WINNING

University of California Grad Student Unions Secure Historic New Contract

The new contracts will see significant minimum wage increases, protections against bullying and harassment, and funding support for childcare.

University of California grad students approved a new contract Friday that will provide major wage gains and protections against harassment, officially ending the strike that saw 48,000 walk off their jobs six weeks ago in the largest strike of academic workers in the country. Academic student employees will see their minimum wage rise from $23,250 to roughly $34,000 for the nine-month school year by Oct. 1, 2024, while graduate student researchers will receive a minimum of $34,564.50. The 46 percent increase represents a historic win for academic workers, although divisions within the unions saw some wanting to hold out for more even as the vote passed. The union representing 12,000 postdoctoral students and academic workers had already returned to work earlier this month after securing a new $70,000 minimum wage in their contracts. The new contracts will also provide funding and reimbursement for child-care during both the school year and summer, as well as increase paid family leave.