Since the start of this year, Research and Public Service Professionals have quickly moved one step after the other to reach the bargaining table and secure a greater say in our workplace in the face of funding cuts, lay-offs, and return-to-office mandates. I’m proud to share that nearly 700 of us RPSPs gathered at the town hall yesterday to thoroughly discuss how we can continue to organize, increase participation, and build a strong, representative union. As a part of that discussion, RPSPs overwhelmingly decided to move forward and elect a fully at-large, 13-person bargaining team. This means that all RPSPs can vote for the 13 nominees they prefer, regardless of campus or job title. You can read more about the considerations here.
RPSPs also explored the idea of bargaining jointly with other UC staff, namely Student Services and Advising Professionals (SSAP-UAW) who are currently at the bargaining table. By joining these 5000 workers, RPSPs can grow our power to win better rights, benefits, and protections on the many priorities we share with SSAPs. Here are our next steps to elect our bargaining team so RPSPs can start negotiations soon!
- September 26 – 29: Bargaining Team nominations open as of today. To nominate yourself, fill out this form, including your candidate statement (500 word limit). All candidate statements, contact info, and office hour times will be available to all RPSPs to read until the end of the bargaining team election.
- September 30 – October 3: Bargaining Team nominees host office hours. Nominees for the bargaining team may hold informal zoom meetings to chat with coworkers about their experiences working at UC
- October 1-3: Bargaining Team Election. RPSPs will receive an electronic ballot to vote for up to 13 nominated coworkers to form the bargaining team.
However, the bargaining team alone will not win our contract. We need to be ready to mobilize en masse and show up for a fair contract for all UC staff. Contract Action Teams (CATs) will be formed on every campus to establish a strong network of RPSPs who are informed and keep our colleagues engaged throughout the bargaining process. Sign up for a training here if you are interested in joining your CAT!
Finally, if you haven’t yet filled out the bargaining survey, please do so! For more details about the election and next steps, visit: https://rpsp-uaw.org/bargaining-portal/ or set up a time to talk with a colleague at your campus via Calendly.
