Frequently Asked Questions
THE BASICS
What is a union?
A labor union is an organization that represents the collective interests of workers in negotiations with their employers. Together, the union and the employer negotiate the terms of employment, allowing workers to have a voice in their workplace.
What is a collective bargaining agreement?
A union contract, or “Collective Bargaining Agreement” (CBA), is the legal document defining workplace rights, pay, and benefits, negotiated between a union and employer. UAW 4811’s contract with UC has a dispute resolution process that ends with a neutral third party.
I’m having a problem at work, what should I do?
One of our Union’s primary functions is to enforce the contract, which means representing Academic Student Employees, Postdocs, and Academic Researchers in a dispute resolution process that ends with a neutral third party decision. UAW 4811 files grievances—formal notices to the University that the contract has been violated—when workers have been underpaid, harassed, discriminated against, etc.
The overwhelming majority of grievances filed about workload concerns are successful, and they can be filed through an expedited process to ensure a speedy resolution.
If you have a concern about contract violations at your workplace, you should contact a union representative to make sure you preserve your rights in the situation.
YOUR CONTRACT
What are my rights under a UAW 4811 contract?
Academic Student Employees contracts contain record-setting wage increases – the largest-ever increases for any unionized higher-education workers–with up to 80% increases for the lowest paid workers in our unit. The contract also contains breakthroughs in new areas like the first-ever contractual transit benefits at UC, the first-ever inclusion of NRST and dependent healthcare after years of demanding both, and industry-standard-setting protections against abusive conduct. You can read the full contract here.
The Postdoctoral Scholar and Academic Researcher contracts include groundbreaking wins in salary increases, health benefits, retirement security, paid leave, protections against harassment and discrimination, job security, and much more. The contracts also established a grievance process to resolve employment-related disputes, which allows us the option of asking a neutral third-party arbitrator, rather than the University, to determine whether our rights have been violated. You can click here to read the full Postdoc contract, or here for the Academic Researcher contract.
MEMBERSHIP
What does it mean to become a member of UAW 4811?
Becoming a member is a vote for a better life. UAW 4811 only has power to negotiate with UC because a majority of Academic Employees come together and bargain collectively.
Members also set our union’s priorities: electing officers, setting bargaining priorities, and voting to ratify the contract. Union members also bring forward many of their own proposals and projects for the union to act on.
To become a member of UAW 4811, you pay a one-time initiation fee of $10, and when you’re employed in a position covered by the contract (when you’re working as a Postdoc, Academic Researcher, GSI, GSR, SR, RA, TA, Reader or Tutor), you pay a small amount of your wages in dues (1.44%) that provides UAW 4811 with the resources necessary to bargain and enforce a strong contract. Students can become members even when they’re not currently employed by the University in a position under the contract.
Where do my dues go?
Dues provide the financial resources that give UAW 4811 access to legal advice, experienced staff, office supplies, and other materials necessary to remain a strong collective advocate for student-worker rights.
About a third of dues support our local union. This includes preparing for and engaging in contract negotiations, enforcing the contract and helping Academic Student Employees with grievances, educating workers about their rights under the contract, and other initiatives that advance student-workers interests.
Another third of dues money goes into the UAW Strike Fund, which maintains our ability to take strike action if necessary. For example, the UAW Strike Fund paid striking workers benefits of $400/week for all six weeks of the 2022 UC-UAW strike (In February 2023, the UAW International Executive Board increased strike benefits so that future strikers will receive $500/week). Some of this money is also used to organize other workers, like UC Postdocs and Academic Researchers, academic employees at Harvard, Columbia, Caltech, and USC, NIH Postdocs, and more!
The remaining share of dues goes to the UAW International Union, which provides us with expertise and support regarding negotiations, contract enforcement, legal matters, health and safety, insurance benefits, political action, and many other issues.Any member interested in seeing a detailed explanation of UAW Local 4811’s expenditures may contact statewide union leadership for a copy of the most recent independent auditor’s report.
Can international students and workers become union members?
International students and workers have the same rights as US citizens to join and participate in the Union. UAW 4811 has represented thousands of international students over several decades. UAW 4811 advocates for international workers to be able to freely choose their employment and opposes employer control over the H1-B Visa. Our Union has also opposed visa restrictions on Chinese international students, and along with other UAW locals has advocated for OPT STEM extensions.