Bargaining Update #7: Management makes no progress on immigration

Yesterday, Academic Student Employees held our seventh bargaining session with UC management in Berkeley. At the session, Management delivered a counter-proposal on immigration that makes virtually no progress towards the protections workers need to live and work securely under the Trump administration

On the same day that UC made this proposal, a federal judge ruled that it is unconstitutional for the Trump administration to punish international scholars for protesting the war in Gaza. At a moment when the federal government is trying to undermine the rights of international workers, the UC administration has a responsibility to defend those rights, especially for the thousands of workers who form the backbone of this university. Instead, they are abdicating that responsibility. So far UC administration has refused to agree to very basic measures, including: 

  • A guaranteed immigration legal defense fund

  • Financial and employment security for workers facing revocation of legal status

  • Protections for workers from immigration agents on campus

As academic workers’ 25-year bargaining history with UC has taught us, it is not reason alone that moves the employer to do the right thing—it takes collective action as well. Over the past months, academic workers have been circulating a petition calling on management to protect immigration rights for all. Thousands of workers have signed that petition, and union members on every campus have already met with deans to emphasize how urgent this issue is. Later this month, workers are taking our demands directly to our campus chancellors. Sign onto the petition to demand that the UC administration protect immigration rights for all and join ASEs in the fight against Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. 

Watch this video for more details on on management’s immigration proposal:

Click for the full video

Management wants to turn back the clock on abuse, bullying and harassment

Yesterday’s Respectful Work Environment and Non-Discrimination proposals would endlessly delay justice for workers facing harassment, discrimination, and bullying by putting the workers’ union grievances on pause (also called “abeyance”). Tens of thousands of UC academic workers spent decades fighting to enshrine strong contractual protections against bullying, harassment and abuse in our contracts, and it’s incumbent on all ASEs to demonstrate to UC that they will not be taking back those hard-fought victories.

Check your check on 11/1

Earlier this year, ASEs voted to extend the expiration of our current union contract from May 31 of this year to December 31. Today, as part of that agreement, ASEs will receive a 4% wage increase (greater than the current rate of inflation). This increase will be reflected in your November 1 paycheck for the October pay period so please be sure to check your check one month from now! 


This increase, the previous raises over the last three years, and all the gains academic workers won three years were only possible because ASEs stood together during 2022 contract negotiations. This year ASEs can and must build on those gains. Please do your part to help maximize ASEs collective power and leverage at the bargaining table by adding your name to the International Workers’ Rights petition and signing up to be part of the Contract Action Team (CAT)!

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Bargaining Update #6: Major win on workplace accessibility / ULP in UCLA math