In this update:
- Bargaining update
- Responding to retaliation
Across UC today, Academic Workers came out in force and kept up the pressure on the picket line. At UC Davis a seemingly endless line of Academic Workers marched across campus to demand UC stop its unlawful behavior and negotiate fair contracts. Pics and bargaining update below. And remember it’s a short week this week, so let’s end it strong tomorrow!
UC Davis Academic Workers march across campus.
PERB Cites UC for 6 More Unfair Labor Practice Charges
Today the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB, the board that governs labor disputes in California), issued six complaints due to UC making unilateral changes and refusing to bargain with Academic Workers over compensation. Over the last year, the University has engaged in a wide range of unlawful conduct including making changes to workers’ pay without bargaining with our union, all the while characterizing the compensation as “student support”.
PERB issued complaints that departments at UCLA, UCSB, UCSD, UCSF, UCI, and UCB had violated state labor law. These complaints further confirm what Academic Workers have known all along: the University’s refusal to bargain with us over all of our compensation is not only unacceptable, it is an unlawful attempt to undermine our collective bargaining rights.
Bargaining Update
Today all units — Academic Student Employees, Graduate Student Researchers, Academic Researchers, and Postdocs — passed new proposals on Parking and Transit. We all made clear that, in addition to already-secured e-bike discounts and pre-tax transit benefits, we want real commitments from the University to fund free public transportation passes. Postdocs also reached agreement on a new Article covering LBL Postdocs that protects rights to Personal Time Off after UC had tried to roll this back. We’ll be back at the bargaining table tomorrow.
Responding to Retaliation
Workers on an Unfair Labor Practice strike have protections under labor law from firing, disciplinary action or intimidation. These protections apply to surveillance, discouraging union activity, and more. Since the strike began, academic workers have reported violations and we have filed a number of unfair labor practice charges on illegal threats. If you think that you or a colleague may have been subject to intimidation or retaliation, please fill out this form and a fellow union member will follow up with you.
See you on the picket line tomorrow!
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