University of California, graduate student workers reach tentative deal to end weeks-long strike

The University of California (UC) and graduate student workers have reached a tentative agreement to increase pay and benefits that could end a weeks-long strike. 

UC said in a release on Friday that it reached a deal with the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) on contracts for academic student employees and graduate student researchers. 

UAW said in a release that the agreement comes after 32 days of students striking, and members of the union will vote on ratifying the deal next week. 

“Our members stood up to show the university that academic workers are vital to UC’s success,” said UAW President Ray Curry. “They deserve nothing less than a contract that reflects the important role they play and the reality of working in cities with extremely high costs of living.” 

The UC release states that the under the agreement it would establish minimum salary scales for student employees. The first step on the six-point salary scale for graduate student researchers would be set at $34,564.50 for 50-percent time work by Oct. 1, 2024. Teaching assistants’ minimum nine-month salary would be $34,000 for 50-percent time work, and it would be $36,500 for locations in San Francisco, Berkeley and UCLA. 

UC would also proportionally increase rates for associate instructors and teaching fellows to correspond with the increases for teaching assistants. 

Student workers would also be entitled to $1,350 in childcare reimbursements per quarter or $2,025 per semester, along with $1,350 for the summer. 

UC additionally agreed to pay 100 percent of dependent child health care premiums for eligible academic student employees and graduate student researchers. 

UC President Michael Drake thanked Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg (D) and negotiators for both sides for reaching a compromise. 

“Our Academic Student Employees and Graduate Student Researchers are central to our academic enterprise and make incredible contributions to the University’s mission of research and education,” he said. 

“These agreements will place our graduate student employees among the best supported in public higher education. If approved, these contracts will honor their critical work and allow us to continue attracting the top academic talent from across California and around the world,” he continued. 

Negotiations have been ongoing since the spring, and both sides agreed to engage Steinberg as a third-party mediator to facilitate discussions and help resolve remaining issues. 

California law allows graduate students to unionize to collectively negotiate the terms of their employment from their universities.