Update from COVID-19 bargaining #5, plus upcoming May Day events

Last Thursday, we met again with the UC bargaining team to bargain over impacts of COVID-19 on Postdocs and ARs. Click here for our bargaining progress chart. Here’s the update:

• Paid Leave Eligibility
  We asked UC to clarify its confusing guidelines about whether all Postdocs and ARs are eligible for paid leave under the FFCRA law passed by Congress in March, specifically the Emergency Paid Sick Leave and the Emergency Family Medical Leave. If you have been told you cannot use either of these paid leaves, please let us know.
• Health and Safety Protocols and Communications
  Only two campuses (UCLA and UCSC) have provided clear and detailed protocols for sanitization, prevention, and mitigation of potential infections in the laboratories and offices. We also raised concerns with UC’s failure to provide clear communication to employees about potential COVID-19 cases at UCD, UCSB, UCR and other campuses. As we plan for campus re-opening, every campus needs to issue and follow health and safety policies to keep us safe at work. If you have any concern about your safety at work, please let us know.
• Merit Reviews and Promotions
  UC issued a letter regarding modifications to the merit review and promotion process in light of COVID-19, which you can read here.

We are in the process of scheduling the next bargaining session with UC. If you have any questions, issues, or concerns about COVID-19 (or another other topic) don’t hesitate to contact your union at uaw5810@uaw5810.org and you can click here for our COVID-19 Resources page for Postdocs and ARs.

May Day (Friday May 1) – International Workers’ Day events
This May Day, join UAW 5810 and our union siblings from across the UC for a day of political education and political action! Events include a Tenants Know Your Rights workshop and a public forum with frontline UC workers. Zoom info and schedule is here.

Take 3 minutes to support research in Congress
Right now, Congress is considering the next stimulus bill that will likely pass in the next few weeks. Act now to help ensure increased research funding and for protections for international scholars. Click here to write to your representatives now!

In solidarity