TL;DR: Curious about our road to election? Questions about the bargaining process? Opinions about what should be in our future contract? RSVP HERE for our open forum on Zoom!
Last Thursday, C/GPU-UAW delivered union authorization cards to the National Labor Relations Board. This milestone is the latest step in a union campaign initiated and fueled by Caltech grads and postdocs who have seen first hand the difficulty of advocating for issues like better pay and healthcare without any legal right to a seat at the bargaining table.
Next steps toward an election and union contract
C/GPU-UAW was assigned case number 21-RC-331055 by the National Labor Relations Board. The Caltech administration is required to file a statement of position on our petition, in which they may dispute the appropriateness of the proposed bargaining unit. Hopefully, as requested in letters signed by over 500 grads and postdocs, Caltech does not engage in delay tactics and we are able to have a free and fair election process. Once any challenges are resolved, the National Labor Relations Board will set up and supervise an election on campus in which grads and postdocs in the bargaining unit will be able to vote in favor or against forming a union.
As we approach a union election and contract negotiation, it is critical that grads and postdocs are as informed and engaged as possible. Please join your colleagues in a Zoom Info Session and Q&A on December 12 at 5pm or January 19 at 12pm for a discussion on the road to an election, what we might like to see in a future contract, and the bargaining process. RSVP here!
We also encourage you to read new information pages on the C/GPU website regarding union gains at other universities, Frequently Asked Questions, information for international scholars, and details about our case with the NLRB. You can also reach out any time at organize@cgpu.org, or fill out this short survey if you are interested in getting more involved.
Toward a better Caltech,
Jasmine Emtage
G3, Biology