Strike Updates and Support

Possible UAW Strike, Nov. 9, 2022

To: All undergraduate students
Nov. 9, 2022

Dear UC Merced Undergraduates,

As you may have heard, the union representing UC Teaching Assistants (TAs), postdocs, Graduate Student Researchers, and undergraduate academic employees (e.g., Learning Assistants, tutors, readers, graders), has given us notice that they intend to strike beginning Monday, November 14 at 8 a.m. The University of California is committed to continuing to negotiate in good faith and reaching full agreements as soon as possible.

As of now, we expect most classes will remain as scheduled, offices will be open, and the campus will provide normal services. Students should plan on attending their classes next week and completing any scheduled assignments or exams.

We know that any chance of disruption to your classes can be stressful, particularly towards the end of the semester. Please know that your success remains our highest priority and we are committed to working towards that end.

We will provide further updates as they become available.

Sincerely,

Gregg Camfield, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

Sarah Frey, Ph.D.
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education

Charles Nies, Ph.D.
|Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs

This message by Academic Council Chair Susan Cochran and Vice Chair James Steintrager was sent to all Academic Senate division chairs and UC Faculty on behalf of Vice Provost Douglas Haynes. 

Please read the entire message here. 

To: All campus

Nov. 14, 2022

Dear UC Merced students, faculty and staff,

Following up on our communication last week, the United Auto Workers Union (UAW), which represents Postdoctoral Scholars, Academic Researchers, Academic Student Employees (teaching assistants/readers/tutors) and Graduate Student Researchers, has begun a strike as of today, Nov. 14, 2022. UAW members are exercising their collective bargaining rights through campus demonstrations systemwide.

While we do not know the potential duration of the strike, the University of California is committed to continuing to negotiate in good faith and reaching full agreements as soon as possible.

As of now, we expect most classes will remain as scheduled, offices will be open, and the campus will provide normal services. Students should plan on attending their classes as usual and completing any scheduled assignments or exams.

We have posted answers to several FAQs and will continue to provide updates on the bargaining process on this website as they occur. For more information about this systemwide strike, please visit UCOP's website.

Sincerely,

Gregg Camfield, Ph.D.

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

Sarah Frey, Ph.D.

Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education

Charles Nies, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs

To: Faculty
Nov. 20, 2022

Colleagues,

Many faculty members have reached out to their chairs, deans, and me about a letter they have received from campus UAW representatives. The letter tells faculty that, by having graduate students continue with their studies, they are breaking the law. It implies that they will be held personally accountable. Many faculty members have expressed fear and want a clear statement of what, in fact, their responsibilities are and whether or not the UAW’s claims are true.

While it is true that the UAW has FILED an unfair labor complaint on this ground, that complaint is filed by the union against the university over our fundamental disagreement about what constitutes employment vs. study. The university’s position is that performance of educational activity for credit is to go forward unimpeded during the strike. A strike, by definition, is withholding PAID labor. This complaint has not been adjudicated, nor have we been enjoined by any court or legitimate authority. We are therefore not only within our rights but also have a responsibility to our students to maintain educational continuity.

Faculty performing their teaching duties as defined by the Academic Personnel Manual and under the direction of the university will be defended by the university. 

Regarding communicating with students about their education, our position remains the same: faculty may communicate with striking students regarding educational activities.

If you need additional guidance regarding communicating with the students about their educational activities, please feel free to reach out to laborrelations@ucmerced.edu.

Sincerely,

Gregg Camfield, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

University of California officials today (Nov. 29) announced tentative agreements with the United Auto Workers (UAW) on new five-year contracts for UC Postdoctoral Scholars and Academic Researchers. Once ratified by union members, the new contracts will be effective through September 30, 2027.

The new contracts address key issues including fair compensation, job security and paid family leave.

“Our dedicated colleagues are vital to UC’s research activities and we are very pleased to have reached agreements that honor their many important contributions,” said Letitia Silas, executive director of systemwide labor relations. “These agreements also uphold our tradition of supporting these employees with compensation and benefits packages that are among the best in the country.”

Highlights of the agreements include:

Postdoctoral Scholars

• Compensation:
  • Implementation of a new salary scale by April 1, 2023, which will result in average salary increases of 8 percent for all Postdocs;
  • Annual pay increases each October, with an increase of approximately 7.5 percent in the first year and 3.5 percent in each of the remaining years;
  • Annual experience-based pay increases of 3.7 percent for eligible Postdocs.
• Child care:
  • Up to $2500 annual reimbursement for child care expenses with flexibility to use funds for child care expenses related to professional travel;
  • Annual $100 increases in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
• Appointments: Two-year initial appointments (up from one year) followed by one-year reappointments.
• Paid Family Leave: Effective January 1, 2023, a new special Postdoc Paid Leave program of 8 weeks of 100% paid family leave for all Postdocs.
• Respectful work environment: New contract provision to address abusive conduct and a dispute resolution process.
• Transit:
  • Access to a pre-tax program to pay for transit costs and an e-bike purchase discount program;
  • UC agrees to attempt to negotiate reduced-fee or no-fee access to regional transit system(s);
  • Formation of a joint labor management committee to explore additional measures.

Academic Researchers

• Compensation: Pay increases of 4.5 percent in the first year, 3.5 percent in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years; and 4 percent in the 5th year.
• Appointments: All reappointments no longer have exceptions for less than minimum length.
• Paid leave:
  • Effective January 1, 2023, 8 weeks 100% pay for family care and bonding for eligible Academic Researchers;
  • Increased bereavement leave.
• Respectful work environment: New contract provision to address abusive conduct and provide a dispute resolution process.
• Transit:
  • Access to a pre-tax program to pay for transit costs and an e-bike purchase discount program;
  • UC agrees to attempt to negotiate reduced-fee or no-fee access to regional transit system(s);
  • Formation of a joint UC-UAW committee to explore additional measures.

In the last year, UC has settled contracts with unions representing UC lecturers, nurses, police and clerical and other administrative staff. These agreements were the result of both sides working collaboratively to find solutions and demonstrating flexibility and a genuine willingness to compromise at the bargaining table. UC has approached the negotiations with UAW in the same fashion.

Negotiations for Postdoctoral Scholars began in July 2021 and in May 2022 for Academic Researchers.

The UAW also represents UC Academic Student Employees (teaching assistants/readers/tutors) and Graduate Student Researchers, and contract negotiations for those groups are ongoing. Information on current University proposals for these groups is available here.

To view the letter sent systemwide on Nov. 30 regarding Rights and Responsibilities of Senate Faculty in Relation to the UAW Strike and Rights and Responsibilities of Senate Faculty in Maintaining Academic Standards for Student Academic Performance and Progress, please click here.

To: All Campus

Dec. 5, 2022

Dear University Community:

As the semester comes to a close and after months of earnest good faith negotiations, regretfully, we still find ourselves in the midst of the UAW strike. Acknowledging the uncertainty and challenges surrounding the strike, we remain hopeful that a resolution will be reached in negotiations being handled by the University of California, Office of the President.

While negotiations continue, UC Merced is committed to continuing the mission of the university and ensuring the implementation of strategies to assist in protecting our students and their academic standing. The university also respects the protected activities of our employees. Our ability to attract and enroll top talent is core to UC’s teaching and research missions.

As of now, we expect most classes to remain as scheduled through the end of the semester, offices will be open, and the campus will provide normal services until winter curtailment. Students should continue attending their classes as usual and completing any scheduled assignments or exams. Faculty, please refer to the communications previously sent regarding grading and grade submissions for the semester. Updates related to the strike can be found on the university’s website.

We will continue to seek ways to reduce anxiety and stress related to the strike.

Thank you all for your continued commitment to the university’s mission, vision, and values. A special thank you to our faculty and academic advisors for your dedication to assisting our students – you are vital not only to their success, but also to the success of the university.

Sincerely,

Gregg Camfield, Ph.D.

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

The following message was provided by University of California's Office of the President.

To: All campus
Dec.9, 2022

After months of negotiations, and seven formal requests by the University of California to engage a private mediator, the University is pleased to announce that the United Auto Workers (UAW) agreed today (Dec. 9) to enter private mediation with the University. This joint move to mediation is designed to assist the two parties in overcoming recent negotiation gridlock.

“The University is pleased that the UAW has agreed to neutral private mediation so that we may resolve our differences and end the strike that has been impacting our students, faculty, and staff,” said Letitia Silas, executive director of systemwide labor relations. “We remain committed to securing a fair and reasonable contract with the union that honors the hard work of our valued graduate student employees. With the help of a neutral mediator, we hope to secure that agreement quickly.”

Since spring of 2022, the University and the United Auto Workers have held more than 60 bargaining sessions, including nearly daily formal and informal sessions since the strike began on Nov. 14.

The University recently offered the UAW generous proposals that would raise salaries for all graduate student employees by 12.5 to 48.4 percent over the course of the next three years. The majority of these employees would receive an average three-year salary increase of 26 percent, not including annual experience-based increases. The offers also include increased child care reimbursements, campus fee remissions, and other benefits. Student employees with 25 percent or greater employment with the University already receive full coverage of tuition, student services fees, and health care premiums. The proposals offered by the University to the UAW would place UC graduate student employees squarely among or above the most highly compensated student employees at any public research university in the nation.

A timeline for mediation will be set soon. During that time, both parties will be prohibited from speaking publicly about the negotiations. For additional details on the University’s most recent proposal, including compensation, please visit our website here.

TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY

After months of negotiations, a strike, and disruptions on our campuses, I am pleased to inform you that UC has reached a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) regarding the Graduate Student Researchers (GSR) and Academic Student Employees (ASE) contracts. Union members are expected to vote on the tentative agreements in the coming days.

With these agreements, student employees are expected to cease any picketing.

The tentative agreements include new minimum salary scales for Academic Student Employees, including Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Student Researchers, as well as multiyear pay increases, paid dependent access to university health care and enhanced paid family leave. Additional information about the agreements is available here.

We believe these agreements honor the vital contributions our ASEs and GSRs make to UC’s teaching and research activities and uphold UC’s tradition of supporting them with compensation and benefits packages that are among the best in the country. The agreements also help ensure that UC continues to be extremely competitive as a top research institution.

Following the strike, we will be working to restore healthy relationships across the system including healthy labor-management relations. On behalf of everyone at the Office of the President who has been involved with these negotiations, I want to thank all members of the University community for their patience and commitment during this challenging period. I also want to thank our campus labor relations and academic personnel colleagues for their partnership throughout the negotiations.

Respectfully,

Letitia Silas

Executive Director Systemwide Labor Relations

To: All undergraduate students

Dec. 21, 2022

Dear UC Merced Students, 

Your Fall 2022 grades have now posted! As a reminder, students may have some courses that show a “No Report” or NR grade. This is a placeholder grade until the instructor is able to complete and submit the grades. We will be endeavoring to resolve NR grades as quickly as possible and you should see those NR grades replaced in the coming weeks. The NR grade will not prevent course registration changes you need to make for Spring 2023. Thanks for your patience!

We want to congratulate you on your accomplishments and persistence this semester. We hope you have a restful and enjoyable winter break and look forward to welcoming you back for a terrific Spring 2023 semester!

Sincerely,

Sarah Frey, Ph.D.

Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies

Charles Nies, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

University of California graduate student workers end strike, ratify three-year contracts

We are pleased to announce that graduate student researchers and academic student workers at the University of California voted this week to approve new contracts, ending their six-week strike today (Dec. 23). Under the terms of the new contracts, these workers will be among the best supported in public higher education in the country.

“The University of California welcomes the ratification of these agreements with our valued graduate student employees. The University believed that the assistance of a third-party mediator would help the parties reach an agreement, which is why we are so grateful that the union accepted our invitation to mediation and partnered with us in selecting Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg to serve as the mediator,” said Letitia Silas, executive director of systemwide labor relations. “As a result of this collaboration, the parties were ultimately able to reach tentative agreements on the contracts as a whole in just a few days following months of negotiations. The University of California has negotiated several fair labor agreements over the last year with our represented employees. Today’s ratification demonstrates yet again the University’s strong commitment to providing every one of our hardworking employees with competitive compensation and benefits packages that honor their many contributions to our institution, to our community, and to the state of California.”

The new contracts go into effect immediately and will be in place through May 31, 2025. The University reached tentative agreements with both bargaining units on Dec. 16, and members voted throughout the past week to ratify the contracts.

Historically, the University has provided graduate student support packages that cover in-state tuition, provide annual stipends, and health benefits. Each University-provided support package has traditionally comprised a combination of wages for graduate students appointed as Academic Student Employees (ASEs) or Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs), as well as direct support from fellowships, training grants, and other sources. In addition, these special positions also provide in-classroom or in-lab experience to ASEs and GSRs, making them more competitive in the job market.

In response to the union’s proposals and following the University’s evaluation of other top research institutions across the country, UC has restructured and enhanced its support packages to better align with similarly placed institutions of higher education. These enhancements reflect the important role that these student employees play and the University’s dedication to support its graduate students as they obtain their masters and doctoral degrees.

Click here to view the full update with highlights of the agreement.

CONFIRMATION OF LABOR WITHELD DURING UAW STRIKE

The University respects its employees’ right to strike. The University has a concurrent responsibility as a public employer to align compensation with work effort provided to the institution, consistent with the award of federal grant funds and the allocation of State funds committed to the University as a public trust. These obligations are set forth in Uniform Guidance, 2 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 200, Art. IX, Sec. 9 of the California Constitution, and Regents Policy 7303: Policy on the Services Obligations and Leaves of Absence.

You are a member of a bargaining unit that has engaged in a strike at the University. Therefore, it is necessary that you confirm which days or hours, if any, that you withheld your labor during the work stoppage starting on November 14, 2022, through December 23, 2022 (or December 9th in the case of Academic Researcher and Postdoc units), or the end of your appointment, whichever occurred first. This information will be used solely to record leave without pay for those days or times that you withheld labor over the course of the work stoppage, to ensure appropriate payroll processing, and ensure appropriate effort reporting in connection with federal grants. Please access the form here and send to UC Merced Labor Relations at laborrelations@ucmerced.edu by January 23, 2023. Information on this form will be shared with Principal Investigators (PIs) and instructors of record for courses for payroll purposes and effort reporting as required by federal regulations in connection with federal grants. You can print, sign, and drop this form off with your department or email it to your department administrator with an electronic signature inserted below.

Here's a link to our frequently asked questions.

Thank you,

UC Merced Labor Relations