University of California academic workers in the U.S strike for wage and benefit, 2022

Since the early 2000s, rent in California has increased faster than wages, forcing renters to spend more than half of their income on housing—higher than in most other states. Throughout the past two decades, the skyrocketing cost of living has significantly impacted residents, and importantly, this includes students, workers, and faculty at the University of California (UC), a leading public research university system that consists of ten campuses. In response to the rising cost of living and UC’s limited pay, unionized academic workers—graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other university staff—have repeatedly called for higher wages and improved benefits. In 2022, inspired by a previous graduate student strike at the University of California, Santa Cruz, academic workers across multiple UC campuses initiated a labor campaign with 48,000 academic workers going on strike for better pay and benefits.

Three United Auto Workers (UAW) unions led labor strikes across UC campuses: Student Researchers United-UAW (representing student researchers), UAW Local 2865 (representing graduate tutors and teaching assistants), and UAW Local 5810 (representing postdoctoral and academic researchers). Starting in the spring of 2019, the unions negotiated with the University of California over the system’s alleged unlawful actions, such as surveying bargaining unit members directly while bypassing designated union representatives and implementing policies without going through the collective bargaining processes with the unions. In 2022, the unions had filed 27 charges with the California Public Employment Relations Board with the Board failing to appropriately address them. As a result of such disappointment, (97%) of union members voted on 2 November 2022 to authorize a strike.  

The strike officially started on 14 November 2022. Thousands of academic workers joined the strike forming picket lines, disrupting classes, and staging protests to demand better wages for teaching assistants and other workers. Protesters held signs with messages such as “UAW On Strike Unfair Labor Practice” while chanting, “We’ve got the power!” The campaign made several demands: (1) significant pay increases (a base salary of $54,000 for graduate students and $70,000 for postdoctoral researchers), (2) childcare subsidies, (3) enhanced healthcare for dependents, (4) longer family leave, (5) public transit passes and (6) lower tuition costs for international scholars. On that same day, UC Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Brown expressed in a system wide email the administration’s intention to quickly reach an agreement with the union. 

2022 University of California academic workers' strike. Picket signs have the text: "UAW on strike / unfair labor practice."

(Photo credit: Pillsmarch [CC BY-SA 4.0

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

At each of the 10 UC campuses, Union Auto Workers organized picket lines at the main traffic routes and entrances. A total of 48,000 academic workers went on strike for better pay and work benefits, disrupting work routines at the universities. On 17 November, at around 5:30 am, picket lines erupted at the bus stops at Macgowan Hall and Lu Valle Commons, obstructing delivery and worker access to construction sites close to the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden and the campus restaurant in Lu Valle Commons. Additionally, the college rerouted several bus routes. The campaign received significant support from faculty, students, and alumni. However, some professors and students raised concerns over class disruptions, incomplete grades, and the approach of final examinations.

On 29 November 2022, UAW 5810 reached a tentative agreement with the University of California. The agreement included a 20–23% pay raise, four additional weeks of paid parental and family leave, childcare subsidies, longer appointments, more robust bullying safeguards, and transportation benefits. However, before UAW 5810 union chapter ratified the agreement on 9 December, its members, including 12,000 postdoctoral and researchers, continued their protests in solidarity with the broader campaign.

Later in the week, picketing, sit-ins, and protest meetings persisted across the 10 campuses. During a sit-in on 5 December at the University of California Office of the President in Sacramento, the Sacramento Police Department cited 17 academic workers for trespassing. Similarly, law enforcement arrested 10 workers at the University of California, Los Angeles two days after. 

On 9 December 2022, after holding over 60 bargaining sessions, the remaining unions (as UAW 5810 had ratified the previously mentioned agreement and withdrew from the campaign) reached an agreement with the University of California to bring in a third-party mediator to facilitate further negotiations. 

The University of California and the 36,000 graduate student researchers and teaching assistants in SRU-UAW and UAW 2865 came to a provisional agreement on 16 December. Under the terms of the agreement, UC academic workers would see their minimum pay rise from $23,250 to $34,000 for nine months of part-time work. At UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, and UC Los Angeles, where cost-of- living adjustments were higher, the minimum pay would be raised to $36,500. The agreement also included improved child care reimbursements, healthcare coverage for dependents, and additional tuition support for up to three years for eligible international student employees. 

On 23 December, UAW 2865 and SRU-UAW ratified the agreements, ending the UC-wide labor strike. Overall, the campaign successfully met the multiple demands of the unions: While the salary increases fell short of the unions' demands and dissatisfaction arose among the protesters, the agreements secured key benefits, including improved healthcare coverage and support for international student employees.