Your Rights as an ASE/GSR at UC
Since 2000, Academic Student Employees have been fighting to improve our working conditions by bargaining contracts that set the standard for our compensation, rights, and benefits at UC. The most recent contract was ratified and went into effect in March of 2026 and will continue until the end of 2029. Continue scrolling to see a summary of what’s in the contract and click here to read the contract in full.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation
Since ASEs first won a contract in 2000, real wages have increased by over 200%. In the current contract, current TAs and GSRs will see raises between 12% and 44% over four years. Readers and tutors will see raises between 10% and 62% over four years. By 2029, campus-based pay disparities will be eliminated and disparities between the highest and lowest paid workers will be reduced.
Fee Remissions
When graduate employees and undergraduate TAs work 25% FTE (10 hours/week) or more, they receive full in-state tuition remission, campus fee remission, and the remission of UC SHIP premiums.
Leaves
Salaried employees are eligible for up to 8 weeks of paid long-term leave per year. This leave can be used after the birth/adoption of a child, to attend to a serious health condition, in the event of reproductive loss, or to take care of a family member. All ASEs and GSRs receive 2 days per quarter or 3 days per semester of paid short-term leave. Employees who need to travel outside of the United States to apply for a visa may use short-term leave, long-term leave, and personal time off (PTO) to pay for up to 3 weeks of immigration leave. For a full breakdown of leave entitlements, visit uaw4811.org/ase-leaves
Personal Time Off
GSRs receive one day of personal time off per month of their appointment, all granted at the beginning of the appointment. For example, a 12-month GSR position would be allotted 12 days of PTO. Unused PTO may roll over up to a maximum of 18 days if the GSR is reappointed under the same PI.
Holidays
All ASEs and GSRs get the day off on the 14 UC holidays per year. GSRAs at LBNL receive 2 floating holidays to achieve parity with the other UC campuses. If operational needs require a GSR to work during a holiday, they are entitled to an alternate day off.
Transit
All campuses must provide either a reduced or no-cost transit pass or offer a pre-tax commuter benefit program with a double-match up to $30 per month. The University also provides an e-bike purchase discount program with discounts of at least 15% off of retail price.
Childcare
ASEs and GSRs with children under the age of 12 receive a childcare reimbursement of at least $1900 per quarter, a 35% increase from the previous contract. By 2029, the childcare reimbursement will increase to $2050 per quarter, a 46% increase over the lifetime of the contract.
Child Dependent Healthcare Remission
Any employee that receives UC SHIP remission is eligible to receive a 100% premium remission for their child dependents if their income exceeds the Medi-Cal eligibility threshold. If the employee has a spouse, they are eligible if their combined income does not exceed twice the Medi-Cal eligibility threshold. For more information, visit uaw4811.org/ase-parents.
Transitional Position Program
Up to 10 graduate student employees per campus per year may receive a transitional position to switch to a different lab in the event that there is an irreparable employment-related conflict between the employee and their supervisor.
Work-Incurred Injury and Illness
Employees can use long-term leave when they are unable to work due to a work-incurred injury or illness.
Appointment Security
Appointment Percentage and Lengths
ASE Job Classifications
Discipline and Dismissal
Non-Discrimination and Respectful Work Environment
Disability Accommodations
Workload/Time & Effort
Grievance and Arbitration
Health and Safety
If someone receives and accepts an offer for an ASE or GSR position, that position is guaranteed. If the position is no longer available, the University must provide an equivalent position or payment in lieu of the position.
TAs/GSIs and Associate Instructors in PhD or MFA programs must be offered an appointment or combination of appointments at a minimum of 50% FTE (20 hours/week). GSR appointments are also offered at a minimum of 50% FTE as a standard and year-long appointments must be offered when practicable.
All ASEs have a right to receive compensation and benefits that align with their job duties as defined in the ASE Classifications article. If you are in charge of the full instruction of a course, you must be appointed as an Associate Instructor.
ASEs and GSRs cannot be fired or disciplined arbitrarily or without “just cause.” The University must provide a written notice of intent to discipline or dismiss an employee and the employee must have the opportunity to respond with assistance from a peer union rep. Employees may request disciplinary documents be removed from their employment file after two years.
The contract guarantees that ASEs and GSRs have a right to a workplace free from discrimination, sexual harassment, abusive conduct, and bullying in the workplace. If these rights are violated, they can be addressed through the grievance and arbitration procedure in our contract, not UC’s internal procedures.
ASEs and GSRs with disabilities have a right to receive reasonable accommodations granted in a timely fashion determined through an interactive process. Employees are not required to provide a medical diagnosis to seek an accommodation and immediate temporary adjustments are guaranteed while the employee and the University come up with a long-term accommodation.
ASEs and GSRs have the right to be paid for all work time and cannot be asked to work in excess of their appointment. For TAs/GSIs with a 50% appointment, you cannot be asked to work more than 220 hours/quarter or 340 hours/semester, or more than 40 hours in any one week or more than 8 hours in any one day.
The contract guarantees a fair grievance procedure to resolve workplace issues. If the issue is not resolved, grievances can be taken to a neutral, third-party arbitrator for a final decision so the UC cannot unilaterally determine the outcome. This contract streamlines and speeds up the time it takes to resolve workplace issues.
The contract protects ASEs and GSRs from working in unsafe conditions. This includes the right to sufficient safety training and the right to refuse unsafe conditions until the issue is remediated.
Workspace Materials
Rights and Protections
ASEs and GSRs have the right to all required equipment, supplies, and facilities necessary to complete their job duties.