With hundreds of Academic Student Employees (ASEs) in attendance, Bargaining Team members met with UC late last week to propose transformative changes to our contract aimed at lifting all ASEs out of rent burden. Over 250 workers shared testimonials about their struggles to make ends meet. Management responded by complaining about the “problematic” and unnecessary use of the Zoom chat to share testimony–and during Graduate Student Appreciation week, no less!

UAW 2865 Bargaining Team members presented 7 proposals on issues focused on compensation and protections. These include:

  • Wages: a bold demand for wage increases that would lift ASEs out of rent burden and would increase by 10% or more in subsequent years. 
  • Appointment Security: a proposal requiring UC to make multi-year, year-long appointment guarantees to graduate students. 
  • Class sizes: a new article to require departments to establish class-size limits in conjunction with ASE representatives in order to guarantee quality of education.
  • Housing: an exciting new article that would ensure that all ASEs are guaranteed on-campus housing that would be rent-capped at no more than 30% of base TA wage.
  • Nondiscrimination: a counter-proposal to UC that made it clear that ASEs are unwilling to allow UCOP to unilaterally decide what counts as sexual harassment.   
  • Grievance and Arbitration: a proposal that seeks to streamline the grievance and arbitration process by shortening timelines.
  • Management and Academic Rights: proposes changes that would encourage proactive commitment from the UC to address workplace issues. 

Negotiations will continue on Tuesday, April 19 at 1pm.