Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions by clicking on a topic below.

FORMING A UNION
WHY UNIONIZE
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS
MEMBERSHIP DUES
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
JOINING UAW LOCAL 5810
CURRENT LBL PROJECT SCIENTIST ORGANIZING

FORMING A UNION

Who is forming a union of LBL Project Scientists?

We are! We are a group of LBL Project Scientists who seek to unionize in order to improve our research and employment experience at LBL. Our work as Project Scientists not only benefits LBL and the California economy, but also has positive impacts worldwide in disciplines from energy and the environment, to astronomy and computer science. Project Scientists may work in many different fields, but our dedication to research unites us all.

By coming together to form a union, LBL Project Scientists are democratizing the workplace. Forming a union will enable LBL Project Scientists to have more rights and power to make improvements at work and increase transparency as to the terms and conditions of our employment. More broadly, forming a union as part of UAW 5810 means joining the tens of thousands of researchers and other higher education employees who are already UAW members, including Project Scientists at UC and Postdocs at UC and LBL.

What is collective bargaining?

Collective bargaining is a process, recognized and protected by state and federal laws, that equalizes the power relationship between employees and their employer. Under collective bargaining, LBL Project Scientists will elect representatives from amongst their peers to negotiate as equals with LBL and UC administration. The result of negotiations is a proposed contract, called a tentative agreement, which determines terms and conditions of employment for LBL Project Scientists. All LBL Project Scientists will be asked to vote on whether or not to approve the tentative agreement, and if approved it becomes a legally binding contract. Through collective bargaining, academic workers, including already unionized UC academic researchers and project scientists, have successfully negotiated improvements in wages, benefits, job security, leaves, and many other terms and conditions of employment.

LBL Project Scientists will be bargaining alongside UC Academic Researchers (including Project Scientists) as part of UAW 5810, the Union of Postdocs and Academic Researchers. By joining our UC peers we will have much more power to win a strong contract. LBL Postdocs are also already a part of UAW 5810.

Without collective bargaining, LBL has unilateral power to change conditions or decide whether to make improvements. For example, LBL administration currently decides unilaterally whether to provide salary adjustments to keep up with the high cost of living in California, and how to resolve cases of sexual harassment or discrimination.

What is the process of forming a union and bargaining a contract?

1. LBL Project Scientists form a diverse organizing committee to gather information and make a plan to form a union.
2. A majority of all LBL Project Scientists (50% + 1) sign union authorization cards indicating they would like to form a union and join the Academic Researchers in UAW 5810.
3. Authorization cards are delivered to PERB (Public Employment Relations Board), the board designated to oversee public employee unionization efforts. Also included will be a petition indicating that LBL Project Scientists would like to join UAW 5810 (the UC union of postdocs and academic researchers). 
4. LBL Project Scientists elect representatives to the UC system-wide Academic Researcher bargaining team.
5. ARs, including LBL Project Scientists, fill out comprehensive bargaining surveys, hold discussions, request information from UC administration and LBL, and gather feedback in a myriad of ways in order to draft initial bargaining priorities.
6. Initial bargaining demands are sent to all UC ARs and LBL Project Scientists for review, and ARs, including LBL Project Scientists, vote on whether or not to approve them
7. The bargaining committee negotiates as equals with UC and LBL administration, and provides constant updates to all ARs.
8. Once a tentative agreement is reached at the bargaining table, all ARs, including LBL Project Scientists, vote on whether or not to ratify the agreement.

WHY UNIONIZE?

Why create a union?

Forming a union with collective bargaining rights is the only way to have the power to negotiate with the LBL administration as equals and reach a legally binding contract, and will strengthen the voice of researchers. In fact, almost 200,000 employees in the UC system and at LBL are already represented by unions.

With collective bargaining, LBL Project Scientists set our priorities and our agenda. We will elect fellow Project Scientists to join UC ARs to negotiate on equal footing with UC and LBL administrators for improvements such as salary increases, enforceable protections from harassment and discrimination, better support for international researchers, job security, and more. Additionally, we hope to advocate more broadly for policies that support research at LBL—including increasing research funding and better visa and immigration policies.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS

What are the rights of International LBL Project Scientists to join the union?

Project Scientists who are international scholars have the same legal right to join a union as US citizens. In fact, international researchers have always held a significant number of leadership positions in UAW 5810, the Union of Postdocs and Academic Researchers at UC.

Visa requirements in no way compromise any LBL Project Scientist’s right to belong to a union. No academic union members have ever reported any complications arising from being both an international scholar and a unionized employee.

Could signing a union authorization card jeopardize or delay application for permanent residence (green card)?

Since international scholars at UC have the same legal rights as U.S. citizens, signing an authorization card should not jeopardize or delay application for legal permanent residence. Authorization cards that get submitted to California PERB (the state Public Employment Relations Board that verifies and counts the cards) are confidential and not released by PERB to the University of California, LBL, or other government agencies. Thousands of Postdocs and Academic Researchers have signed union authorization at the University of California since 2008, without any reported instance of delay or rejection of applications as a result of signing a card or otherwise participating in the unionization effort. If you have any questions about your particular situation, please email for additional resources.

MEMBERSHIP DUES

Will I have to pay dues?

It is up to each individual LBL Project Scientist whether or not they choose to become a dues-paying member. LBL Project Scientists will have the right to vote on their first contract before being asked to join their union as a member and begin paying dues. Below is more information:

Dues cover all of the day-to-day costs of having a strong union, including organizing resources and contract enforcement. Additionally, dues help pay for subject experts to negotiate on equal terms with LBL and UC, legal and grievance representation costs, staffing, rent, equipment, and supplies. Dues also go toward the UAW Strike and Defense Fund, which creates additional leverage at the bargaining table by helping ARs build the capacity to strike if necessary.

Dues in UAW Local 5810 (the Union of Postdocs and Academic Researchers at UC) are 1.44% of gross pay received for work covered by the contract. Dues are not paid on the monetary value of benefits, such as health care.

Typically, the value of increased salary and benefits greatly exceed the cost of dues. For example, UC ARs have won a 24% increase in the average salary since ratifying their first contract in 2019. A majority of UC Postdocs and ARs have consistently chosen to become union members.

Initiation Fees: Initiation fees, like dues, are set by UAW membership. This is a one-time $10 fee when you become a member. Initiation fees are used to educate new members about their rights under the collective bargaining agreement and support members’ rights.

How is dues money allocated? What are dues used for?

Union members democratically decide how union dues are spent. In UAW 5810 (UC Postdocs and Academic Researchers), elected leaders from each campus in the Joint Council approve a budget for the year. Individual expenses throughout the year are then approved by the Executive Board, which is elected statewide and meets monthly. Meetings of the Joint Council and Executive Board are open to all members of the union. Additionally, elected trustees audit the union’s income and expenditures twice annually, and the Joint Council reviews and approves the union’s financial report every three months.

Most of the work of enforcing the contract and representing membership is financially supported by the Local Union. 26.5% of the dues are allocated to the Local to support its expenses including:

• Educating new employees about their rights and their union
• Contract negotiations
• Advising members in difficult situations, and supporting them through the grievance process if necessary
• Events, including educational seminars on topics like visa and immigration rights, healthcare, and taxes
• Advocacy for public policy that supports research and researchers

For some great examples of union dues at work, see this summary of contract wins by UC ARs, or this description of the various ways their union is taking on gender inequity in academia.

Another 25.5% of dues goes to the International Union’s General Fund, which provides technical support for contract negotiations and contract enforcement and supports new organizing campaigns including the LBL Project Scientist campaign. The remaining dues are allocated to the Strike and Defense Fund (44%) and Community Action Program (2.5%). Depending on the overall financial health of the Strike and Defense Fund (if the balance is $500M or greater), an additional allocation of dues called a “rebate” is given back to the Local and International Union.

The portion of dues allocated to the International Union will support ARs, including LBL Project Scientists, in the following ways:

• Provide technical support for contract negotiations
• Health insurance experts who can take on the University administration in order to pursue the best benefits for the best price. For example, UAW experts helped analyze Affordable Care Act compliance for UC Postdoc benefits plans, resulting in improvements like $0 copays for preventive care and contraception.
• Researchers who can help analyze UC finances to provide ARs and LBL Project Scientists independent and reliable analysis upon which to base decisions about bargaining proposals and agreements.
• Legal advice and advocacy and greater ability to impact policy makers, especially those in Washington, DC. For example, along with other unions, UAW International filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case challenging the Trump administration travel ban. In 2016, UAW helped win the Optional Practical Training STEM extension.
• Experienced negotiators to help achieve LBL Project Scientists’ and UC Academic Researchers’ goals, both at the bargaining table and in terms of developing an overall contract campaign.
• Provide ongoing support outside of contract negotiations:
• Guidance on grievance handling and arbitrations. For example, UAW aided UC Postdocs in winning more than $3 million in back pay by providing guidance through the arbitration process
• Advice on best practices for ensuring strong education and mobilization programs to keep members involved
• Other services as requested by the Local
• In addition, union dues help support new organizing campaigns. For example, the organizing staff and legal support for the LBL Project Scientist campaign is paid for by existing UAW members’ dues money. Also, union dues have gone towards legal and organizing resources that have have been key to major victories for academic workers including:
• the passage of SB 201, which was the culmination of a decades-long fight to extend collective bargaining rights to Research Assistants at UC.
• the landmark 2016 NLRB decision extending collective bargaining rights to Teaching and Research Assistants at private universities, as well as the organizing resources that led to the subsequent representation election victory of Columbia University and Harvard University TAs and RAs.
• A portion of dues money also goes to support political action, including legislative and other policy advocacy on issues that matter to UAW members. For example, the UAW advocates strongly for fair, comprehensive immigration reform, which would include more visa access and an improved green card process, and expanded federal support for research funding, among other topics. [NOTE: Legally, dues money cannot be used for federal campaign contributions, such as the presidential race—that money comes from members’ voluntary contributions separate from, and in addition to, dues, in a program called VCAP (Voluntary Community Action Program).]

Through UAW member dues UAW successfully:

• Garnered the support of 30 California Representatives and 49 members of the California State Assembly and Senate for full recognition of the Student Researcher United unit.
• Advocated for the inclusion of Postdocs in the 2016 Department of Labor’s overtime ruling resulting in wage increases and new wage standards for Postdocs as well as Assistant and Associate Specialists across the country, including at UC.
• Sponsored AB2350 to increase protections against pregnancy discrimination and SB608 to ensure UC workers’ timley pay.
• Lobbied multiple members of Congress to write Dear Colleague letters urging a stop to the sequester budget cuts.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS

What does “exclusive representation” mean?

Exclusive representation means that UAW 5810, the Union of Postdocs and Academic Researchers, will be the union for all LBL Project Scientists. When the union is formed, LBL Project Scientists will be able to elect a bargaining team (made up of LBL Project Scientists) to negotiate alongside our UC colleagues, with UC/LBL administration and reach a tentative agreement. Without exclusive representation, UC/LBL administrators could undermine the bargaining process by negotiating with another group of LBL Project Scientists different from the democratically-elected bargaining team.

Will a union limit supervisors’ ability to provide additional wage increases?

With a union, LBL Project Scientists will decide what kinds of salary protections and/or increases they want to bargain for. There are many possible options. The current UC Academic Researcher contract sets minimum salary levels and explicitly states that the University may provide additional compensation to ARs above the negotiated minimum. No union of UAW UC academic workers has bargained a contract that requires all union members to make the same amount.

Will forming a union cause UC to reduce benefits or lower pay?

No. On the contrary, once a union is formed, LBL cannot unilaterally alter any terms and conditions of employment—including pay and benefits. Instead, changes to terms and conditions of employment are subject to collective bargaining, through which Academic Researchers, including LBL Project Scientists, will have the power to negotiate with UC administrators as equals and democratically approve a binding, enforceable contract.

Won’t jobs go away if Project Scientists get raises?

As a union, LBL project scientists will have access to UC financial information that affects academic researchers (ARs), which will make it possible to be well-informed and conscientious during bargaining. All bargaining decisions will be made by ARs, including what proposals to make in bargaining, and whether to approve any proposed contract.

By developing thoughtful bargaining proposals and advocating successfully for increased higher education and research funding, unions of academic workers have made significant improvements to their working conditions. As an example, bargaining and advocacy by UAW 5810 (the Union of Postdocs and ARs at UC) has resulted in a 24% salary increase (on average) since ARs won their first contract in 2019.

Academic Researchers have more power to protect jobs through collective action and the protections of a legally binding contract. The same will be true for LBL Project Scientists if they choose to form a union and join ARs in UAW 5810. Most collective bargaining agreements prohibit the employer from terminating positions due to arbitrary or discriminatory reasons, or to take action inconsistent with job offers accepted by the employee. Not only would LBL Project Scientists be able to join ARs in acting collectively, but we would also have the full backing of 48,000 academic employees who are part of UAW unions at UC and LBL including Postdocs, Student Researchers, and Academic Student Employees, and of the larger UAW International Union.

Will forming a union limit Academic Researchers’ direct relationship with supervisors?

As a union, LBL Project Scientists will be negotiating with the University and the Lab, not with our peers and supervisors, because it is the policies of the University and Lab that define the conditions of our employment. Moreover, ARs, including LBL Project Scientists, will set the bargaining agenda and decide what improvements to prioritize in collective bargaining.

As such, a union contract would only create limitations if Academic Researchers, including LBL Project Scientists, democratically choose to impose them. And forming a union would mean that UC and LBL administration would not be able to make unilateral changes to working conditions that ARs and LBL Project Scientists choose to preserve. For example, if the union contract sets a minimum pay rate for ARs in certain titles and steps, UC and LBL administration would not be able to pay less than that rate without the agreement of ARs.

Does a union contract make it harder to get a promotion?

As a union, ARs, including LBL Project Scientists, set the bargaining agenda and decide what improvements to prioritize in collective bargaining. Through collective bargaining, ARs chose to fight for more consistency and clarity in the merit review process and won. UC must now conduct all AR merit reviews on time and must provide written notice of eligibility for a merit increase six weeks before materials are due. Moreover, the University administration must also give ARs notice of, and an explanation for, its decision on a merit review.

Will having a union mean I’m only allowed to work a certain number of hours?

AR’s, including LBL Project Scientists, will democratically decide on the terms of employment that most benefit our ability to perform research at a high level. But recent contracts negotiated by other UAW academic unions have emphasized protections against excessive workload while allowing flexibility to allow for maximal productivity. For example:

• UC Postdocs chose not to bargain for an hourly limit to their workload. Instead, the contract for Postdocs at UC protects against excessive, unnecessary workload by stating “work schedules must be reasonable, and related to research needs.”
• The contract for Graduate Teaching and Research Assistants at the University of Washington protects against excessive workload by setting an hourly limit to the amount of work that may be assigned, but allows work assignments for Research Assistants to exceed their hourly limit if that work contributes to their dissertation project.

The UC AR contract does not impose a limit on the amount of hours researchers can work. However, their contract does include protections against being required to work more hours than specified by your appointment percentage (i.e. not being forced to work full time if you are appointed at 60%).

Will Academic Researchers (ARs) have to strike? 

AR’s, including LBL Project Scientists, decide if a strike is a necessary action to take. Under the UAW Constitution, 2/3 of those participating in a strike authorization vote must vote yes in order to authorize a strike being called. While a strike is most effective with mass participation it is an individual decision whether or not to participate.

Striking is a last resort as a tactic and is rare; 98% of union contracts are reached without a strike.

JOINING UAW LOCAL 5810

Why should LBL Project Scientists join forces with UAW 5810?

UAW 5810 is the union of 7,000 Postdocs and 4,500 Academic Researchers (ARs) at the University of California. UC Postdocs and ARs have advocated successfully both for themselves and the broader research community, around many issues including:

• Improved compensation and benefits to better match Postdoc and AR contributions to UC
• More equitable workplaces
• Increased rights for international researchers
• Improved career tracks

Though LBL Project Scientists will be joining UAW 5810, we will elect bargaining representatives who will join AR bargaining representatives from the UC campuses. Postdocs at UC and LBL are covered by a separate contract. Once a collective bargaining agreement has been negotiated, all UC ARs and LBL Project Scientists (and only UC ARs and LBL Project Scientists) can vote to approve or reject the agreement, which decides whether it goes into effect.

Joining with the 4,500 ARs across 10 UC campuses will give LBL Project Scientists greater leverage to win improvements to their workplace.

Why are academic employees choosing to join UAW?

UAW is the International Union of United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). UAW has historically been one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America. In recent decades, nearly 100,000 workers in higher education have joined, making UAW the single largest union for academic workers across the US. UC ARs have found that joining the UAW has allowed them to democratically determine priorities as a workforce and dramatically increased power to win improved rights and benefits through collectively bargaining with UC.

In addition to the 7,000 Postdocs and 4,500 ARs at UC, thousands of other academic workers across the country have formed unions through the UAW including UC’s 15,000 TAs, tutors, readers; 4,000 part-time and adjunct faculty members at NYU and The New School; and thousands of graduate student teaching assistants and researchers at Harvard, Columbia, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Massachusetts. Each of these UAW Locals has won increases in pay, benefits and workplace rights. Having the same union represent LBL Project Scientists and UC campus Academic Researchers builds power and allows AR’s to draw on years of UAW experience in representing UC employees.

CURRENT LBL PROJECT SCIENTIST ORGANIZING

What are LBL Project Scientists working on now?

We’re building our union! You can sign a union authorization card by clicking here or get in touch with us at the email below with questions or if you would like to get more involved.

How do I get involved?

Mass majority participation is essential to winning a strong contract. There are many ways to get involved and every voice helps. If you have questions and/or would like to get involved in our bargaining effort, please email: LBLProjectScientists@uaw5810.org.