Mass Action Works: 2024-25 Contract Negotiations

1240 GSWs and Postdocs vote to authorize a strike if necessary and

negotiations finish ahead of a Trump presidency in the new year

To signal to the administration that we were ready to wrap up negotiations, 1240 Graduate Student Workers and Postdocs voted to authorize a strike in an unprecedented two-day, online vote staring December 4th, 2024. The administration did not have a chace to respond immediately however as massive, unexpected wildfires erupted across LA County and our neighborhood at the start of January 2025. In turn, campus organizing efforts focused on helping evacuees find temporary housing and access mutual aid, and the first few bargaining sessions of the month were canceled.

Negotiations did eventually resume and the impact of our Strike Authorization Vote was clear. After intense bargaining sessions on January 15-16th, Postdocs and Graduate Student Workers reach an impressive, unifying Tentative Agreement on January 20th, 2025.

This Tentative Agreement has been in the works for years and comes at a pivotal time where academic workers’ rights, regardless of visa status, will be under attack due to a Trump presidency.

To read more about our first collective bargaining agreement, click here.

Wildfire Evacuation and Safety Support

600 GSWs and Postdocs rally and call for a Strike Authorization Vote

Within 48hrs of the meeting, Caltech admin:

  • Responded with their first healthcare proposal
  • Doubled the number of scheduled bargaining dates through January (6→13 days)!
  • Proposed an Agency Shop in their first counter proposal on Union Security, which is nearly unheard of in contract negotiations

This opened discussions on a major economic article and got us that much closer to a ratified, strong first contract. The proof is at the table: collective, mass action still works.

On November 19th, 2024, GSWs and Postdocs made history at Caltech. SIX HUNDRED of us gathered on Parsons-Gates Lawn in front of the administration building to send a clear message that we are willing to fight for a fair contract now. We heard from international scholars who expressed their concerns over the upcoming Trump administration, learned about the debt incurred by parents who have been provided insufficient financial support, and during the open mic heard from G1s who are committed to winning a strong contract that will affect them for the majority of their time at Caltech. Our elected bargaining team members wrote a resolution calling for a Strike Authorization Vote (SAV) that was overwhelmingly approved.

The SAV will take place online on December 4th and 5th. Learn more here: Strike Authorization Vote FAQ.

300 GSWs and Postdocs delivered a list of greivances to the Title IX office

In response to Caltech administration’s refusal to agree to protections against bullying, harassment, and discrimination, over 300 of us rallied on July 19th outside of Parsons-Gates Hall of Administration. In an early workplace survey, 46% of surveyed workers witnessed or experienced discrimination, harassment, or abuse at Caltech. From every division, brave GSWs and Postdocs powerfully shared their stories of being threatened or bullied by their supervisors, and the failure of existing structures at Caltech (including the Title IX office) to do anything about it. We then marched to the Title IX office and taped our list of stories with clear expectations for the bargaining table to the door. 

Together, Postdocs and GSWs demonstrated the clear overwhelming need for change at Caltech and in turn won industry-leading protections. Following our We Keep Us Safe rally, over the course of six back-to-back bargaining sessions from July 24-26 and July 29-31, Caltech administration agreed to our demands. Instead of 14 month or 16 month Title IX cases, often with unsatisfactory experiences, GSWs and Postdocs can now choose our union process in parallel with Title IX and with at most 90 days to mediation.

In the bargaining sessions that followed, Postdocs and GSWs also won:

  • A two-year minimum for initial Postdoc appointments, which means two-year initial visas for international Postdocs
  • Enforceable accommodations with an individualized and flexible process to guarantee an accessible workplace
  • Hours, schedules, and expectations commensurate with our appointment
  • Provisions securing the work flexibility necessary in academia
  • No more unjust termination without due process and timely advance notification
  • For GSWs, protections against being required to do excessive work unrelated to thesis research and degree requirements.

How negotiations began

Within the first few bargaining sessions, Caltech administration withdrew an important agreement they had made on resolution processes for workplace issues, proving that negotiations may not go as smoothly as desired. So, in repsonse, over 100 of us showed up to the bargaining sessions on June 17-18th as our bargaining team presented healthcare and wages proposals. By promptly showing up at the table, GSWs and Postdocs demonstrated that bargaining must continue in good faith and that we were prepared to escalate if needed. During those sessions, six new tentative agreements were reached, some of which guarantee:

  • Firm, fast timelines for grievance resolution and a final step of neutral, third-party arbitration with unlimited peer representation throughout the process
  • A strong, enforceable right to a healthy and safe workplace, on and off campus.
  • A first-of-its-kind free speech article that protects the right to mass action.