In this email:
- Sign up for strike pay: click here for times and locations on your campus, as well as remote sign up for workers who do not live near a UC campus and workers who have access needs that prevent them from attending in-person events
- Sign up for picket shifts here
- Bargaining updates below
Following the largest Strike Authorization Votes in the history of US higher education unions, Academic Workers are preparing for a strike to begin on November 14th. As the news stories that have come out in the wake of the historic votes have laid out, we are the backbone of the University. UC’s unfortunate (if unsurprising) decision to engage in unlawful conduct continues to prevent agreements on fair contracts. This means that Academic Student Employees, Academic Researchers, Postdocs and Student Researchers are now prepared to exercise our collective power to shut the University down if necessary.
We urge everyone to join your campus picket lines, sign up to be a strike captain, and encourage your colleagues, students and friends to join the picket line as well! And if you have questions about the strike please check out these frequently asked questions and also feel free to reply to this email.
Sign up for Strike Pay
As members of the UAW, UC Academic Workers have access to UAW’s Strike and Defense Fund in the event of losing pay for participating in a sanctioned strike. Strike benefits are $400 per week along with medical benefits in the event that UC illegally withholds healthcare benefits. Strike pay is only available to members in good standing who participate in required strike duties such as attending 5 picket shifts per week. Please click here to get more information about where and when you can sign up for strike pay at your campus, as well as remote sign up for workers who do not live near a UC campus and workers who have access needs that prevent them from attending in-person events
Picket Locations and Times
Picket locations, times and sign-up forms for your campus can be found here. Make sure to sign up for shifts on the form for your campus! If your work is fully remote and you are not near a UC campus, or if you have access needs that prevent you from attending in-person events, please indicate this on the picket shift signup form for your campus and a picket shift leader will then reach out.
Bargaining Updates
The Bargaining Teams continue to meet with UC in order to make meaningful progress. Our mass collective action over the past few weeks has resulted in progress in some important areas at the bargaining table, but major issues remain unresolved including fair pay, green transit, support for parents and families, and support for international scholars. The AR, Postdoc and ASE teams have all decided against further contract extensions. This means the No Strikes articles are expired but the vast majority of contract terms remain in place in accordance with the status quo provisions under California law.
Please read on for a *brief* summary of what else happened in each of last week’s bargaining sessions (you can click here for more detailed info on the latest proposals for each unit):
Upcoming Bargaining Dates (note: additional dates may be added)
Upcoming bargaining dates for each unit are:
- Academic Researchers – Friday 11/18 – RSVP here
- Academic Student Employees – Wednesday 11/9 & Thursday 11/10 – RSVP here
- Postdocs – Wednesday 11/15 – RSVP here
- Student Researchers – Monday 11/7 & Thursday 11/10 – RSVP here
Academic Researchers
The past week brought big progress at the Academic Researcher bargaining table: ARs reached agreement on an important package covering Access Needs, including adding temporary accommodations, language in appointment letters that proactively lets new ARs know how to request accommodations, and a joint committee to continue to work on issues like central funding for access needs and reviewing data to monitor problem areas. ARs also signed off on a provision in our Union Security article that will ensure that all new ARs will receive info about their union and have the opportunity to sign up as a member right after starting their position. UC gave us a “supposal” on Transit Benefits, which was a move towards our demand to provide better options for sustainable commutes and cutting UC’s carbon footprint, but their supposal was lacking any specificity. In response, ARs then passed a new Parking and Transit proposal with several modifications including an updated section on bike and e-bike benefits.
Academic Student Employees
Next week we’ll be bargaining over workload, grievance and arbitration, and more. You can RSVP to a session here.
Postdocs
Postdocs had two sessions this week on Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, UC passed a package proposal with a (very) slight improvement in compensation (proposing to increase Postdoc pay by a further $12/week), and updated proposals on paid family leaves and childcare benefits. But UC’s leaves and childcare proposals still offer lesser benefits to Postdocs in their first year, while our proposal is equal benefits for all. On Thursday we passed an updated Parking and Transit proposal with a more complete description of bike benefits including up to $360 in annual reimbursement for bike costs and $500 rebates toward the purchase of e-bikes.
Student Researchers
After months of demanding more job security for student researchers, the University made its first proposal on “Appointment Security” last week, an article that would ensure that once a Student Researcher has offered and accepted a position, they are entitled to a job or equivalent pay. Student Researchers and the University were also able to reach a Tentative Agreement on Access Needs and Reasonable Accommodations – marking major progress in ensuring that Student Researchers are guaranteed an accessible workplace.
In solidarity,
UAW 2865 Bargaining Team
Jess Banks, UC Berkeley
Kai Yui Samuel Chan, UC Berkeley
Diana Sernas, UC Davis
Aarthi Sekar, UC Davis
Jackie Ku, UC Irvine
Josh Jordan, UC Irvine
Michael Z. Dean, UCLA
Somchate Wasantwisut, UC Riverside
Mai Nguyen Do, UC Riverside
Mark Woodall, UC Merced
Nick Cruz, UC Merced
Aidee Mariscal, UC San Diego
Maddie Williams, UC San Diego
Dimpho Orionzi, UC San Francisco
Micah Pedrick, UC Santa Barbara
Janna Haider, UC Santa Barbara
Jack Davies, UC Santa Cruz
Stefan Yong, UC Santa Cruz
UAW 5810 Academic Researcher Bargaining Team
Howard Isaacson, UC Berkeley
Stacey Frederick, UC Berkeley
Paul Lott, UC Davis
Conor White, UC Davis
Mia Villegas, UC Irvine
Gabriel G. Edwards, UCLA
Tony Shahin, UC Merced
Rodrigo Alatriste-Diaz, UC Merced
Sonia Podvin, UC San Diego
Chunnan Hsu, UC San Diego
Karnika Bhardwaj, UC San Francisco
Luke Bonser, UC San Francisco
Izel Tekin, UC Santa Barbara
Vitor Hugo Serrão, UC Santa Cruz
Margherita Zavatta, UC Santa Cruz
UAW 5810 Postdoc Bargaining Team
Margot Bezrutczyk, LBL
Olivia Gunther, LBL
Eileen Jeffrey Gutiérrez, UC Berkeley
Raul Rodriguez, UC Berkeley
Pummi Singh, UC Davis
Sierra Durham, UC Davis
James Boocock, UCLA
SJ Spencer, UCLA
Brad Barker, UC Merced
Ingrid M. Padilla Espinosa, UC Merced
Yoko Hiraoka, UC Riverside
Marcos Vinicius Caiafa Sepulveda, UC Riverside
Joyce Chan, UC San Diego
Srividya Ganapathy, UC San Diego
Evan Holloway, UC San Francisco
Jade Moore, UC San Francisco
Evan Plunkett, UC Santa Barbara
Tejas Navaratna, UC Santa Barbara
Jordan Eizenga, UC Santa Cruz
Gerrald Lodewijk UC Santa Cruz
SRU/UAW Bargaining Team
Tarini Hardikar, UC Berkeley
Jean-Luc Watson, UC Berkeley
Tanzil Chowdhury, LBNL
Gregory Ottino, LBNL
Ximena Anleu Gil, UC Davis
Marshall Nakatani, UC Davis
Jiryis Ballan, UC Irvine
Harry Bendekgey, UC Irvine
Natalie Moncada, UCLA
Nick Geiser, UCLA
Gloria Denise Ligunas, UC Merced
Alauna Wheeler, UC Merced
Jared Huxley, UC Riverside
Ariana Firebaugh Ornelas, UC Riverside
Ahmed Akhtar, UC San Diego
Amy Kanne, UC San Diego
Matt Ryan, UC San Francisco
Melissa Mendez, UC San Francisco
Payton DeMarzo, UC Santa Barbara
Asish Ninan Chacko, UC Santa Barbara
Becker Sharif, UC Santa Cruz
Riley Collins, UC Santa Cruz