted to unionize this week, nearly two months after petitioning school officials.

“It’s beyond exciting to be part of something like this,” said Julia Fadjukov, 36, a postdoctoral fellow researching ophthalmology.

Members of the Northwestern Postdoctoral Union, or NUPU-UE, said they are seeking higher wages, workplace protections and job security. The vote paves the way for the collective bargaining process with the university.

“This job is our dream job. We love to do research and science for a living, but with everything going on in the U.S. at the moment, it has definitely felt like there’s this strong sense of fear,” said Fadjukov, who is from Finland. “I think many of us feel that with (the union), we can have a safe space to do our work.”

Dozens of organized Northwestern University postdoctoral researchers marched through campus Tuesday, delivering a petition to formally ask school officials to recognize their new labor union.

Northwestern University Postdoc Union would represent about 1,300 scientists and academic research staff, who say they’re fighting for higher wages, better healthcare and workplace protections. Many expressed concerns that their research funding and employment could be abruptly pulled amid an environment of political uncertainty on campus.

Teachers and Researchers United (TRU-UE) Local 197, a PhD workers' union at Johns Hopkins University, joined the rallies on May Day to demand that the university's administration protect international students, workers and research funding.

“The upshot is that we want them to be proactive about protecting our workers’ rights, to protect them from ICE and to protect their research funding,” said Stephen Schmidt, a graduate worker and member of TRU-UE Local 197.