Bargaining Update from the week of 2/21
We had two bargaining sessions this week, on Tuesday, 2/22 and on Thursday, 2/24. On Tuesday, we reached tentative agreements on 4 articles(!): Individual Development Plans, Progress Assessments, Professional Development and Career Counseling, and Waiver. These articles have some important improvements:
- Professional Development and Career Counseling: UC agreed to expand the definition of career development programs guaranteed in our contract to include visa/immigration workshops for international scholars.
- Individual Development Plans: We discussed IDPs at length, and UC agrees with us that IDPs can be an important part of career development. All Postdocs continue to have the opportunity to complete an IDP if they want but are not required to unless it is a condition of their funding source.
- Waiver: We negotiated new language that solidifies our ability to bargain over specific issues in our contract during the lifetime of the contract and prevents UC from making unilateral changes.
We also made progress on the new anti-bullying protections that we have proposed in the Respectful Work Environment Article. UC’s bargaining team has finally removed a section that would allow them to nullify the anti-bullying article at any time, but they still are including some nonsensical provisions (like including references to a UC policy that doesn’t exist yet). We’ll keep fighting to get a strong article that will help prevent bullying and abusive conduct that harms diversity and ruins careers.
On Thursday, we made a proposal to improve the health benefits included in the Postdoctoral Scholar Benefits Plan. Among the changes we proposed were: expanded access to mental healthcare, coverage for gender affirmation procedures, acupuncture, and fertility treatment including IVF. We also proposed improved dental and vision benefits and more clearly navigable telehealth services.
More Housing Actions This Week
There were more rallies across the state this week calling on UC to end rent burden (including one at UCSB today at 11am – meet at the Chem Lawn!) and March 3 at UC Davis. Click here to see a powerful speech from Student Researcher Tanzil Chowdhury (pictured in photo) at the UC Berkeley rally last week.
In solidarity,
Postdoc Bargaining Team and Alternates
Sarah Arveson, UC Berkeley
Gilbert Bernstein, UC Berkeley
Chris Hart, UC Davis
Tim Kodalle, LBL
Jesse Livezey, LBL
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
Follow your union on Twitter @UAW5810!