Joint Council Meeting recap
This past weekend, elected officers across the state met in Berkeley for UAW 4811’s first-ever Quarterly Joint Council meeting as an amalgamated local union. Officers discussed organizing plans in preparation for ASE bargaining in 2025, the ongoing campaign for Academic Researcher career advancement, and Postdoc membership organizing. In addition, members of the Joint Council passed three important proposals to expand member participation and democracy and to build political power. These included:
- A proposal to hold a first-ever Bargaining Convention in Fall 2024 to set priorities for 2025 ASE bargaining in a democratic, bottom-up process
- The formation of a working group to explore and recommend ways to improve department/program steward elections and transparency and democratic participation at membership meetings
- A package of legislative priorities for the 2024 legislative cycle, including the Picket Line Protection Bill (AB 2404), Opportunity for All Bill (AB 2586), and the Berkeley Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act. Read on to learn more about this important ballot initiative!
Berkeley Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act
Earlier this year, members of our union collaborated with the Berkeley Rent Board to put together a ballot measure, the Berkeley Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act. This measure would create a legally enforceable right in the city of Berkeley to organize tenant unions and would expand rent control and protections from eviction. If passed, the ballot initiative would set an important precedent for other localities, helping expand the rights and power of tenants across the state to fight the housing crisis.
Berkeley workers are gathering signatures to put this on the November ballot. Even if you are not a Berkeley resident, you can talk to your family, friends and colleagues who are in Berkeley about the importance of this measure. Please click below to get involved in this campaign!
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UAW 4811 members organizing for the Berkeley Tenant Protection and Right to Organize Act.
In solidarity,
Mia Villegas
Academic Researcher Unit Chair, UAW 4811 Irvine
Assistant Specialist, Psych Sci