// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did UAW Local 4811 say to the worker? "Union" you glad I'm here?
United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America Local Union 4811 | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | UAW 4811 |
|---|---|
| Formation |
|
| Founded at | University of California, Berkeley |
| Merger of |
|
| Type | Local union |
| Headquarters | Berkeley, California |
Region served | California |
| Members |
|
President | Rafael Jaime |
Parent organization | United Auto Workers |
| Website | https://www.uaw4811.org/ |
UAW Local 4811 (UAW 4811) is the local union of United Auto Workers representing academic student employees, graduate student researchers, postdoctoral scholars, academic researchers, and student services and advising professionals at 10 campuses of the University of California system and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with the exception of the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.[1]
History
[edit]Formation
[edit]In the early 1980s, graduate student workers at the University of California, Berkeley began to organize a labor union known as Association of Graduate Student Employees (AGSE). In 1984, AGSE ally California state assemblymember Tom Bates introduced Assembly Bill 3251 into that year's session, which would have extended collective bargaining rights to graduate student employees, who were classified as apprentices rather than workers. At the same time, 1,300 AGSE members struck to pressure the university to recognize their union. This bill failed in May of that year, but this event officially inaugurated the precursor to the current graduate student union at the UC.[2] In 1987, AGSE affiliated with the UAW, however Teaching Assistants would not be recognized as employees by the state of California until 1999, following a series of high participation strikes the year prior.[3] UAW 2865 was officially formed in 2000, representing 8,000 Teaching Assistants, when members ratified its first contract which codified a wage of $13,500/yr, on average. This contract excluded Graduate Student Researchers, who remained categorized as apprentices until 2017.[4][5]
SRU-UAW merger
[edit]After the ratification of the contracts won in 2022, the joint councils of UAW 2865 and SRU-UAW voted to merge the new graduate student researcher bargaining units into the existing UAW 2865 academic student employee (ASE) units—forming one union of 36,000 academic student workers.[6]
2865–5810 Amalgamation
[edit]Following the SRU merger and coordination between both unions in their 2022 strike, from October 10–20, 2023 UAW locals 5810 and 2865 put an amalgamation referendum to members, weighing whether to combine the two unions.[7] Over 11,000 workers participated in the vote, with 92% in favor of amalgamation.[8] The UAW International Executive Board approved the amalgamation in late February 2024, officially combining the two unions into one comprising 48,000 workers and numerated Local 4811.[1]
UC Law San Francisco
[edit]In April 2024, 200 graduate student workers at the UC College of the Law, San Francisco voted to form a union with UAW.[9] The campaign, known as "United Legal Educators" ratified an initial contract in January 2026,[10] and subsequently voted to join the UAW 4811 ASE unit.
UC Staff Organizing
[edit]In November 2024, 5,000 UC employees who work in student support and allied titles across UC campuses formed a union with UAW via card check, in a bargaining unit titled "Student Services and Advising Professionals," or "SSAP-UAW."[11][12] This was followed in September 2025, by 7,200 research support employees voting to form a union, called "Research and Public Services Professionals," or "RPSP-UAW."[13] In January 2026, SSAP and RPSP units voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike, alongside UAW 4811 ASEs.[14] In March 2026, 2,000 UC communications, marketing, and sales staff voted to form a union with UAW, as a unit called "ComMaS."[15] In May 2026, the SSAP and RPSP bargaining units officially joined UAW 4811 after ratifying initial contracts, expanding the local's total number of represented workers to over 60,000.[16][17] Also in May 2026, 250 Research Scientists at LBNL joined UAW 4811. In September 2026 1,500 Educational Specialists at UC voted to form a union with UAW.[18]
Direct actions
[edit]2022 strike
[edit]After several years of coordination, in 2022 UAW Local 2865, UAW Local 5810, and the graduate student researcher organizing campaign, SRU-UAW, struck together for six weeks beginning on November 14. The 5810 represented postdoctoral scholar and academic researcher units reached tentative agreements with the university on November 29, which were ratified by membership vote on December 9. The student worker units reached tentative agreements on December 16, which were ratified by membership vote on December 23—ending the strike.[19] This strike was the largest higher education strike in United States history.[20]
2024 Unfair Labor Practice strike
[edit]Soon after amalgamation, UAW Local 4811 was called upon to respond and support action by UC student protestors, including students leading the Students for Justice in Palestine protests and encampments at UC campuses. After the violent attack by non-campus individuals on pro-Palestine student protestors at UCLA and the subsequent police crackdown on May 1 and 2, 2024, UAW Local 4811 issued a statement announcing that it would hold a strike authorization vote in the following week.[21] The union, in its statement, also called for UCLA Chancellor Gene Block to resign immediately given what they called his "failure of leadership."[22] The 2024 strike took place over the course of three weeks starting on May 20, 2024, each of which saw new campuses join—following the "stand up" strategy of the 2023 United Auto Workers strike.[23] The strike ended on June 7, 2024 after the university circumvented the California Public Relations Board by forum shopping for a temporary restraining order against the strike in Orange County Superior Court.[24]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Jaime, Rafael D; Sweeney, Neal (2024-03-01). "We are Officially One Big Union — UAW 4811!". UAW Local 5810. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Wertzberger, Jillian; Woo, Frances (2020-07-30). "Graduate Student Organizing Timeline: 1984-2020 – A.S. Living History Project". A.S. Living History Project. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Wertzberger, Jillian (2020-07-20). "TA Unionization, 1998-". A.S. Living History Project. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Holden, Constance (2000-05-26). "UC Teaching Assistants Win First Union Contract". www.science.org. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Liu, Nicholas (2021-12-31). "UC Student Researchers Union Gains Recognition". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Montemayor, Constanza (2023-02-28). "Student Researchers United merges with United Auto Workers Local 2865". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Fozi, Cameron (2023-10-09). "UC academic workers to vote to amalgamate their 2 local unions into 1". www.dailycal.org. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Attridge, Margaret (2023-11-01). "University of California Academic Workers Vote to Merge Unions". BestColleges. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Johnson, Sydney (2024-04-09). "Student Workers File to Unionize at UC Law San Francisco". KQED. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
- ↑ "Labor and Bargaining Updates". UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings). Retrieved 2026-09-15.
- ↑ Kaminker, Hannah (2024-11-13). "UC Student Services and Advising Professionals vote to unionize". Daily Cal. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
- ↑ Winward, Dylan. "5,000 University of California workers to file to form new union". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
- ↑ Lippincott, Cam (2025-09-04). "In landslide victory, 7,200 UC professionals join United Auto Workers in unionization effort". Daily Cal. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
- ↑ "Unions representing 40k academic, research UC employees announce strike vote". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ Heydenfeldt, Ella (2026-03-13). "UAW Workers Stage 'Last Chance' Practice Picket at UC Santa Barbara". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
- ↑ "Ratified Agreement". Our Rights Our Future. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ "Protect Public Higher Education". UAW 4811. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ "August Newsletter: Political Action, Vote in IEB Election". UAW Region 6 Newsletter. 2026-09-14.
- ↑ Hubler, Shawn (2022-12-24). "University of California Academic Workers End Strike". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ "University of California academic workers strike over wages and benefits in largest walkout in U.S. higher education". POLITICO. 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Sainato, Michael (2 May 2024). "Union plans strike vote over crackdown on University of California Gaza protests". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ↑ Montemayor, Constanza. "Labor unions express support for Palestine solidarity encampment at UCLA". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ↑ Royer, Matthew (2024-04-15). "United Auto Workers Local 4811 votes to authorize strike". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ↑ Zatz, Noah (2024-06-24). "The University of California Strike Injunction (Part 1)". OnLabor. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
