Now that we have won our union, Fellows are preparing to bargain with the NIH. This survey includes issues that many Fellows have stated they would like protected or expanded upon.
Please respond with how important each issue is to you. If you have additional topics you would like addressed or proposed solutions, leave them in the spaces provided.

This survey is one component of informing the Fellows on the bargaining committee who we will soon be electing about the issues that are important to all of us in bargaining. This survey will be used to formulate initial bargaining demands which we will all vote on, and there will be opportunity to participate throughout the process. For more information on the bargaining process, visit nihfellowsunited.org/faq.

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* 1. Contact Info

Please evaluate these bargaining priorities on a scale of 1 (low importance) to 5 (high importance).
Wages, Compensation, and Benefits

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* 2. Improve health, dental, and vision insurance benefits

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* 3. Guaranteed and equitable access to relocation benefits

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* 4. Increasing time off and protecting the right of Fellows to access that time

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* 5. Increasing pay scales and equalizing across institutes

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* 6. Ensure that Fellows pay is set in a transparent and equitable way

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* 7. Converting all fellows to W-2 employees

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* 8. Other priorities and solutions

A More Just, Equitable, and Inclusive Workplace

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* 9. Create a survivor-centered, transparent, third party grievance process in cases of bullying, harassment, and discrimination

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* 10. Protect and expand existing OITE resources for navigating cases of bullying, harassment, and discrimination

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* 11. Guaranteed transitional funding and support for Fellows who switch labs due to harassment, bullying, and discrimination

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* 12. Ensure that supervisors are capable of providing an equitable and inclusive work environment

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* 13. Grant Fellows the opportunity to work remotely when possible

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* 14. Other priorities and solutions

Infrastructure, Safety, and Emergencies

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* 15. Workplace safety concerns addressed in a timely manner

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* 16. Ensure that emergency and building safety planning includes Fellows

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* 17. Other priorities and solutions

Support for Parents and Families

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* 18. Increase paid family leave and protect the right of Fellows to use it

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* 19. Childcare subsidies for NIH and/or external facilities

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* 20. Greater support for lactating parents

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* 21. Protection for fellows whose schedules include care responsibilities or need to take breaks for said responsibilities

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* 22. Other priorities and solutions

Career Development

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* 23. Ensure advanced funding and timely reimbursement for work-related travel

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* 24. Protect existing OITE career development resources

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* 25. Ensure that Fellows are not penalized in recommendation letters for seeking recourse for workplace problems via union grievances or other resources

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* 26. Protected use of work time for career development, orientations, and service

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* 27. Ensure proper academic credit is given on papers and grant applications

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* 28. Other priorities and solutions

International Researchers

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* 29. Ensure NIH meets all timelines and fulfills all obligations in visa processes

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* 30. Financial and administrative assistance for visiting fellows pursuing visas and green cards

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* 31. Paid time off for immigration appointments and reasonable leave to visit family abroad

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* 32. Increase and standardize contract lengths across institutes in order to allow longer visas

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* 33. Other priorities and solutions

Appointments and Job Security

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* 34. Create clear expectations for work duties and performance which are appropriate for the fellow’s experience level

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* 35. Improve the renewal process such that it is transparent, equitable, and protects fellows from wrongful termination.

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* 36. Ensure that  fellows are  provided with info about our union and all resources available to them during onboarding

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* 37. Enforceable and neutral grievance process for resolving workplace disputes

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* 38. Other priorities and solutions

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* 39. What other issues do you think Fellows should address via bargaining?

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* 40. I want to work with other Fellows to win a great contract.

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