As you know, UC is currently in contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) regarding four separate academic employee groups: Postdoctoral Scholars, Academic Researchers, Academic Student Employees (teaching assistants/readers/
tutors), and Graduate Student Researchers. The following information is being offered to make sure you and your bargaining unit colleagues understand UC’s goals for these negotiations and what UC has offered the UAW for bargaining unit members.
UC’s goal: Contracts that recognize academic employees’ important contributions
UC’s primary goal in these negotiations is multiyear agreements that recognize your and your colleagues’ many important and highly valued contributions to UC’s teaching and research mission with fair pay, quality health and family-friendly benefits, and a supportive and respectful work environment.
UC’s proposals to the UAW include multi-year pay increases, expanded paid leaves, increased family support, and childcare benefits for postdoctoral scholars, ASEs, and GSRs, and full coverage of all campus fees for eligible ASEs and GSRs. This is in addition to full UC coverage for tuition, healthcare, and student services for eligible ASEs and GSRs. UC believes these offers are generous, responsive to union priorities, and recognize the many valuable contributions of these employees.
Throughout negotiations, UC has bargained in good faith, and listened carefully to UAW priorities with an open mind and a genuine willingness to compromise. In fact, many tentative agreements have been reached on key issues such as a respectful work environment and health and safety matters. UC will continue its good-faith efforts to find solutions with the UAW at the bargaining table.
What UC is offering each UAW bargaining unit
Postdoctoral Scholars (Postdocs)
- UC is proposing a new UC salary scale for postdocs which offers an average minimum 7.5% increase above the current scale.
- UC’s proposed pay increases include annual range adjustments of 3% and experience-based step movement annually, resulting in approximately a 6.8% pay increase for every postdoc on the scale in each year of the contract.
- UC is proposing a new childcare reimbursement program for eligible postdocs which would provide up to $2500 for childcare costs annually for qualified dependents.
- UC has offered a parental benefit of four weeks of paid family medical leave for postdocs who are in their first year, and eight weeks of paid family medical leave for Family Medical Leave-eligible employees for family care and bonding, with a maximum combination of eight weeks of pay for family care and bonding per year.
- UC postdocs are eligible to participate in the Postdoctoral Scholar Benefit Plans which include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short-term disability, and voluntary long-term disability. Postdocs shall also continue to be eligible to participate in UC’s retirement plan(s) consistent with prior participation terms.
Academic Student Employees (ASEs)
- UC has offered a salary scale increase of 7% for all salaried ASEs in year one of the contract followed by a 3% increase in each subsequent year.
- UC’s offer includes an hourly wage increase of $1.50 per hour for all hourly ASEs (approximately 5-8% increases) in year one of the contract and a $1.00 hourly rate increase (approximately 3-5% increase) in each subsequent contract year.
- UC is offering to increase the childcare reimbursement by $750 per academic year, from $3,300 to $4,050, with an additional increase for eligible ASEs working during a summer session (from $1,100 to $1,350 for the summer).
- UC’s offer includes increasing paid pregnancy leave from six to eight weeks and paid personal medical leave/baby bonding/care for family members from four to five weeks.
- UC has proposed to cover 100% of campus fees for qualified ASEs, up from $100 per quarter and $150 per semester. This represents an increase of over $1,000 per year on certain campuses, in addition to the 100% coverage of tuition, student services fees, and health care already provided to qualified ASEs. This amounts to UC covering a total of $13,707 up to $22,248 for all tuition and fees for eligible ASEs, depending on the amount of tuition and fees assessed by the campus.
- UC offers eligible ASEs participation in UC-sponsored student health insurance plans to the same degree as other eligible students. UC-sponsored student health insurance plans include the multicampus UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP).
- ASEs shall also continue to be eligible to participate in UC’s retirement plan(s) consistent with prior participation terms.
Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs)
- UC has proposed dropping the bottom two salary points of the salary scale, which results in 17-26% increases for GSRs currently on the two bottom salary points.
- The UC proposal increases the current minimum GSR salary scale by 6% and the increments between salary points to 7%. The majority of the bargaining unit would see 9-10% increases in year one of the contract, with a 3% increase in each subsequent year.
- UC’s offer increases the child care reimbursement by $750 per year, from $3,300 to $4,050, with an additional increase in child care reimbursement for eligible GSRs working during the summer (from $1,100 to $1,350 for the summer).
- UC’s offer includes eight weeks of paid pregnancy leave and five weeks for paid personal medical leave/baby bonding/care for family members.
- UC’s proposal covers 100% of campus fees for qualified GSRs. This represents an increase of more than $1,000 per year on certain campuses. This is in addition to a previous UC proposal that covers 100% of tuition, student services fees, and health care coverage for qualified GSRs. This amounts to UC covering a total of $13,707 up to $22,248 for all tuition and fees for eligible GSRs, depending on the amount of tuition and fees assessed by the campus.
- Eligible GSRs may participate in UC-sponsored student health insurance plans including the multicampus UC Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan (GSHIP), and UC also has proposed that eligible GSRs be able to participate in UC’s retirement plan(s) similar to ASEs’ participation.
Academic Researchers (ARs)
- In year one of the contract, UC has proposed a 4% increase, with annual 3% increases in each subsequent contract year, resulting in a total increase of 16% over the life of the contract. The general range adjustments are in addition to the regular merit program for which ARs are eligible.
- Pay for Family Care and Bonding (PFCB): UC is offering eight weeks of 100% paid leave time for Family Medical Leave-eligible employees for parental bonding, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, for military caregiver leave, or qualifying exigency leave.
- UC is offering eligible ARs access to the retirement, medical, dental, housing programs, and other benefit programs generally available to other non-represented non-faculty academic employees.
You and your colleagues are essential to our teaching and research mission and we appreciate all you do. We are committed to continuing to work in good faith with the UAW to find solutions to the remaining issues and reach fair agreements that honor your dedication and many contributions.