Congratulations on your appointment at the University of Washington, and welcome to UAW 4121, the Union of Academic Student Employees (ASEs), Postdoctoral Scholars, and Research Scientists & Engineers A-4 at UW! As academic workers, we are critical to the university’s core mission as a center for instruction and research. We work in labs, teach classes, and conduct cutting-edge research — in short, UW works because we do. Over the past 20 years, we have a strong tradition of organizing to advance members’ priorities around social impact, equity, and working conditions.
Read more about our history and impact from UW’s student-run newspaper, The Daily!
Below, you’ll find a summary of important information to help get you oriented to your union, your rights under our collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), and important resources available to ASEs and Postdocs. For more information, please contact uaw4121@uaw4121.org or your department steward (ASE stewards, Postdoc stewards, RSE A-4 stewards).
Become a Member | Get Help | Get Involved |
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When every ASE and Postdoc signs up for membership, we have more power to win on the issues that matter most to members. Thanks to 20 years of strong majority membership and participation, we’ve been able to win improvements to our working conditions and our University more broadly -- including wages, healthcare, childcare, anti-discrimination, international scholars issues, and more. | ASEs and Postdocs have strong rights and protections under our contracts, which we’ve continually improved through membership action and collective bargaining. We have a strong network of elected departmental stewards -- peer representatives who can help answer your questions, ensure your rights are enforced, and connect you with support. | As a union, we’re a democratic and member-driven organization -- everything we do as a union is the result of membership participation. The more ASEs and Postdocs across campus who participate in our union, the more power we have to make changes to improve our working and learning conditions, and the university as a whole. |
Join Your Union! Dues in Action ASE Member Center Postdoc Member Center | Find your Union Rep ASE Contract Postdoc Contract Salaried ASEs' Rights Hourly ASEs' Rights Postdocs' Rights Workload tracking | Workgroups Organizing Committees Membership meetings Political Action Calendar |
Your Union
- Principles
- Equity & Union Culture
- Membership email digest
- Find UAW 4121 on social media
- Find your Union Rep!
- Join the UAW 4121 Slack! Both ASE and Postdoc units have Slack instances that are open to all members. Slack is a great way to stay up-to-date between membership meetings, ask questions, and coordinate with other members around ongoing campaigns. To join the Slack, fill out this short form.
Your Resources
- COVID-19 resources & information
- Renters Toolkit
- International Students & Scholars Working Group
- International Students & Scholars handout
- Empowering Prevention & Inclusive Communities (EPIC)
- More resources
- And check the linktree for the most recent updates!
Unions in Academia
We are part of a growing movement of organizing across higher education. Across the country, academic workers are forming unions to improve their working conditions and make their workplaces more equitable. The UAW alone represents nearly 100,000 academic workers. Check out some recent press on the academic organizing movement: