In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) released a report showing that rates of sexual harassment and assault are pervasive throughout academia – second, in fact, only to the U.S. military. In equity surveys we conducted during the 2018-2019 academic year among postdocs and academic student employees (ASEs), we found similarly high rates, with 60% of women, 40% of men, and 80% of non-binary people reporting experiences with harassment while at UW.
Our Local has a strong history of taking action to address these serious issues. For instance, in 2019, hundreds of Postdocs and allies turned out to a powerful work session on sexual harassment held by Seattle City Council Member Teresa Mosqueda, and subsequently won some of the strongest anti-harassment protections in the country.
Hundreds of Postdocs and supporters came together in May 2019 for Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda’s Work Session: “Confronting Discrimination and Harassment Through Collective Bargaining at UW”
At the 2019 NASEM Summit on Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Academia, we presented our poster #WeToo: Taking on Sexual Harassment Through Collective Action (pdf) on the critical role of unionization for addressing the structural roots of sexual harassment in academia.
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