We won. The university officially recognized our status and granted the benefits we fought for. Thank you for pushing this across the finish line.
March 12, 2019
Final supporters
The number one issue facing postdoctoral fellows at the University of Ottawa is the lack of
employee status and employee related benefits. Remarkably, uOttawa remains one of only two
Canadian U15 Universities to not address these issues. The goal with this current petition is to
help empower those representing the postdocs to be a part of essential conversations
concerning the status of postdocs and benefits at the University of Ottawa.
The most recent data gathered from Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS)
demonstrates that 82% of uOttawa postdocs are dissatisfied with the status of their benefits as
compared to 44% at other Canadian Institutions. More specifically, only 13.1% of uOttawa
postdocs have access to a drug plan as compared to 47% at other Canadian Institutions; only
16% of uOttawa postdocs have access to extended health benefits as compared to 43% at
other Canadian Institutions; only 18% of uOttawa postdocs have dental as compared to 52% at
other Canadian Institutions; and finally, only 16.4% can access health insurance for their family
as compared to 44% at other Canadian Institutions.
As the average age of postdocs and the number of postdocs with dependents are all increasing (CAPS 2009 and 2016; uOttawa data 2016); there is an urgent need to improve the status of postdocs at uOttawa. Moreover, as we fall behind other U15 Canadian Universities, prospective postdoctoral fellows may look elsewhere for their continued research training. Of note, recently a portion of University of Ottawa PDFs training at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute have been granted employee status and have access to benefits. These recent changes in policy only emphasize how essential it is that uOttawa postdocs are provided with these same benefits.
It is our understanding that uOttawa is currently reviewing these policies; however, postdoctoral
fellows and our postdoc association have been excluded from any conversations. This petition
is an initiative from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine Postdoctoral Association
(PDA) to have proper representation and to be consulted when discussing issues related to the postdoctoral community including employee status and benefits.
We ask that you sign the following petition to show your support for your fellow postdocs, and
those representing them, to ensure that uOttawa supports its trainees at the highest level. We
encourage University of Ottawa trainees and staff (graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and
administrative staff) to sign this petition to show your support for our postdocs as we aim to
develop the best research environment at uOttawa.
Follow us for updates and news:
https://www.facebook.com/UOttawaPDA/
https://twitter.com/UOttawaPDA
Update: December 14, 2018: Following the initiation of this petition the Faculty of Medicine PDA was invited to, and attended, a recent meeting with uOttawa Administration to discuss the status of uOttawa postdoctoral fellows. We hope this represents the beginning of our ongoing
involvement in updating the uOttawa policies that affect all postdocs. The PDA’s inclusion in
these discussions means we need your support more than ever, so that we can best represent
uOttawa postdocs.
1. Jadavji NM, Adi MN, Corkery TC, Inoue J, Van Benthem, K. (2016). The 2016 Canadian
National Postdoctoral Survey Report. Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars-
L'Association Canadienne de Stagiaires Post-doctoraux.
Updates
January 3, 2019
The disparity between us and other U15 institutions is glaring. I am currently coordinating with representatives to bring these numbers directly to the administration.
Reached 100 supporters
January 3, 2019
18 Comments
It is unacceptable and disappointing in 2019, to exclude PDFs from relevant benefits discussions at the University of Ottawa. PDFs are older, have families - dependents - and require access to benefits in order to keep themselves and their families healthy. The reality is - PDFs are in a very vulnerable space seeking employment while continuing their training and attempting to publish, establish programmes of research and seeking stable sources of funding. It is an embarrassment to find out my colleagues in Ottawa are not equally protected and supported as their national counterparts. I am signing in support of the inclusion of PDFs in these conversations ASAP.
Lower-end salaries and especially the lack of basic benefits and employee status - essentially leaving them hanging in professional and financial limbo - are out of proportion to the workload of a postdoc and the years of training they underwent for that position. These are crucial problems during crucial years of a person's life, and including these stakeholders in the process is neccessary.
I know it's costly, but I'd like to think PDFs are worth the investment. We should earn a livable wage based on location (Ottawa isn't cheap) and have access to some coverage.
Please accept the reps from UOttawa Postdoc association to participate in the discussion regarding Postdoc status and benefits in the universities. If you do not involve the stakeholders in decisions that affect them, then the process leading up to the decision would only show that you are really not interested in the wellbeing of the Postdoc community.
As the competition level for academic positions increases, so does the age of the postdocs and the time they spend as postdocs before to obtain a position. When a postdoc is in it's fourth year as a post-doc and is 38-40 years old and have two kids, he or she is not in a situation comparable to a PhD student. Instead, he or she should be treated as some form of academic professional with the corresponding dignity and possibilities for supporting his or her family. We are not in the '80 anymore, when PhD students were offered positions before to finish their studies.
University should support this.
it is embarrassing that post-doc's don't have status or benefits.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
We won. The university officially recognized our status and granted the benefits we fought for. Thank you for pushing this across the finish line.
March 12, 2019
Final supporters
The number one issue facing postdoctoral fellows at the University of Ottawa is the lack of
employee status and employee related benefits. Remarkably, uOttawa remains one of only two
Canadian U15 Universities to not address these issues. The goal with this current petition is to
help empower those representing the postdocs to be a part of essential conversations
concerning the status of postdocs and benefits at the University of Ottawa.
The most recent data gathered from Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS)
demonstrates that 82% of uOttawa postdocs are dissatisfied with the status of their benefits as
compared to 44% at other Canadian Institutions. More specifically, only 13.1% of uOttawa
postdocs have access to a drug plan as compared to 47% at other Canadian Institutions; only
16% of uOttawa postdocs have access to extended health benefits as compared to 43% at
other Canadian Institutions; only 18% of uOttawa postdocs have dental as compared to 52% at
other Canadian Institutions; and finally, only 16.4% can access health insurance for their family
as compared to 44% at other Canadian Institutions.
As the average age of postdocs and the number of postdocs with dependents are all increasing (CAPS 2009 and 2016; uOttawa data 2016); there is an urgent need to improve the status of postdocs at uOttawa. Moreover, as we fall behind other U15 Canadian Universities, prospective postdoctoral fellows may look elsewhere for their continued research training. Of note, recently a portion of University of Ottawa PDFs training at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute have been granted employee status and have access to benefits. These recent changes in policy only emphasize how essential it is that uOttawa postdocs are provided with these same benefits.
It is our understanding that uOttawa is currently reviewing these policies; however, postdoctoral
fellows and our postdoc association have been excluded from any conversations. This petition
is an initiative from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine Postdoctoral Association
(PDA) to have proper representation and to be consulted when discussing issues related to the postdoctoral community including employee status and benefits.
We ask that you sign the following petition to show your support for your fellow postdocs, and
those representing them, to ensure that uOttawa supports its trainees at the highest level. We
encourage University of Ottawa trainees and staff (graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and
administrative staff) to sign this petition to show your support for our postdocs as we aim to
develop the best research environment at uOttawa.
Follow us for updates and news:
https://www.facebook.com/UOttawaPDA/
https://twitter.com/UOttawaPDA
Update: December 14, 2018: Following the initiation of this petition the Faculty of Medicine PDA was invited to, and attended, a recent meeting with uOttawa Administration to discuss the status of uOttawa postdoctoral fellows. We hope this represents the beginning of our ongoing
involvement in updating the uOttawa policies that affect all postdocs. The PDA’s inclusion in
these discussions means we need your support more than ever, so that we can best represent
uOttawa postdocs.
1. Jadavji NM, Adi MN, Corkery TC, Inoue J, Van Benthem, K. (2016). The 2016 Canadian
National Postdoctoral Survey Report. Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars-
L'Association Canadienne de Stagiaires Post-doctoraux.
Updates
January 3, 2019
The disparity between us and other U15 institutions is glaring. I am currently coordinating with representatives to bring these numbers directly to the administration.
Reached 100 supporters
January 3, 2019
18 Comments
It is a pity that postdoc as treated like this. A lab manager gets all the benefits yet postdoc don't. It is also shameful to tell families and other people that you are a postdoc at uOttawa as in some departments it is not considered as a job but as students and other departments don't consider it as students nor a job = limbo. The salary is another shameful thing, having been trained for that long and working so hard and long hours to be paid an administrator without a degree salary is unthinkable. Need to change
It is unacceptable and disappointing in 2019, to exclude PDFs from relevant benefits discussions at the University of Ottawa. PDFs are older, have families - dependents - and require access to benefits in order to keep themselves and their families healthy. The reality is - PDFs are in a very vulnerable space seeking employment while continuing their training and attempting to publish, establish programmes of research and seeking stable sources of funding. It is an embarrassment to find out my colleagues in Ottawa are not equally protected and supported as their national counterparts. I am signing in support of the inclusion of PDFs in these conversations ASAP.
Lower-end salaries and especially the lack of basic benefits and employee status - essentially leaving them hanging in professional and financial limbo - are out of proportion to the workload of a postdoc and the years of training they underwent for that position. These are crucial problems during crucial years of a person's life, and including these stakeholders in the process is neccessary.
I know it's costly, but I'd like to think PDFs are worth the investment. We should earn a livable wage based on location (Ottawa isn't cheap) and have access to some coverage.
Please accept the reps from UOttawa Postdoc association to participate in the discussion regarding Postdoc status and benefits in the universities. If you do not involve the stakeholders in decisions that affect them, then the process leading up to the decision would only show that you are really not interested in the wellbeing of the Postdoc community.
As the competition level for academic positions increases, so does the age of the postdocs and the time they spend as postdocs before to obtain a position. When a postdoc is in it's fourth year as a post-doc and is 38-40 years old and have two kids, he or she is not in a situation comparable to a PhD student. Instead, he or she should be treated as some form of academic professional with the corresponding dignity and possibilities for supporting his or her family. We are not in the '80 anymore, when PhD students were offered positions before to finish their studies.
University should support this.
it is embarrassing that post-doc's don't have status or benefits.
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It is a pity that postdoc as treated like this. A lab manager gets all the benefits yet postdoc don't. It is also shameful to tell families and other people that you are a postdoc at uOttawa as in some departments it is not considered as a job but as students and other departments don't consider it as students nor a job = limbo. The salary is another shameful thing, having been trained for that long and working so hard and long hours to be paid an administrator without a degree salary is unthinkable. Need to change