In this update:
- Bargaining update
- First strike assistance payments
Academic Student Employees, Academic Researchers, Postdocs and Student Researchers rang in week 2 of our unfair labor practice strike with a host of large and powerful actions. There were marches or rallies at every campus. At UCSD, hundreds of workers hand-delivered an unfair labor practice charge to a professor who threatened his workers with retaliation for striking. When confronted, the professor agreed on camera not to retaliate against any of his workers–including by lowering grades on research credits. Collective action gets the goods!
SD Academic Workers at their anti-intimidation rally.
Bargaining Update
Academic Student Employees responded to the university’s inadequate wages proposal today with our own proposals on wages, housing, and appointments. For wages, the bargaining team moved negotiations forward by shifting from an open-ended cost of living proposal to a definite one. The wages proposal now includes four main concepts:
- 7% annual cost of living adjustments
- 54K minimum base pay
- Experience-based step increases so pay increases with each additional year of work experience
- Wage increases on all compensation (including top-ups, fellowships, “student support”, bonuses, etc.)
Read the full proposal here. Because we passed a new proposal, it is now the university’s turn to respond.
For Postdocs and Student Researchers, the university proposed improved Parking and Transit articles that include new pre-tax transit benefits, e-bike discounts and a transition to free public transit passes for all Academic Workers. The bargaining teams are discussing next steps on these important proposals that will help mitigate climate change.
Strike Assistance Update
As of today, the first round of strike assistance is being dispersed. You will receive strike assistance for all shifts that you have worked, and union members are working around the clock to make sure everyone gets assistance soon. If you have any questions or if you’ve encountered an issue, please fill out this form or see the FAQs here: https://www.fairucnow.org/strike-assistance/.
In solidarity,
UAW 5810 Academic Researcher Bargaining Team
UAW 2865 Academic Student Employee Bargaining Team
UAW 5810 Postdoc Bargaining Team
SRU-UAW Student Researcher Bargaining Team