Your Rights to Support and Join Unions as an International Worker

Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NRLA) guarantees you have the right to organize a union to negotiate with your employer over your terms and conditions of employment – regardless of whether you are a domestic or international worker. This includes your right to distribute union literature, wear union buttons and t-shirts, solicit coworkers to sign union authorization cards, and discuss our union with coworkers. Section 8 of the NLRA states that supervisors and managers cannot spy on you (or make it appear that they are doing so), question you, threaten or bribe you regarding your union activity or the union activities of your co-workers -- that means it is illegal to use immigration status to threaten or punish international workers for supporting and joining a union. 

Furthermore, union membership should not delay or jeopardize applications for legal permanent residence or any other immigration procedures and it is illegal to discriminate based upon union membership. Thousands of International Postdocs and Research Associates at Universities across the country have become union members without reported delays or rejections of immigration applications. 

See this document from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Immigrant Worker Rights

Additional Economic Burdens and Job Insecurity as International Workers

Similar to many institutions, a majority of Postdocs and Research Associates at Northwestern are international workers, making up over 70% of the workforce. As international employees, we play a vital role in advancing Northwestern's research and teaching missions—not only through our labor but also by sharing our diverse experiences and enriching the university's culture. However, we encounter additional challenges and financial pressures related to our visa status, and for many, our legal residency in the United States is directly linked to our employment at Northwestern. 

Short-term contracts, late notice for contract renewal, unofficial appointment letters, delays or errors in paperwork processing can all make international workers vulnerable to deportation and place undue stress upon us that affects our personal and professional lives. Depending on our visa-status, there is also a limited amount of unemployment time we are able to accumulate between positions - putting additional pressure on us to stay employed to retain our legal residency in the United States. 

Additionally, the costs of establishing and maintaining our legal status often fall entirely on international workers – placing additional economic strain on us and our families. By establishing a union, we can collectively negotiate with the University to protect against these vulnerabilities and alleviate financial burdens related to immigration costs. See below for some recent examples from other academic unions.

Workplace Harassment and Exploitation of International Workers

Recent studies have shown that International Workers are particularly vulnerable to harassment and exploitation. International workers in precarious employment positions can be coerced into working overtime, doing work outside their responsibilities, or on additional projects that delay progress on their own work – using threats against contract or visa renewal to pressure and harass us. By unionizing as NUPU, we can fight for University policies and procedures that ensure protection from these threats and abuse - as well as increased job security for international and domestic workers alike.

Recent Union Wins Related to International Worker Support

Below are some examples of wins included in recent contracts negotiated for by other academic unions:

• Guaranteed right to timely tax assistance and reimbursement funds for visa-related expenses (negotiated by Mount Sinai Postdoc Union, SPOC-UAW

• Established support fund to help offset immigration-related costs (Northwestern University graduate student union, NUGW-UE)

• Established annual self-replenishing reimbursement fund for VISA or SEVIS fees to offset immigration-related costs (negotiated by UMass Amherst Postdoc Union, PRO-UAW)

• Increased initial minimum appointment length from 1 year to 2 years (negotiated by the University of California Postdoc Union, UAW 5810)

• Protected time off for visa renewal (negotiated by Mount Sinai Postdoc Union, SPOC-UAW)

• Increased offer windows to accommodate work authorization timelines (negotiated by Columbia University Postdoc Union, CPW-UAW)