Bargaining Update #10: ASEs’ first wage proposal, bargaining continues on immigration, bullying
Yesterday, the ASE (Academic Student Employee) Bargaining Team met with University administrators for another bargaining session, where we focused on wages, immigration, and preventing bullying and harassment.
ASEs caucus during yesterday's session at the UAW Region 6 Pico office.
At this session, the Bargaining Team presented a comprehensive plan to address the rising cost of living in California and to end arbitrary pay disparities among workers. This plan includes:
A unified pay scale for all TAs, GSIs, and GSRs to address arbitrary pay disparities
Experience-based raises
Annual pay increases that exceed the cost of living
ASEs also proposed our fourth proposal on immigration, reiterating our demand for a legal defense fund, which management has still not accepted. Through some productive back-and-forth with UC’s negotiators, we were able to make progress on protections against abusive conduct in the workplace.
Management brought proposals on union access, union security, required training and orientation. However, these proposals made little to no movement from UC’s prior positions. We will need to continue to mount the pressure in order to reach an agreement on these issues.
Our contract expires at the end of December, at which point ASEs gain the right to strike if justified. On Thursday, November 20, ASEs will join 12,000 UAW - represented staff to demand that UC management agree to fair contracts for all UAW workers at UC. Turn out with your coworkers to show UC that ASEs stand behind these demands and are ready to fight for them.
