Below are the frequently asked questions submitted about the 2022 UAW contract negotiations and strike period. This page will be updated with information as it becomes available.
Finance
Many concerns post-strike pertain to its financial implications for research and departmental budgets. Here is what we currently know and the questions we are working through with regard to these financial matters:
Q: How are we funding our research mission?
A: Historically, increased costs to research have been borne by principal investigators (PIs), departments, and deans. While our financial situation prevents us from deviating significantly from that practice, to address short-term critical funding needs, the campus will establish an emergency fund of $5 million. This fund will assist PIs as the new salaries for postdocs and GSRs are implemented. It will also be used to address faculty research time lost during the strike, catalyze new funding opportunities, as well as rebuilding intellectual communities. While details remain to be worked out, these funds are intended for PIs who lack the resources in their own funding portfolio, department, or decanal unit to maintain their research staff commitments, as well as to address other effects of the strike on faculty research.
Q:How are we funding our educational mission?
A: For the remainder of this academic year, the central campus will cover the increased costs for academic student employees (ASEs); that is, for those student employees engaged in our educational mission. Details are forthcoming.
For academic year 2023–24 and future academic years, the campus will significantly increase its contribution to temporary academic support (funds known as EVCP TAS). We are still working through the EVCP TAS allocations for academic year (AY) 2023–24, but our preliminary planning suggests that the EVCP TAS allocation will be, in aggregate, on the order of 20% greater than this academic year’s allocation.
Additionally, with regard to increased ASE costs, we will be working with the deans as part of the budgeting process for AY 2023–24 and beyond.
Q: What is the status of funding and payroll for the fall?
A: UAW employee payroll costs tied to contracts and grants were temporarily moved off contracts and grants during the strike period. For those employees who worked during the period and have no attestation form, those charges will be moved back to the original funding source. If PIs have any concerns about those charges, they should email strikeattestation2023@berkeley.edu.
The normal effort certification period for fall 2022 effort is in April 2023, so we are hopeful that most payroll issues will be resolved in time for certification. PIs who are asked to report effort before they have received relevant information should use their judgment based on whether the expected level of work output for the semester was completed.
Q: Do students need to reimburse tuition and/or fees from fall 2022?
A: Note that students will not be asked to reimburse any fall 2022 tuition or fees, even if their work percentage dropped below the required 25% (partial fee remission) or 45% (full fee remission) threshold. Any fees that become unallowable under campus policy will be removed from contracts and grants and covered by the central campus budget.
Q: Where are the new salary scales?
A: The new salary scales can be found on this UCOP website (with the exception of the Berkeley GSI scale): GSRs in Table 22, postdocs in Table 23, specialists in Table 24B, project scientists in Table 37B, professional researchers in Table 13B, and coordinators of public programs in Table 30B
Q: Where is the funding coming from for the increased pay rates for graduate students and postdocs? Will this impact my salary and possibility of raises as a staff member, especially as an exempt (nonrepresented) employee?
A: Costs related to increased pay rates will be paid for from a variety of sources, including contracts and grants, other funding sources in the academic and research units, and campus funds. These increased costs are not expected to affect planned salary increases for exempt/non-represented employees, which are mandated by the UC Office of the President.
Q: Will students be reimbursed tuition for the impact on classes, sections and education during the strike?
A: There will be no tuition or fee refunds
Q: Will the cost of tuition for undergraduate students increase because of the new contracts?
A: Planned tuition increases for the next several years were approved by the UC Board of Regents prior to the strike. There is no indication at this time that the regents will raise tuition again to help off-set the costs associated with the new contracts.
Q: Where is the unused money from the strike going?
A: Unused funds for employees on strike during November and December will be available to their academic and research units to apply against future costs.
Q: How should we be handling supplemental compensation (formerly known as top-ups or top-offs) going forward?
A: There will be different mechanisms established for offering supplemental compensation going forward. Guidance is forthcoming.
Q: Where is there information about top ups?
A: There is no specific wording in the contract about top-ups, but the parties agreed during negotiations that top-ups would be discussed between the parties to negotiate. More information regarding top-ups will be given once the Office of the President issues guidance and training will be provided at the local level.
Attestation
Q: Will striking workers (and those engaging in a sympathy strike) be required to attest to whether they performed work during the strike?
A: Yes. There will be attestation forms for the four bargaining units on which UAW employees will note whether and how much they worked during the strike period.
Labor Relations staff from the UC Office of the President are working with the UAW to finalize the attestation forms and process. Once we have that information, we will share it. The forms will be distributed by each campus to UAW members, PIs/supervisors, and others.
Faculty members who engaged in sympathy strike activity will also be asked to complete attestation forms.
Q: I am not a union member and did not participate in the strike. Do I need to submit the self-attestation form?
A: If you worked during all of the days of the strike period (November 14 through December 9 for Postdoctoral and Academic Researchers and November 14 through December 23 for Graduate Student Researchers and Academic Student Employees), you do not need to fill out this form.
Q: I am part of the union but did not withhold any labor during the strike. The attestation form seems to attest only to withholding of labor. Should I submit this form?
A: If you worked during all of the days of the strike period, you do not need to fill out this form. The strike period was from November 14 through December 9 for Postdoctoral and Academic Researchers and November 14 through December 23 for Graduate Student Researchers and Academic Student Employees.
Q: If my time sheet already reflected by participation in the strike, is it necessary to fill out an attestation form? My wages have already been withheld, and I wouldn't want them to be withheld twice.
A: Thank you for reporting your leave hours in CalTime. All employees that withheld time were asked to submit an attesation form. We will be reviewing the attestation information submitted and checking to see if time withheld was previously reported or not.
Q: How can I indicate PTO taken during the strike (e.g. during Thanksgiving holiday week when I was not striking or working)?
A: If you already submitted a timecard that accurately reflected the time you took PTO (not for days of striking), then you do not need to take further action. If you need to make a correction, you will need to follow the normal procedures for correcting payroll by contacting your local payroll or human resources support person.
Q: I made an error on my attestation form that I have already submitted. What do I do?
A: Please submit a new form with the correct information and state in the month's (November or December) text box that this is an updated form and to please replace the previous one.
Contracts
Q: According to the new contract, now GSI with 50% seems to be able to get the full campus fee covered and have a no-cost class pass? Will it be effective for Spring ‘23 semester?
A: The increase to 100% coverage of campus fee, for those eligible for fee remission, will begin in Fall of 2023.
Q: Could you please explain the new GSI step structure for Berkeley?
A: Beginning in Fall 2023, there will be a conversion from the Berkeley GSI scale model to the systemwide salary scale of TA series and AI series. The exact mapping of that movement and placement, will be communicated during this semester.
Q: Does the new contract apply to all graduate students or only the students who are a member of the union?
A: The new contract covers all employees within the specific job titles of the union contract. If you are a student, but not working in one of the covered titles (e.g. GSI or GSR), then the contract would not cover you for the period when you are not an employee.
Training
Q: How will the campus train people on the new systems and processes involved as a result of the new contract?
A: Our Graduate Division, Academic Personnel Office (APO) and Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) will be working with UCOP to develop and deliver training on the new collective bargaining agreements. This training will be the definitive source of information on the University’s interpretation and implementation of the new contracts.
Q: Are there any trainings available?
A: The Academic Personnel Office, Graduate Division, Berkeley Regional Services, and Employee and Labor Relations are excited to provide campus training on the following new and updated UAW Contracts:
- Academic Researchers(link is external) (RA)
- Academic Student Employees(link is external) (ASE)
- Graduate Student Researchers(link is external) (GSR)
- Postdoctoral Scholars(link is external) (PX)
Descriptions and dates can be found in this bMail message. We encourage all of our campus partners to attend. Please RSVP to the training by completing this form(link is external).
For any training related questions please contact Mara Otero(link sends e-mail).