Postdoctoral fellows at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) ratified their first union agreement on March 16, just seven months after electing to join the AFT-affiliated University Health Professionals (UHP).

The new agreement includes a grievance procedure, paid leave, paid sick leave, daycare scholarships, state employee health and pension benefits, and wage increases worth about $1 million over two years. The 27 percent increase in the minimum postdoc salary and a 6.3 percent wage increase over two years will raise wages across the board.

"It is great to get a first contract in such a short period of time," said Ben Wenograd of AFT Connecticut, the chief negotiator for UHP. "The postdocs were unified around a few key proposals, and the university, to its credit, recognized the need for change. As a result the negotiating teams were able to find common ground."

The process began years ago as a quest for respect and fairness, noted John Wagner, who finished his postdoctoral fellowship in October but stayed with the team to see the negotiations through. "This agreement demonstrates that we've achieved both."

"We're thrilled to have the postdocs join the other 1,900 members of UHP and hope that this agreement will serve as a model for postdocs everywhere," said UHP president Jean Morningstar. [AFT Connecticut] [Barbara McKenna]

[March 17, 2004]