Contract Ratification FAQ

When will the ratification vote take place?

In accordance with the Union Bylaws and Constitution, the UAW 2865 Executive Board and the SRU bargaining committee voted to set ratification dates for next week, from 8am on Monday, December 19th to 5pm on Friday, December 23rd. 

Who is eligible to vote?

All UAW 2865 members in good standing will be eligible to vote on the ASE agreement, and anyone who is currently or will soon be a represented Student Researcher at UC is eligible to vote on the SR agreement. If you meet voter eligibility requirements for both agreements, you may vote on both agreements. If you would like to ensure your eligibility to vote, you can do so here.

How do I vote?

Look out for an email with your ballot on Monday morning. If you do not receive an email Monday morning and you believe you are eligible to vote, please fill out this form.

reach out to communications@uc-uaw.org. 

Does a ratification vote also end the strike? What does it mean to withdraw Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs)? 

The strike will continue through the ratification vote. If members vote to ratify a contract, that will include withdrawing pending ULPs and agreeing to a No Strikes clause. The strike would end and members would receive the rights and benefits of the contract. If members vote not to ratify the contract, the strike would continue and the ULPs would remain filed. In order to end a strike, the membership must decide to do so. 

What does it mean to withdraw ULPs regarding retaliation? 

Once a contract is ratified, workers will have recourse against retaliation through our grievance procedures and the Union will reserve the right to file additional ULPs regarding retaliation, where needed. 

Is my vote secret? 

Both ratification votes are secret ballot votes. The Union will use the secure online voting platform Simply Voting for both ratification votes. Eligible voters, as defined above, will receive an email with their unique elector id, password and link to access their ballot.  When the voter accesses and submits a ballot, the results are encrypted, anonymous and cannot be changed. After voting, the voter will receive an email receipt and is then blocked from voting again. 

Will the strike continue during the vote?

Yes.

Where can I read the full ASE and SR tentative agreements?

You can read the full text of the tentative agreements, as well as summaries, on this page.

What happens if members vote YES on the tentative agreement?

If members vote to ratify the contract, it will go into effect immediately. Workers will have access to the benefits and protections right away, and wages increases will be implemented in April 2023, October 2023, and October 2024. 

What happens if members vote NO on the tentative agreement?

If a majority votes No on the contract, it is not ratified. Everything that comes next, as everything that came before, depends on the power of a continued strike. UC presented the tentative agreement as a package, so if the members reject it, then it is unclear what UC would propose back at the table. Because the proposal that has been tentatively agreed to was a mediated proposal, the University could go back to its prior bargaining positions.

The bargaining team would try to reopen articles that were not in the economic package that the membership wants to see changed, but reopening articles that were tentatively agreed to as single articles would require the employer to agree to renegotiate. The employer could also try to reopen articles that have been individually tentatively agreed to. 

The UC would also reserve the right to proceed to impasse (see impasse explainer here). 

Can I be asked to finish grading or research work after ratifying a contract? 

If workers ratify a contract, ASEs will maintain protections regarding appointments and GSRs will gain new protections regarding workload and appointments. As a result, the University cannot require workers to grade or complete research work beyond their appointments (e.g. after 12/31 if an appointment ends 12/31) or beyond their workload protections. Per the ASE contract, the University cannot require a 50% FTE TA/GSI to work more than 8 hours in a single day or 40 hours in a single week; per the GSR contract, workers can only be required to work commensurate to their appointment percentage and have the right to paid time off. If workers cannot complete grading or research work within their work hours before the end of their appointments, they cannot be forced to do so.