Great news! Yesterday our Strike Authorization Vote concluded with 4,147 total votes cast, and 98.01% of Postdocs voting Yes. A supermajority of all UC Postdocs have voted to authorize our Postdoc Union Bargaining Team to call a strike if circumstances justify. In fact, our union reached majority participation faster and more Postdocs voted than in any strike authorization vote we’ve taken before — it’s clear that Postdocs are united in our efforts to stop UC’s unlawful behavior at the bargaining table.
What Happens Next
While we remain hopeful that UC will cease its obstruction and delays and join us in working to create a research environment where all can thrive, this resounding vote makes plain that we are nonetheless prepared to take strong action if UC continues its bad faith tactics. When the University chooses to impose unnecessary and arbitrary fees on International Postdocs like they did recently at UCLA, and refuses to bargain on improving the crisis of bullying and harassment at UC, it is violating California law and preventing progress on issues of critical importance to Postdocs, the University, and the wider academic community.
UC’s Pattern of Anti-Union Behavior
This week, a supermajority of our UC Student Researcher (SRs) colleagues also voted to authorize their union’s strike committee to call a strike should circumstances justify, with 97.5% voting Yes. UC is refusing to recognize and start to bargain with Student Researchers United (SRU), in spite of the fact that SRs overwhelmingly voted to form a union earlier this year. UC using arbitrary and baseless auspices to stand in the way of over 17,000 researchers exercising their hard-won collective bargaining rights is just another example of the University’s rhetoric about creating an equitable UC failing to match its actions.
Strong Majority Union Membership is Critical to Winning a Fair Contract
Thank you again to everyone who participated and a big shout-out to the hundreds of you who took the time to join walkthroughs, make phone calls and send emails. Strong and engaged membership is truly the most critical and powerful way to demonstrate to UC that we are united in our commitment to winning a fair contract. If you are not yet a union member, we urge you to take a moment to click here to sign your membership card now.
In solidarity,
UAW 5810 Postdoc Bargaining Team
Sarah Arveson, UC Berkeley
Gilbert Bernstein, UC Berkeley
Chris Hart, UC Davis
Adam Schneider, UC Irvine
Tim Kodalle, LBL
Jesse Livezey, LBL
Zachary Zeidler, UC Los Angeles
Lejla Medzikovic, UC Los Angeles
Brad Barker, UC Merced
Ingrid Padilla Espinosa, UC Merced
Tyler Bell, UC San Diego
Adam Caparco, UC San Diego
Jade Moore, UC San Francisco
Anne Sapiro, UC San Francisco
Caitlin Taylor, UC Santa Barbara
Heda Agic, UC Santa Barbara
Jacob Porter, UC Santa Cruz
Jasmeet Dhaliwal, UC Santa Cruz
UAW 5810 Elections Committee
Raul Rodriguez, UC Berkeley (Chair)
Laura Bogar, UC Santa Barbara
Daniel Karmelic, UC San Francisco
Eric Kent, UC Davis
Lisa Schwarz, UC Santa Cruz
Edoardo Zoni, LBL