[Physics-grads-open] UC Refuses to Recognize SRU-UAW – Take Action Now!

[Mahdi Qezlou]

Hey everyone,



Late last Thursday, UC administrators sent a letter
<https://studentresearchersunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/UC-Response-to-PERB-09-02-21.pdf>
to the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) formally refusing to
recognize SRU-UAW as the Union for all the Student Researchers who chose to
form it. In fact, UC seeks to prevent all SRs from immediately getting to
the bargaining table by arguing that thousands of Fellows and Trainees
should be excluded from SRU-UAW. More details below, but please be sure to
sign and share this petition
<https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/recognize-sru-uaw-now/> calling on UC
to drop their obstructionist objections and sit down at the bargaining
table without delay.



In their letter, UC claims that thousands of our Student Researcher
colleagues who work as Trainees (SRs paid through training grants) and
Fellows (SRs paid with outside research fellowships) should be excluded
from SRU and denied the protections of a union contract. Why? UC argues
they are merely students, not workers, and don’t share a “community of
interest”
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GhgNAzzCIA0t7ZDRYgRHXXkzlHgk-ftU7qzGMgr0hO4/edit>
with other Student Researchers.



UC’s argument is cynical and baseless. A supermajority of Student
Researchers chose to form a union – including Fellows and Trainees, who
perform and are compensated for the same work for the same supervisors in
the same labs as GSRs, and make equal contributions to UC’s research
mission. Watch this video <https://fb.watch/7S9-7asZ-K/> from UCSF Student
Researcher Elizabeth McCarthy, who illustrates this point based on her
experience as a GSR, Trainee, and Fellow.



UC’s refusal to recognize SRU affects all of us, not just Fellows and
Trainees. When Student Researchers are united, we all have more power to
win workplace protections and improvements. Sign this petition
<https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/recognize-sru-uaw-now/> to show UC
administrators that their attempt to divide and weaken SRs won’t work.



Let me know if you have any questions, or if you would like to get involved
to win union recognition and begin contract negotiations. Lastly, here is
an FAQ
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GhgNAzzCIA0t7ZDRYgRHXXkzlHgk-ftU7qzGMgr0hO4/edit>
about SRU’s recognition campaign.



In Solidarity,

Mahdi Qezlou
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