[Faculty] Provost’s Bargaining Update (October 2025)

[UCR Provost]

*This letter is sent on behalf of UC System Provost and Executive Vice
President Katherine S. Newman. For your convenience, the text of the letter
is below.  The signed letter is attached as a pdf.*



ACADEMIC COUNCIL CHAIR AHMET PALAZOGLU

EXECUTIVE VICE CHANCELLORS AND PROVOSTS



Dear Colleagues:



I am writing to you with my regular monthly update on the progress of our
negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) for the recently unified
Academic Student Employees (ASE – TAs, AIs, Fellows, Readers, Tutors) and
Graduate Student Researchers (GSR) bargaining unit.  Please share this
letter with all faculty at your earliest convenience.



Three bargaining sessions were held in September, resulting in seven
tentative agreements, which means we now have a total of eight tentative
agreements on contract articles. They include proposals on reasonable
accommodation, labor management meetings, work-incurred illness or injury,
workspace and instructional support, severability, health and safety,
posting, and travel.  I am very pleased – and grateful to all parties –
that we have seen such positive movement. It is testimony to the
constructive collaboration we enjoy with our unions.



Beyond these milestones, the University delivered for union consideration,
nine additional proposals covering appointments, appointment security, ASE
summer session, ASE workload, immigration, leaves, non-discrimination,
respectful work environment, and union access. Our goal is to improve
transparency and consistency by distinguishing between academic year and
fiscal year appointments, clarify compensation for summer session under the
new multipoint TA salary scales, and reaffirm the requirement that all
employees meet work eligibility standards in order to hold an appointment.
The University worked closely with the UC Systemwide Office of Civil
Rights, UC Legal, and other systemwide policy experts on several of these
important provisions, to ensure alignment with existing policies wherever
possible.



For its part, the UAW put forward eleven proposals regarding discipline and
dismissal, health benefits, grievance and arbitration, holidays,
immigration, leaves, no strikes, non-discrimination, respectful work
environment, training and orientation, and union security. Among other
provisions, this package included a new fully funded Healthcare
Reimbursement Arrangement and a new employee-based health plan for ASEs and
GSRs (in addition to UC SHIP), modifying notice periods for discipline and
dismissal cases, expanding short-term and long-term leave benefits and
definitions of family member, and removing the “no strikes” article while
retaining “no lockout” language.



There will be two bargaining sessions in October. During this time, the
bargaining team will continue carefully reviewing the UAW’s proposals with
our shared goal of reaching a fair contract that supports UC’s education
and research mission while also remaining consistent with our operational
and financial realities.



For more information on ASE and GSR bargaining, please consult UCnet
<https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor-news/> and UC Press Room
<https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/labor-negotiations> websites
for updates on these negotiations and information on other bargaining units.



Thank you again for your patience throughout this process and for the many
ways you contribute to our academic community each day. We remain committed
to working together with our union colleagues to find common ground and to
achieve an agreement that supports graduate student academic employees and
advances and strengthens the mission of the University.




Best wishes,






Katherine S. Newman


UC System Provost and


Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs




UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Sociology & Public
Policy



cc:            President Milliken

            Chancellors

            Academic Council Vice Chair Scott

            Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Nava

            Executive Vice President Rubin

    Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Bustamante

    Senior Vice President Turner

    Laboratory Director Witherell

    Vice President Brown

    Vice President/Vice Provost Gullatt

    Vice President Humiston

    Vice President and Chief of Staff Kao

    Vice President Lloyd

    Vice President Maldonado

    Vice Provost Varsanyi

    Vice Provosts/Vice Chancellors for Academic Personnel

    Vice Chancellors for Research

    Deputy Provost Lee

    Associate Vice Provost Jennings

    Associate Vice President Matella

    Associate Vice President McRae

    Assistant Vice Provosts/Vice Chancellors for Academic Personnel

    Chief Human Resource Officers

    Graduate Deans

    Executive Director Anders

    Executive Director Lin

    Deputy General Counsel Woodall

    Chief of Staff Beechem

    Labor Relations Directors

    Director Weston-Dawkes

    Associate Director/Chief Negotiator Menezes
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