UC-UAW
For nearly 3 decades, UAW members have been organizing to make the University of California a better place to work in service of the common good. Currently, UAW is the union of 60,000 employees at the University of California, including professional staff, academic researchers, teaching assistants, postdocs, and more. And that number continues to grow as more groups of workers come together to form new bargaining units and negotiate sweeping improvements to their workplaces. Right now, UC employees across many job classifications are currently organizing to join the majority of unionized workers on all campuses. You can too.
WHY UAW
UAW is a worker-led, democratic union run by members, for members. From talking with colleagues, to deciding to form a union, serving on the bargaining committee or voting on the first contract, workers at UC run all aspects of this union. Through this approach, more and more workers are continuing to build on UAW’s legacy as one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America. Learn more here about what UAW members have accomplished at UC.
Organizing for a Stronger UC
Right now, thousands of UC employees are deciding to unionize with UAW in order to strengthen UC at a time when higher education is under attack. By organizing this year we have the opportunity to join 48,000 workers in three different UAW bargaining units who are already in negotiations with the UC. Working together with our colleagues in UAW gives us non-represented employees a swift pathway to win union contracts that guarantee decent working conditions so that we can better perform our essential roles at the university.
Raising Standards Through Union Contracts
As part of UAW, over 125,000 higher education workers are building a movement to raise workplace standards and increase funding for higher education and research. You can see details about the variety of issues UAW members are addressing in their contracts here.
UC workers in non-union titles are vulnerable to arbitrary and disruptive changes to our working conditions, such as return to office mandates that fly in the face of employee input. But as soon as we form a union with UAW, the UC can no longer make unilateral changes like these without our consent — we gain the power to negotiate as equals over all aspects of our working conditions. And once we democratically vote on our collective bargaining agreement, the terms of our compensation, benefits, and working conditions are secured such that we can plan for the future with greater certainty and ease.
Staff Organizing on the Rise
7,200 Research and Public Service Professionals at UC voted in a majority-participation election to join UAW
5,000 Student Services and Advising Professionals at UC joined UAW with supermajority support in April 2025
600 Faculty and Staff at California Institute for the Arts in Los Angeles won their union election with a resounding 92% YES vote and over 75% of workers participating.
Researchers at the Allen Institute in Seattle, are forming a union (AIU-UAW), and launched their card authorization campaign with a rally and organizing drive.
2,500 Staff at University of Alaska are in the process of forming a statewide union.
26 other Staff units have already bargained contracts that have raised workplace standards across higher education
MORE ON UNIONIZED WORKERS IN THE NEWS
Gallup: More in U.S. See Unions Strengthening and Want It That Way
Data Snapshot: Tenure and Contingency in US Higher Education
Unionization efforts pick up across US universities
NPR: Support for Labor Unions is at a 57-year high
Nature: NIH researchers vote to form a union for the first time
Seattle Times: UW researchers, engineers, postdocs reach tentative agreements