Here’s the summary of yesterday’s mediated bargaining session: UW Admin is in full attack mode against their own workers.
UW Admin has been stalling for months on wage increases for ASEs. Their current proposals would keep ASEs paid way below market rate while ASE salaries up and down the coast—even in our own state—soar above UW’s wages. Why does Admin want to keep ASE pay at the bottom of the market?
We made a wages proposal that would bring ASE base wages up by July 1, 2025 to what ASEs at UC Merced will be making in Fall 2024. Admin called this “outrageous.”
During Monday’s mediated bargaining session, after months of not talking about this issue, Admin suddenly decided that their number one priority was to eliminate the 220 hour workload maximum that ASEs have had in our contract since 2004. They admitted at the table that their proposal is intended to make ASEs work more—but don’t worry, it’s “not that many more hours,” according to their chief negotiator.
It’s more clear than ever: the only way UW will pay us what we deserve is if we demand it together.
Here’s else what you can do to prepare for our May 14 strike date:
- Sign up for your first picket shift – and if you already have, make sure your coworkers are signed up as well!
- Come to a Strike Captain training or Town Hall
- Come to the May Monthly Membership Meeting on Thursday (5/9)
- Join a Strike Prep Committee
- Check out the Strike FAQ
In solidarity,
Your ASE Bargaining Team
Natalie Wellen (Applied Mathematics)
Anastasia Schaadhardt (Information School)
Candice Young (Molecular & Cellular Biology)
Francesca Colonnese (English)
Jayden Wood (Mechanical Engineering)
Justin Applegate (Biochemistry)
Natasha Crepeau (Mathematics)
Nelson Niu (Mathematics)
Peter Lindquist (Earth & Space Sciences)
Miro Stuke (Environmental & Forest Sciences)
Soohyung Hur (Geography)
Tahiyat Rahman (Physics)
Yuying Xie (Geography)
