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Bargaining Continued This Week, Highlighted by UC’s Comprehensive Economic Package for Academic Graduate Student Employees 

January 16, 2026

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The University of California and the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4811 continued negotiations on Jan. 12-13 for a new bargaining agreement for Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) and Academic Student Employees (ASEs).   

Articles passed by the University include a comprehensive economic proposal that reflects UC’s commitment to meaningful total compensation while sustaining its teaching, research, and student support mission in a challenging funding environment. The proposal is built around a total compensation approach that recognizes wages as one component of the support provided to graduate students while they complete their degrees. Read UC’s Fact Sheet on the Economic Proposal and Total Compensation. 

During the two days of bargaining, UC and UAW also passed articles and side letters covering Appointment Notification, Appointment Security, Appointments, ASE Workload, GSR Time and Effort, Personal Time Off, Required Training and Orientation, Summer Session, and Union Access.  

The two parties have reached tentative agreements for 20 articles.   

Despite the announcement of a strike authorization vote, UC remains committed to reaching an agreement that fairly supports graduate student employees while sustaining the academic excellence and research enterprise that define our institution. Read UC’s statement on the UAW strike authorization vote announcement.

The next bargaining session is scheduled for January 26.    

Learn how contracts are bargained on UCnet. 

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