ASE Bargaining Highlights

ASEs

ASEs are Winning Key Victories

At the bargaining table, ASEs are winning greater control over our lives and futures.

Beat back the UC’s attempts to make it easier to discipline or dismiss workers. There must be just cause for an ASE to be disciplined or dismissed.
Improved workers’ access to jobs by ensuring that all ASE appointment opportunities get posted to a central campus website.
Won the waiver of all UC English Language Test Fees. From now on, UC will cover these costs.
Won ASEs greater control over our future careers by ensuring that ASEs can add our own information to our Employment Files. Now supervisors can’t unilaterally influence the narrative.
Protected against discrimination based on caste
We pushed UC to bargain over “respectful work environment” rather than unilaterally imposing it on ASEs (we now have a say over this and can ensure accountability)

5% Won’t Pay The Rent!

The UC’s current proposal of a 5% raise is an effective pay cut given an inflation rate of 8.5%, and far from our demands to address rent burden.

Over 90% of ASEs are rent burdened. Rents are up 15% nationwide from last year, so without a cost of living adjustment and affordable housing options, our rent burden will only get worse.
Workers living in campus housing pay back more than 50% of their salaries to the UC for rent.
ASEs are demanding that our wages keep up with the rising cost of living. Our collective actions have pushed UC to put more money on the table than in the past, but it’s still not nearly enough.

UC continues to push for concessions, such as…

Delaying justice for survivors: UC has proposed indefinitely delaying harassment and discrimination grievances until Title IX’s interminable investigations are completed. UC’s proposal restricts survivors’ choices and takes away existing protections.
Weakening Job Security: UC wants to weaken ASEs’ job security by giving hiring units more leeway to withdraw verbal or informal employment offers.
Weakening protections against overwork: UC has proposed weakening ASEs’ workload rights by delaying resolution timelines and making it harder for workers to recover back pay for overwork.
Union Busting: UC has proposed eliminating the right of ASEs to choose to join their union as part of their new hire paperwork and are trying to limit the right of ASEs to use their own departmental listservs for union activity. Most egregiously, they want to roll back the rights of ASEs to take action in their workplaces.

We’re fighting to make progress in new areas