Scientists at the US National Institutes of Health have formed a union called NIH Fellows United, pushing for better conditions, pay and benefits. To date, around 3,000 research fellows have signed up to the body, which is seeking to unite the roughly 4,800 fellows who hold non-permanent staff positions across the agency, representing around one tenth of the NIH’s workforce. Certification of the union will require positive votes from a majority of eligible researchers, as well as approval from the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Although federal workers are barred from striking, the NIH Fellows United will instead rely on other forms of protest.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01845-w