TL;DR: Our bylaws have been ratified and our contract is now in effect! RSVP to next Tuesday’s 4/8 “Kill the Cuts” protest where we will march in DTLA with other Grad and Postdoc Unions to protest federal attacks on science funding.
Yesterday, our union contract, the first collective bargaining agreement in Caltech’s history, came into effect. Years of organizing and effort by GSWs and postdocs on our campus has led to this moment. We will finally see the benefits of our fight for higher wages, protections against bullying and discrimination, and support for international workers. I’m also proud to announce that members of our union have voted to ratify our local union bylaws by a margin of more than 99%. With this vote, we have laid the foundation to continue fighting for a Caltech for everyone.
Even as we make progress however, the ground beneath that foundation is being challenged. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) fund the cutting-edge research of GSWs and postdocs all over campus. This funding is under attack by the Trump administration, who have cut budgets, unjustly fired agency staff, and frozen existing resources.
These Cuts Impact Caltech Science
I am a CCE postdoc working to develop new vaccines that completely block infections from respiratory viruses in addition to preventing severe disease. Cuts to NIH funding would impact the dual physician-scientist training program that I’m in, and stall progress on my work to create more safe and effective vaccines against respiratory viruses.
Kala Youngblood, a GSW in CCE who works on the total synthesis of complex natural products, was supported by an NIH fellowship as an undergrad and an NSF fellowship now. She says:
“These grants are crucial for recruiting scientists and strengthening our academic programs. The loss of these programs would result in a devastating loss of scientists that could cripple our education system.”
Caltech GSWs and postdocs across divisions and academic workers all over the country are facing uncertainty about our jobs and futures. On Tuesday April 8th, 2025, we’re coming together with workers across the country to say that we will not stand for this. We will rally on campus at Beckman Auditorium at 10:30 am, then travel together to the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles to protest with other scientists from USC and UCLA. We will share stories about how the attacks on science are affecting our workspaces and learn what we can do to kill the cuts!
To join postdocs and GSWs in fighting for our research, share a story about how you are affected by federal budget cuts, or speak at this event, RSVP here.
See you there,
Alex Viloria Winnett,
CCE Postdoc