FAQs

We are WSU Academic Student Employees who are forming a union with the goal of improving the working conditions and experience of teaching and research at WSU. Our work contributes substantially to the learning and research missions of WSU and forming a union will enable us to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that legally protects and makes transparent the terms and conditions of our employment.  

By forming a union, we strive to create a stronger and more equitable University, just as tens of thousands of other unionized employees at campuses like ours.  Closest to home, we’ve begun working closely with the University of Washington Academic Student Employee Union, UAW Local 4121, whose collective bargaining history has resulted in numerous improvements.

ASEs are students employed by WSU to do instructional or research work.  ASE is an umbrella term that includes Graduate Teaching, Research, Staff, Project, Veterinary Assistants; Tutors, Readers and Graders and any other student employee doing substantially similar work, regardless of funding source. 

A union is an organized group of employees who work together to improve the working conditions of all through the power of collective bargaining.  We, WSU academic student workers, are the union.  By forming a union here at WSU we gain the right to negotiate terms and secure benefits in a legally binding contract with the university that cannot be unilaterally changed.  We also gain more power to influence other decisions that affect us: see for example how unionized academic workers played a role in helping reverse recent decisions targeting international student workers.

Collective bargaining is a process, protected by state law, that equalizes the power relationship between employees and their employer. 

Under collective bargaining, WSU ASEs elect peer representatives to negotiate as equals with the WSU administration. These negotiations result in a proposed contract called a tentative agreement which guarantees the terms and conditions of employment for ASEs. All ASEs will then be asked to vote to democratically approve the tentative agreement. If approved, the tentative agreement becomes a legally-binding contract.

Through collective bargaining, other academic workers across the country (such as Teaching Assistants, Postdocs, and Academic Researchers) have successfully negotiated improvements in their wages, benefits, job security, leaves, protections against harassment and discrimination, and many other terms and conditions of their employment.

Without collective bargaining, WSU has unilateral power to change our working conditions. We cannot bargain as equals over stipends, health insurance, a fair grievance procedure for addressing harassment/discrimination or other isues, and more.

ASEs at WSU have long identified ways to improve working conditions but have not had power to bargain as equals, resulting in a lack of meaningful changes. A union fundamentally addresses the power imbalance which exists between Academic Student Employees and university administration by making us part of the contract negotiation process. As a collective bargaining unit student workers are protected against the university making any unilateral changes to existing contracts. Moreover, collective bargaining units work to improve working student conditions by bargaining for greater pay, benefits, and more equitable working conditions university wide.  It also will strengthen the voice of ASEs in an increasingly difficult political environment.

With collective bargaining, ASEs set our own priorities and our own agenda—and we elect peer ASEs as representatives to negotiate on equal footing with WSU administrators for improvements such as salary increases, improvements to health insurance, anti-discrimination and harassment protections, parental leave, and much more. 

To compare terms and conditions of unionized ASEs at the University of Washington with WSU non-unionized ASEs, please see this detailed side-by-side comparison. In just the past five years, wages have increased by 32% for graduate appointees at UW while they have only increased by 5.4% for graduate appointees at WSU. The following graph also shows how, as a result of unionization, out of pocket costs of student fees for ASEs with waivers have steadily declined at UW while out of pocket costs of student fees for ASEs with waivers have increased at WSU.  UW ASEs with waivers now pay less in out-of-pocket student fees ($744 per year) than any WSU campus.

Nationally, Academic Student Employees have negotiated improvements to their wages, health insurance benefits, tuition waivers; have established fair processes for stopping sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and microaggressions; and have and negotiated guaranteed short and long-term family and medical leaves. 

Read more about what Academic Student Employees have won at other universities:

• University of California
• University of Connecticut (GEU-UAW Local 6950)
• New York University (GSOC-UAW 2110)
• Harvard University (HGSU-UAW Local 5118)
• UMass Amherst (GEO-UAW Local 2322)
• The New School (SENS-UAW Local 7902)
• University of Oregon

UAW is the International Union of United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). UAW has historically been one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America. In recent decades, 80,000 workers in higher education have joined, making UAW the single largest union of academic workers across the US. UW Academic Student Employees have found that joining the UAW has allowed them to democratically determine priorities as a workforce and dramatically increased power to win improved rights and benefits through collectively bargaining with UW. 

We reached out to UAW about supporting our campaign to form a union at WSU because it is the union with expertise bargaining under the same Washington State laws and a proven track record. Having the same union represent Teaching Assistants, Readers, Tutors, Postdocs, Academic Researchers, and Academic Student Employees builds power and allows ASEs to draw on years of UAW experience in representing employees in higher education, in Washington State and beyond.

ASEs will not pay dues until after negotiating and voting to ratify their first contract. Once a contract is ratified, each individual ASE can decide whether or not to become a dues-paying member. Dues provide the resources that enable fair and effective union representation. To learn how dues enable a strong and active union, read “Dues in Action” from the academic workers union at UW. UAW membership dues are just 1.44% of gross income and are automatically deducted. 

Typically, the value of increased salary and benefits greatly exceed the cost of dues. Since 2015, UW ASEs have bargained median wage increases totaling more than 30% and have reduced the costs of mandatory out of pocket fees, including the elimination of a fee imposed solely on international students [see this graphic].  UW ASEs have also secured comprehensive health insurance, childcare benefits, and paid family/medical leave.  This is in addition to appointment security, protections from harassment and discrimination and arbitrary dismissal and lay-off, among other benefits.

Wage rates for WSU graduate appointees have only increased by 5.4% since 2015 and the out of pocket costs of required student fees have also increased.  Some ASEs have taken salary cuts and ASEs with extra financial costs – parents, caregivers, international students – receive little if any additional support.  Arguably we have paid more as a result of not having a union than we would pay in dues.

Union members democratically decide how union dues are spent. In UAW 4121, members approve a budget for the year. Individual expenses throughout the year are then approved by the Joint Council (leadership from both the ASE and Postdoc Units), which is elected systemwide and meets monthly. Meetings of the Joint Council and Executive Board are open to all members of the union. Additionally, elected trustees audit the union’s income and expenditures twice annually, and the Joint Council reviews and approves the union’s financial report every month.

Most of the work of enforcing the contract and representing membership is financially supported by the Local Union. The Local Union receives 28% of its dues to support the following:

• Educating new employees about their rights and the union
• Contract negotiations
• Advising members in difficult situations and supporting them through contract enforcement grievances
• Events, including educational seminars on topics like visa and immigration rights, healthcare, and taxes
• Advocacy for public policy that supports research and researchers

To see union dues at work, read these summary of contract wins by UAW Academic Workers or the ways UAW Academic Workers are taking on inequity in academia. At UW, Local Union members have recovered over $7 million just since 2014 through enforcing the contract, after receiving less than they were entitled to under the CBA. 

Another 25.5% of dues goes to the International Union’s General Fund, which provides technical support for contract negotiations and contract enforcement and supports new organizing campaigns including Academic Student Employees United / UAW. The remaining dues are allocated to the Strike and Defense Fund (44%) and Community Action Program (2.5%). Depending on the overall financial health of the Strike and Defense Fund (if the balance is $500M or greater), an additional allocation of dues called a “rebate” is given back to the Local and International Union. 

Dues allocated to the International Union will support WSU ASEs during contract negotiations by providing:

• Technical and legal support for ASE contract negotiations
• Experienced negotiators to help achieve ASEs’ goals at the bargaining table
• Researchers who can help independently analyze WSU finances to help make responsible decisions about bargaining proposals

International Union dues will also continually support WSU ASEs outside of contract negotiations by providing:

• Legal advice and advocacy to impact policy makers, especially those in Washington, DC. For example, in 2017 UAW International filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case challenging the Trump administration’s travel ban. In 2016, UAW helped win the Optional Practical Training STEM extension. 
• Effective response to federal policy. In July 2020, the UAW filed a declaration to support a lawsuit challenging the H-1B entry ban announced on June 22 highlighting the detrimental impacts on affected UAW Academic Workers. In April 2020, the President of the UAW International wrote to Congressional leadership urging action to protect researchers and research funding in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
• Guidance on grievance and arbitrations. For example, UAW International aided UW ASE in winning increased fee waivers and back pay.
• Advice on best practices for ensuring strong education and mobilization programs to keep members involved.
• Other services as requested by the Local.

In addition, dues help support new organizing campaigns. For example, the organizing staff and legal support for the WSU-CASE / UAW campaign is paid by current UAW members’ dues. 

A portion of dues money also goes to support political action, including legislative and other policy advocacy on issues that matter to UAW members. For example, UAW advocates strongly for fair, comprehensive immigration reform, which would include more visa access and an improved green card process, and expanded federal support for research funding, among other topics. [NOTE: Legally, dues money cannot be used for federal campaign contributions, such as the presidential race—that money comes from members’ voluntary contributions separate from, and in addition to, dues, in a program called VCAP (Voluntary Community Action Program)].

These resources have been key to major victories for academic workers including:

• Defeating the directive to deport international students attending classes remotely
• the passage of RCW 41.56.205, which extended collective bargaining rights to Academic Student Employees at WSU.
• The recent landmark NLRB decision extending collective bargaining rights to Teaching and Research Assistants at private universities, as well as the organizing resources that led to the subsequent representation election victory of Columbia University TAs and RAs.
• extension of Optional Practical Training for international students

• The inclusion of Postdocs in the 2016 Department of Labor’s overtime ruling resulting in wage increases and new wage standards for Postdocs across the country.
• Paid family medical leave, which benefits workers statewide by establishing 12 weeks of paid leave 
• An increase to the state minimum wage, which benefits workers statewide and strengthened the economy

Initiation fees, like dues, are set by UAW membership. Each ASE will pay a one-time $10 initiation fee when they become a member.

All dues and the initiation fee would be automatically deducted. ASEs only have the option to pay dues after we negotiate and ratify our first contract.

WSU Academic Student Employees are the union and will democratically prioritize which improvements to pursue in contract negotiations.  Unionization is not a process in which a third party entity “guarantees improvements,” but rather a process by which we decide whether to gain rights and power to negotiate as equals with the administration for the changes we want to make.  A contract will also legally secure those improvements against unilateral changes by the administration.

Yes: ASEs at WSU tried in 2008 to form a union affiliated with UAW but ended up not filing authorization cards or a petition at PERC, the state labor board.  While plenty of WSU ASEs supported unionization, some did not, and unfortunately there was a substantial amount of misinformation being circulated.  Some ASEs were told that a union would replace GPSA, or that ASEs would be forced to accept a union without majority authorization support, or that the union was driven by UAW “outsiders” who were simply trying to siphon dues dollars.  These things were not true at the time, and still are not true now, but were typical of anti-union campaigns fueled by University Administrations opposed to collective bargaining with ASEs.

We believe the decision not to form a union hurt WSU ASEs in the long run.  Without the right to to bargain employment terms and conditions as equals, we have struggled to raise stipends, improve tuition/fee waivers, improve our health insurance coverage, negotiate stronger anti-discrimination and harassment provisions, advocate for international student rights, and much more.  The UAW dues unionized ASEs pay have been more than offset by improvements they’ve bargained. This chart comparing UW terms and conditions with ours at WSU tells this story well.

The fundamental values of UAW are transparency and accountability. Recently, 14 of 14 former UAW leaders charged with corruption pled guilty. Their actions are appalling, highly unusual, and go against the fundamental values that UAW has upheld for over 80 years. 

The former leaders involved were stripped of their positions and UAW membership. None of these leaders ever held elected positions within either UAW 4121, UAW 2865 or UAW 5810, the local unions representing Academic Workers on the West Coast.

Active member participation at all levels of the organization ensures transparency and elected leadership accountability. Local Unions elect members to serve as delegates to the International Convention to elect national and regional leadership, and set union policy. Additional, Community and Political Action Committee meetings and conferences are held on a regular basis to involve members in making major organizational decisions. 

Additionally, each UAW Local Union must audit its books every 6 months, and is audited by the International UAW every 3 years, and there is an outside, independent audit of the International UAW on an annual basis. 

Every union decision is appealable by members to the Public Review Board, which is composed of individuals independent of UAW, or to the Convention Appeals Committee, which is composed of members chosen at random from among the delegates elected to the previous convention.

GPSA is different from a union in that it cannot bargain as equals with WSU over terms and conditions of ASE employment. In contrast, if we form a union WSU Administration would be legally required to negotiate with us over wages, hours, and working conditions of employment.  GPSA is a strong advocate for all Graduate and Professional Students, which is not the same population as ASEs. GPSA also is funded by student fees whose expenditures are ultimately approved by the University Administration, whereas a union is funded independently through membership dues.

Absolutely not. We hope to be partners with GPSA in these efforts, and many of us who are active in the unionization effort are also active in GPSA. At other campuses where ASEs have unionized, the union works closely with student government and jointly advocates with many issues to improve conditions for all students. For example, UAW Local 4121 and GPSS (the Graduate and Professional Student Senate at UW) worked together to bargain strong contracts, fight for affordable tuition, fight sexual harassment, increase funding for higher education and more.

Many of us are active in GPSA and have come to the conclusion that without a union we don’t have the legal standing and power necessary to make necessary improvements to ASE terms and conditions and help WSU become an even stronger University.  WSU Administration is not required to bargain with GPSA, and so can – and have – ignored some attempts at advocacy through those channels.  Given the track record of success at unionized campuses like UW, we believe this important change is critical and overdue.

Next, the state labor board, PERC (Public Employment Relations Commission), will review our union authorization cards against an employment list provided by WSU. PERC will verify that at minimum 30% of ASEs have signed cards so that the petition can proceed through the certification process. Please continue reaching out to your colleagues and friends so our mandate can become even stronger! 

PERC will verify that at minimum 30% of ASEs have signed cards so that the petition can proceed through the certification process. WSU Administration will then have the opportunity to respond or object to the petition prior to PERC certifying our majority (either through validating that a majority (50%+1) of ASEs have signed authorization cards or by ordering a representation election). WSU admin can also voluntarily recognize us. Based on the unionization processes at other universities, it’s likely we’ll need to continue taking action so we can win recognition and a strong first contract.

During this certification period the University will also enter a “dynamic status quo” period. This is a short-term legal measure to ensure that workers can’t be penalized or rewarded for forming a union, and prohibits the employer from making changes to terms and conditions that they hadn’t regularly made or approved before the petition was filed. Note that this is not the same as a “freeze” on all changes to terms and conditions. While certain types of changes to terms and conditions can’t be made during status quo, the University is actually required under law to follow through with changes that had been planned prior to the filing of our petition. If you hear of any issues or problems please reach out right away.

WSU Academic Student Employees are asking colleagues to sign union authorization cards in order to certify our union and begin collective bargaining. These cards say that ASEs want the union they are forming — Washington State University Coalition of Academic Student Employees / United Auto Workers, or WSU-CASE/UAW — to represent Academic Student Employees in collective bargaining with WSU Administration. It takes a majority of Academic Student Employees signing authorization cards in order to certify the union as the collective bargaining representative for ASEs at WSU. You can read more about the union formation process on the Forming a Union Fact Sheet. 

Washington regulations require that each employee’s “printed name, signature, job title or classification and the date on which each individual’s signature was obtained” be present on cards, and state that cards are valid for one year after the date on which they are signed. Authorization cards are confidential and will not be shared with WSU Admin.

Ready to sign a union authorization card? Click here.

Yes, authorization cards are confidential and will not be shared with WSU Admin.

Exclusive representation means that the union Academic Student Employees are forming, WSU-CASE / UAW, is the union for all WSU Academic Student Employees. If the union is formed, ASEs will be able to elect a bargaining team (made up of ASEs) to negotiate with WSU administration and reach a tentative agreement. Without exclusive representation, WSU administrators could undermine the bargaining process by negotiating with an organization other than the democratically elected bargaining team chosen by Academic Student Employees.

You can find detailed information on the “forming a union” fact sheet. Here is a summary:

1. ASEs form a diverse organizing committee to gather information and make a plan to form a union.
2. A majority of all ASEs (50% + 1) sign authorization cards indicating they would like to form WSU-CASE / UAW.
3. ASEs deliver their authorization cards to the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) which oversees public employee unionization efforts. PERC requests a list of ASEs from WSU to verify that all cards are valid and represent a majority.
4. If PERC finds that a majority of ASEs have signed cards,
5. Then job titles in the unit are determined, and
6. PERC certifies WSU Coalition of Academic Student Employees / UAW, and ASEs can begin bargaining with the WSU administration.
7. ASEs elect a bargaining committee of ASEs.
8. ASEs fill out comprehensive bargaining surveys, hold discussions, request information from WSU administration, and gather feedback to draft their initial bargaining priorities.
9. Initial bargaining demands are sent to all ASEs for review, and ASEs vote on whether or not to approve them.
10. The bargaining committee negotiates as equals with WSU administration and provides regular updates to all ASEs. ASEs participate in the process, including engaging in collective action about their demands. Learn more on the “bargaining process” fact sheet.
11. Once a tentative agreement is reached at the bargaining table,
12. All ASEs vote on whether or not to ratify the agreement.

If ASEs do not ratify the tentative agreement reached between their elected bargaining team and WSU administration, then the bargaining team will return to the negotiating table. Contract ratification is often the subject of rigorous democratic discussion among UAW members, with “vote yes” and “vote no” campaigns in which members make the case for or against ratification.

Forming a union by demonstrating majority support through authorization cards is a more representative and more efficient way of forming a union than having an election would be.  Under card check, a majority of the entire unit must sign authorization cards in order to be certified, whereas in an election only a majority of people voting determine the outcome.  This could result in a minority of represented workers deciding for the entire unit. 

Yes, Academic Student Employees (ASEs) and Postdocs at UW had union elections.  A majority of each demonstrated their support for unionizing by signing authorization cards and filing petitions, but at the time those petitions were filed the law did not allow for certification upon such a filing and instead required the additional step of a representation election.  For UW Postdocs, this step took approximately 6 additional months.  For UW ASEs this step took approximately 2 additional years. In both elections, a large majority voted to form a union.

Since those elections in 2004 and 2017, the law governing union formation in Washington has changed to allow card check at the 50%+1 threshold.  Virtually every group of public employees (like us) who have formed a union since then have done so through card check.  

Any ASE can revoke or withdraw their showing of interest cards for the purpose of a card check by submitting a signed written request to PERC. As a group, ASEs can “petition to decertify or change unions” twelve months after certification of WSU CASE / UAW. Once ASEs and WSU Administration agree on a first contract, ASEs will also have the right to “petition to decertify or change unions during a 30 day ‘window period’.” The 30 day window period is determined by the expiration date of each contract.  

International Academic Student Employees have the same legal right to join a union as US citizens. In fact, international ASEs hold many of the leadership positions in UAW Academic Worker locals and are active in driving the advocacy agendas of Locals.

Visa requirements in no way compromise any ASE’s right to belong to a union in a US workplace. No academic union members have ever reported any complications arising from being both an International ASE and a unionized employee.

Yes! Academic worker unions have been formed by and are led by international students/scholars, who have been actively involved in union leadership, committees, work groups and other decision-making bodies. The UAW Local 4121 workforce is comprised of approximately 30-40% international students/scholars, and as such, the issues they face comprise many of their core demands: equity, anti-discrimination, job stability, adequate health care, and more. International students/scholars have regularly taken the lead in union advocacy, including contract bargaining, policy advocacy, and also direct action on these issues (see for example the successful campaigns to counter the effects of the Trump Travel Ban, to strengthen protections against discrimination and harassment, to extend STEM OPT funding, and more). This is in addition to the work done through the union to fight for rights of all immigrants and undocumented folks (see other examples on this page).

When International scholars at WSU sign authorization cards they have the same legal protections as U.S. citizens who sign cards, and signing an authorization card should not jeopardize or delay application for legal permanent residence. Authorization cards that get submitted to Washington PERC (the state agency, Public Employment Relations Commission, that will verify and count ASE union authorization cards) are confidential and not released by PERC to the Washington State University or other government agencies. See WAC 391-25-110. 

Thousands of academic workers have signed union authorization cards at UW, and there are no known instances of delayed or rejected visa or green card applications due to signing a card or otherwise participating in unionization. This includes 1,000 UW Postdocs, 1,500 Columbia University Postdocs, and 5,000 University of California Academic Researchers, with a large portion of each workforce (roughly 30%) composed of international workers.  

If you have questions about your particular situation, please contact info@wsucase.org.  We are also working closely with the UAW 4121 International Solidarity Workgroup who can provide additional resources.

Only individuals who are eligible to register to vote in the U.S. are eligible to contribute financially to this program. However international students/scholars may (and often do) get involved in other aspects of the political process.

You can find out more about how unionization has made a difference for International Student Employees at other universities here.

We believe that at WSU we succeed and fail as a community and hope that any relative security we experience does not prohibit us from advocating for those student workers who may face institutional barriers. Moreover, without the collective power that comes with a union there are no guarantees that individual positions or contracts are protected which means they can change at any time. Collective bargaining enables us to preserve best practices at WSU and establish them for everyone.

Because collective bargaining agreements are approved by a democratic vote of all members, they will only be supported if they result in a net benefit for students. Without collective bargaining, Academic Student Employees are required to accept whatever the university decides to provide us. This reinforces a status quo that has equity impacts and makes it less likely that the University will achieve objectives like the Drive to 25.

Once a union is formed, WSU cannot unilaterally alter any terms and conditions of employment—including pay and benefits. Instead, changes to terms and conditions of employment are subject to collective bargaining, through which Academic Student Employees have the power to negotiate with WSU administrators as equals and democratically approve a binding, enforceable contract.  This means we would have to democratically approve for a contract that reduces our benefits or pay for such a thing to happen.

The duration of a collective bargaining agreement is one of the topics of bargaining, so we will negotiate this term with WSU Administration and then vote.  The duration can also vary from contract to contract: for example, UW ASEs have approved CBAs lasting from 1-3 years.

Academic Student Employees will democratically decide how we want to negotiate pay, but no academic worker contract has ever stipulated that all workers must be paid the same. At the University of Washington, ASEs democratically decided to keep a variable system of pay after forming their union. The contract sets a minimum standard and departments are free to pay above that standard. Both the base rate and the variable rates have seen substantial increases. Postdocs at UC and UW both negotiated pay scales that guarantee minimum salaries but stipulate that UC and UW may pay more.

As a union, Academic Student Employees will have access to WSU financial information that affects ASEs, which will increase transparency and make it possible to be well-informed and conscientious during bargaining. All bargaining decisions will be made by ASEs, including what proposals to make in bargaining, and whether to approve any proposed contract. 

By developing thoughtful bargaining proposals and advocating successfully for increased higher education and research funding, unions of academic workers have made significant improvements to their working conditions. As examples, bargaining and advocacy by UAW 4121 (ASEs at UW) has resulted in an increase to the median wage of 32% since 2015, while over the same span the total number of graduate appointees has remained fairly constant (and the number of hourly ASEs, whose wages increased by twice as much, have significantly increased).  UAW 5810 (the Union of Postdocs at UC) has bargained a 34% average wage increase for Postdocs since 2010, while over the same span the number of Postdocs employed by the University of California has increased from 5,800 to 7,000. 

Finally, Academic Student Employees have more power to protect jobs through collective action and the protections of a legally binding contract. Most collective bargaining agreements prohibit the employer from terminating positions due to arbitrary or discriminatory reasons, or to take action inconsistent with job offers accepted by the employee. Not only would ASEs be able to act collectively, but we would also have the full backing of unionized Academic Workers and the larger UAW International Union.

As a union, ASEs will be negotiating with the University, not with our PIs and supervisors, because it is the policies of the University that define the conditions of our employment. Moreover, ASEs will set the bargaining agenda and decide what improvements to prioritize in collective bargaining.

As such, a union contract would only create limitations if Academic Student Employees democratically choose to adopt them. And forming a union would mean that the WSU administration would not be able to make unilateral changes to working conditions that ASEs choose to preserve.  This same process used at Universities around the nation have resulted in numerous improvements, and research suggests if anything a net benefit to relationships with supervisors as a result of unionization.

No. Washington State Law is clear: “No public employer, or other person, shall directly or indirectly, interfere with, restrain, coerce, or discriminate against any public employee or group of public employees in the free exercise of their right to organize and designate representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of collective bargaining, or in the free exercise of any other right under this chapter.” 

UAW currently represents 80,000 Academic Student Employees, Postdocs, and Researchers in the US, and has represented tens of thousands more over the years. There has never been a recorded instance of an academic worker being retaliated against due to their involvement with a union.

The WSU Administration is free to express its opposition to WSU employees unionizing. UW Administration opposed the formation of the unions representing Academic Student Employees, Medical Interns and Residents, Postdocs, and Faculty. It is important to be aware of the record of university administrations attempting to discourage unions. 

The WSU-CASE/UAW organizing committee will support ASEs concerned about possible retaliation. Contact us if you have concerns and questions.

Academic Student Employees will democratically decide how we want to negotiate pay and other terms and conditions of employment, but no academic worker contract has ever stipulated that all workers must be paid the same. Collective bargaining is a creative process, where we bargain as equals in good faith with the WSU Administration to establish terms and conditions that work for all.  At the University of Washington, ASEs democratically decided to keep a variable system of pay after forming their union. The contract sets a minimum standard and departments are free to pay above that standard. Both the base rate and the variable rates have seen substantial increases. Postdocs at UC and UW both negotiated pay scales that guarantee minimum salaries but stipulate that UC and UW may pay more. 

ASE’s will democratically decide on the terms of employment that most benefit our ability to perform research at a high level. Recent contracts negotiated by other UAW academic unions have emphasized protections against excessive workload while allowing flexibility to allow for maximal productivity. For example, the contract for ASEs at the University of Washington protects against excessive workload by setting an hourly limit to the amount of work that may be assigned, but allows work assignments for Research Assistants to exceed their hourly limit if that work contributes to their dissertation project.  UW grant revenue has significantly increased over time while ASEs have been able to protect themselves against doing work that slows their time to degree.

ASEs will democratically decide on terms of employment like this.  Currently, WSU Administration has the right to start requiring time sheets, while under collective bargaining a provision like this would have to be voted on by ASEs to go into effect.

The elected Academic Student Employee bargaining team may ask Academic Student Employees to vote to authorize a strike if necessary to win a fair contract. In order to authorize a strike, 2/3rds of voting Academic Student Employees must vote in favor.  

UW Postdocs, UC Postdocs and UC Academic Researchers all recently negotiated strong contracts without striking, but were prepared to strike if necessary. In those cases a supermajority of Postdocs and Academic Researchers voted to authorize a strike.

If Academic Student Employees decide that a strike is necessary to win a strong contract, there will be time to make contingency plans to ensure important experiments and research are not damaged.