Gender inequity – the fact that women academics, and especially those with children, are paid less, have less job security, face sexual harassment at a dramatically higher rate, and ultimately decide to leave the academy with much greater frequency than their male counterparts, is an issue of the gravest importance at UC and throughout academia. From taking a lead role in calling out the university’s failure to address the sexual harassment crisis at UC, to aggressively pursuing workplace gender discrimination grievances, to winning increased paid leave, UC Postdocs and Academic Researchers have made gender equity a core mission of our union’s efforts.
Recent Actions
- Non-Discrimination Protections and Paid Parental Leave for all Postdocs:
With our new contract, Postdocs have increased mechanisms in place to prevent sexual harassment, strong protections for survivors, and we are now the only public university in the country with paid parental leave for all Postdocs. - UAW 5810 Week of Action Against Sexual Harassment at UC:
In the spring of 2016, UAW 5810 hosted a week of teach-ins, lectures, and direct actions against Sexual Harassment at UC
Statements
- International Union UAW’s Public Comments, on behalf of UAW Higher Ed Unions, in opposition the Betsy Devos’s proposed changes to Title IX
- UAW 5810 Comment on Draft Changes to the UC Presidential Policy on Sexual Harassment and
Sexual Violence - UAW 5810 Public Comment on NSF’s Proposed Changes to Sexual Harassment Policy
- UAW 5810 Comments on UC Sexual Harassment and Violence Policy
- UAW 5810 Letter to Janet Napolitano
- UAW Comments on UC Joint Committee Report
Media
- Editorial: She Wanted to Do Her Research. He Wanted to Talk ‘Feelings.’ by A. Hope Jahren (NY Times)
- The Baby Penalty by Mary Ann Mason (Chronicle of Higher Education)
- Short-Term Appointments Make UC Postdocs Vulnerable to Sexual Harassment by 5810 President Anke Schennink (Medium)
- Guest Post: UC Postdocs Demand Paid Parental Leave by 5810 Trustee Lydia Majure (Tenure She Wrote)
- UC Must Prioritize Prevention and Protection in its Sexual Harassment Policy by 5810 Trustee Carlena Ebben Eaton (Huffington Post)
- UC Must Make Good on Commitment to Fix Gender Equity Policies by 5810 Vice President Neal Sweeney (Huffington Post)
- UC’s Opportunity to Shape the Future of Scientific Research by 5810 President Anke Schennink (Medium)
- On Sexual Harassment, NIH Needs Tools To Make Things Better, Not More Compliance Regulations by Janet D. Stemwedel (Forbes)
- Postdoctoral Union Hosts Teach-ins on Sexual Harassment by Adam Iscoe (The Daily Cal)
- UC Must Have Zero Tolerance for Sexual Harassment by 5810 President Anke Schennink (Sacramento Bee)
- A push for stronger sexual harassment policies at the University of California by Beryl Lieff Benderly (Science )
- UCLA Community Protests Professor’s Punishment for Sex Harassment by Teresa Watanabe (LA Times)
- Sexual Harassment Cases Tarnish Berkeley’s Image as a Center of Social Activism by Thomas Fuller (NY Times)
- California Legislature Women’s Caucus Letter to Janet Napolitano (3/4/2016)
Gender Equity Updates
Same Issues, Same Table. Demand a fair workplace now!
We have all heard the horror stories: a supervisor belittles a Teaching Assistant (TA) in front of their students and coworkers; an international Student Researcher is unjustly fired and loses their visa; a Postdoc is fired from their lab when they tell their...
Vote today to improve paid family leave for Academic Researchers
We are your elected Academic Researcher Bargaining Team and we write to you with an exciting update. After years of pressure by our union, UC is proposing to add a new paid family leave benefit (Pay for Family Care and Bonding) to our contract. As of now, Academic...
VICTORY: UCLA has agreed to renew Sandra’s appointment ✊🎉
Sandra, along with Postdoc and Academic Researcher supporters. The crowd at yesterday's rally. This is what solidarity looks like. This is what union power feels like. Yesterday afternoon, UCLA agreed to renew UCLA Postdoc Sandra Koch’s appointment. We...
Daily Bruin Condemns UCLA’s Discrimination Against Sandra
Please read this powerful piece from the Daily Bruin's editorial board taking UCLA to task for their pregnancy discrimination against Sandra. Click the link to read or scroll down: Editorial: Pregnancy discrimination looms large at UCLA, forces women out of academia...
Help Stop UCLA from Destroying a Postdoc’s Career
Sandra Koch, a Postdoc in neurobiology at UCLA, is facing a horrific case of retaliation in response to a pregnancy discrimination grievance that she filed last year. Will you please take a minute to sign our petition demanding that UCLA immediately stop this...
May Update: Parental Leave Rights
In our 2016 contract negotiations, UC Postdocs fought for — and won — expanded Paid Parental Leave for all new parents. But UC administrators are often misinformed about our parental leave rights. Here are the facts! And if you have any questions, send an...
April Update: How We Enforce Hard-won Rights
UC San Diego Postdocs deliver a letter to UCSD Administration on behalf of a Postdoc grievant. Let’s say it’s your one-year anniversary as a Postdoc. You have been looking forward to the salary increase guaranteed by our contract, but when you look at your...
Today Our Union Submitted Public Comment in Opposition to the Trump Administration’s Proposed Changes to Title IX
Led by Education Secretary DeVos, the Trump administration has proposed changes that would severely weaken protections against sexual assault and harassment in academia. These changes would make it much harder for survivors to come forward and represent a massive step...
Speak out against Trump Admin attacks on Sexual Harassment Protections
Led by Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Department of Education is trying to weaken protections against sexual assault and harassment (also known as Title IX protections). These changes would represent a huge step backwards in ending the crisis of sexual harassment in...
Happy New Year!
Postdoc Union members at our statewide membership meeting in October. 2018 was a big year for our union -- starting salaries went up by over $2500, we successfully enforced our rights and pushed for pro-science policies, we nearly doubled in size with the addition of...