Explainer: How an American car workers’ union became a champion for postdocs

Two years ago the largest academic strike in US history took place. It involved tens of thousands of academics across the University of California (UC) system’s 10 campuses and one national lab. Backed up by an automotive union, the strike resulted in new five-year contracts that included pay rises of 20–23% and annual pay increases of at least 3.5% for postdocs, as well as salary increases of about 29% for typical academic researchers over their contracts. This major win, which also delivered protections against abuse and bullying, as well as improved paid parental and family leave, emboldened academics at other universities across the country to mobilise and fight for similar gains. This massive movement is still gaining momentum in the US, as postdocs at the University of Washington have been protesting this month for better contracts.