(PHOTO CREDIT-IAN CASTRO) This morning, 48,000 Academic Workers across all 10 campuses of the University of California began their unfair labor practice strike over UC’s unlawful conduct thwarting progress at the bargaining tables. Our union stands with our members in California as they fight for fairness and an equitable collective bargaining agreement. This strike is the largest in the nation, the biggest of the year and the largest at any academic institution in history. We urge the University of California to stop their misconduct and bargain in good faith with their academic workers who perform critical work every ...
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Forty-eight thousand academic workers in four UAW bargaining units at the University of California system, including 17,000 student researchers who are fighting for their first contract, are in contract negotiations. Very shortly, they all will take strike authorization votes. “Our members in the University of California system organized their union to win job protections, stop persistent bullying, harassment and discrimination from university supervisors, as well as address the crushing burden of housing expenses,” says UAW President Ray Curry. “This vote sends a strong message to UC that UAW members are ready to fight because they deserve dignity, respect and a ...
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UAW members know all too well that student debt can be crippling for both themselves and their children. “Educational debt, when compounded by interest, becomes a millstone that compels recent graduates to prioritize the needs of financial institutions over those of their families,” says UAW President Ray Curry. “That is why our union calls upon President Biden to cancel student debt through executive action.” President Biden has already recognized the need to address this crisis head on. His administration has canceled $25 billion in student loan debt. According to Forbes, the Biden Administration has canceled more student loan debt than any ...
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Mass protests at every UC campus Tuesday will highlight the fight against skyrocketing on-campus housing costs, low pay, and chronic harassment and discrimination at work. Academic union organizing is heating up on the West Coast as thousands of UAW-represented workers at the University of California plan to take to the streets to protest rampant workplace abuse, discrimination, insufficient compensation and extreme rent burden. This action will demonstrate the extreme discontent felt across a workforce of 48,000 academic workers who are currently bargaining with the University and demanding union contracts that guarantee a fair workplace. Press is welcome to attend. “Until ...
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Yesterday, a majority of Research Scientists/Engineers (Assistant-4) from every discipline across all three campuses of the University of Washington filed their representation petition with the Public Employment Relations Commission, seeking to be certified as a new bargaining unit. “Despite the organizing challenges presented by the pandemic, we’ve found ways to have thousands of conversations with our colleagues across the University system about unionizing”, said Ivan Cruz, Research Scientist/Engineer 4 at UW, Seattle. “We heard over and over again from researchers that they are struggling, that they want to make a more diverse and equitable university, and that they would rather ...
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Workers in the largest new union of 2021 look forward to bargaining a contract that makes UC a more inclusive and equitable place to work. Berkeley, CA – After months of delay, the University of California on Wednesday agreed to recognize Student Researchers United/UAW, the union of over 17,000 Student Researchers (SRs) at UC. The decision comes just two weeks after SRs voted to authorize a strike (of the 10,890 SRs who cast a ballot, 10,622 voted yes), and a month after 49 state legislators and 30 members of Congress urged University President Michael Drake to respect the democratic rights ...
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Union members will rally across the state on Thursday to call for long-overdue recognition. A clear majority of California’s congressional delegation (30 members), led by Representative Katie Porter (D-Irvine), have called on UC President Michael Drake to immediately recognize Student Researchers United-UAW, which represents more than 17,000 Student Researchers (SRs) across the UC system. The union was democratically chosen by a supermajority of SRs in May of this year when they filed support cards at California’s Public Employee Relations Board. Since then, UC has refused to recognize the union. Administrators have stalled, hired “union avoidance” attorneys, made baseless objections, ...
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The largest unionization of Academic Student Employees in U.S. history takes the higher ed labor movement to new heights California’s Public Employment Relations Board has verified that a majority of the 17,000 Graduate Student Researchers, Trainees, and Fellows at the ten University of California campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have chosen to unionize through Student Researchers United/UAW (SRU-UAW). SRU-UAW makes history as the largest union formed in 2021, and the largest-ever unionization drive of academic student employees. SRU-UAW leaders immediately requested that UC administrators respect their democratic decision, recognize their union, and begin negotiations for a contract. “We’re thrilled ...
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Boston – Led by State Senator Jamie Eldridge, a coalition of community, faith and labor leaders will deliver a petition signed by a majority of Boston College Graduate Student Employees, as well as more than 3,000 community, religious and political allies, to BC’s President Father Leahy Friday morning. The petition calls on Father Leahy and the Boston College Trustees to drop all discipline against graduate workers for union activity on campus and respect the majority vote for a union by bargaining with the union. Graduate student workers voted in favor of their union – the Boston College Graduate Employee Union ...
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New York City– Tuesday evening, a tentative agreement was reached between Student Employees of the New School (SENS) UAW and The New School on behalf of 700 Academic Student Workers. After fifteen months of bargaining, SENS UAW agreed to unanimously recommend this agreement to their membership in the following statement. (https://www.facebook.com/SENSUAW/) Highlights of the tentative agreement include higher minimum wage levels across all positions with annual increases thereafter, a full waiver of the University Services fee, a commitment to seriously look at childcare needs for all employees, a signing bonus of $300, and – for the first time – significant ...
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