Senate Bill 214 introduced to create exemption in PERS for post docs

The issue of post-docs and their unaffordability has been an issue at Portland State for some time. At issue is the money that principal investigators must pay into the PERS system or option retirement system as the employer retirement contribution. Post-docs are short term employees who rarely stay in a post-doc position the 5 years necessary to vest into the employer contributions. The money contributed by the employers is invariably lost. This is also an added cost that has to be factored into grant proposals, and this added cost makes proposals that come from Oregon more expensive that grant proposals that come from states that do not have this added cost.

SB 214 creates a post-doctoral scholar whose position:  

1. includes formal mentorship by a faculty member employed by a university,
2. is limited to no more than five years, and 
3. requires that the person received the terminal degree in a related field within five years prior to placement in the position.

This bill will be reviewed by the PSU-AAUP legislative committee, and in concert with the UAUO legislative committee we will endeavor to take a position on the bill through AAUP-Oregon.

The bill does not address how the existence of this new classification of employee will impact the research assistant and research associate ranks (comprised of approximately 100 members) at Portland State. We have a concern that the bill could create an incentive for the employment of post-docs instead of research assistants and research associates at lower wages and lower benefits- something that the former VP of Research has articulated repeatedly he wanted.

We have already provide feedback to the university government relations offices at UO, OSU, and PSU that we want to see mentorship more narrowly defined; that there be protections that would prevent the research assistant and research associate ranks from being removed from the AAUP Bargaining unit; and protections that would prevent the research assistant and research associate ranks being vacated in favor of a new post-doc position at lower wages or benefits.

We will keep you apprised as this develops.