Graduate students, postdocs, and other academic student employees are essential to the teaching and research mission of the University of California, especially as undergraduate enrollments rise. Given the escalating costs of living in California, 48,000 people in the UC system represented by three unions–UAW 2865, UAW 5810, and SRU-UAW–are coordinating their fight for living wages, affordable UC housing, greater support for working parents, sustainable transit benefits, equity for international scholars, and other improvements that would strengthen teaching and research across the University of California.  A full list of their demands is available at fairucnow.org.

Negotiations for new contracts with the University of California have not been going well. The UAW has filed more than twenty Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) charges against the University of California, such as failing to respond to requests for basic information and unilaterally making changes to working conditions. The California Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) has issued complaints against the university in at least three of those ULPs. 

A UAW multi-unit statewide strike is set to begin on November 14th. Tens of thousands of academic workers represented by UAW 2865 (the Union of Academic Student Employees at UC), UAW 5810 (Postdocs and Academic Researchers), and SRU-UAW (Student Researchers) will begin striking to resolve Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs).

The Council of UC Faculty Associations calls on the University of California to cease its unlawful behavior, resume good faith negotiations, and settle fair contracts with the unions. We support fair wages and working conditions for academic workers and hope a strike can be avoided. If not, we encourage all Senate faculty to support our fellow academic workers. We remind you of the power of Senate faculty solidarity last year in the UC-AFT lecturers union's successful campaign for a substantive new contract that inspired academic workers around the country.

By submitting this form, I add my name to this statement as an individual faculty member of the University of California. The Council of UC Faculty Associations has prepared an FAQ for Senate Faculty that outlines their rights and responsibilities including but not limited to how they can respect the picket line, which can be found here.  These recommendations provided by the UAW before the conclusion of the strike authorization vote can still be taken up by faculty:

• Contact University leadership (Chancellor, UCOP, etc.) and demand that they bargain in good faith (template letter available here)

• Donate to the hardship fund: https://givebutter.com/uc-uaw

• Discuss with undergraduate students the critical role that academic workers play in the everyday functions of the university