Frequently Asked strike Questions

Question List (click to navigate):

What would a strike look like for me as a Postdoc or Research Assistant?

What should I do with my live test subjects if we choose to strike?

What would happen to my benefits if I went on strike? And if I’m on a fellowship?

During a strike, can I choose to perform only part of the work I’m assigned to do as part of my appointment?

Won’t striking hurt me/my PI more than the university?

Can I keep working at another Caltech job I have (i.e. at the Writing Center)?

What does striking look like if I’m a Fellow?

What about my dissertation research and writing? Can I attend lab meetings on strike? Which work, exactly, am I not doing?

How long would a potential strike last for?

I’m planning to graduate at the end of this year. What about my degree progress?

What is a strike and what does it look like?

A strike is a work stoppage that workers engage in together to force the employer to bargain in good faith. Striking is a powerful tool that union members utilize when all other options have been exhausted. In order to help exhaust all other options, sign up for the practice picket shift at the Last Chance Picket on January 28th here! By striking, workers decide to withhold their labor power in cases where the employer refuses to come to the bargaining table lawfully or with a fair offer. Because Graduate Student Workers and Postdocs do so much critical teaching and research work at Caltech, a work stoppage would have immensely disruptive effects and would be a major step in forcing Caltech administration to reconsider their negotiating tactics and make major movement at the bargaining table. If you’re curious about what it means to be “on the picket line”, check out this video and this recap post from the historic, 48,000 postdoc, graduate student worker, and academic researcher strike across all campuses at the University of California in 2022.

I’m an International GSW/Postdoc. Can I go on strike?

Yes. Under federal labor law, international GSWs and Postdocs have the same rights as all other GSWs and Postdocs to participate in union activities, including striking. Thousands of international GSWs and Postdocs at the University of California participated in their SAV and ultimately went on strike in 2022; this strike resulted in historic wage gains, new benefits, and industry-leading protections against workplace bullying.

Participating in union activity (such as a strike) will not affect your student visa, and retaliation against any GSW or Postdoc, including international GSWs and Postdocs, is illegal. Our greatest protection, however, comes from our willingness to go on strike in mass numbers—to do it together, alongside our labmates, colleagues, and coworkers.

When would a strike happen?

A potential strike would happen as soon as 1 year from our union election which would be early February 2025. The outcome of the 2024 presidential election will likely affect how our contract is negotiated; the sooner a contract is in place, the better. From now until February, Postdocs and GSWs have plenty of time to make strike contingency plans for their research and teaching, and the administration has plenty of time to agree to a contract we would also accept. We will make the decision to actually go on strike after our January bargaining dates have been exhausted, and our bargaining team will set tentative strike dates in early January to give Caltech administration a final deadline.

What were the results of our Postdoc and Graduate Student Worker Strike Authorization Vote in December?

The Strike Authorization Vote was a vote of all Postdocs and GSWs that authorized the bargaining team to call a strike in the future, if circumstances justify. 1240 Postdocs and GSws (86.2%) voted in favor of authorizing a strike, out of 1440 who voted. This vote not only formally authorized a strike, but also sent a clear message to Caltech administration that a majority of us are ready to walk off the job in a protected work stoppage if necessary.

How could a Trump administration affect contract negotiations or contract enforcement?

We don’t know the full extent of what this will mean for immigrants, the labor movement, and members of CGPU. But we can extrapolate from the last Trump term: he and his administration attacked the visa statuses of international student workers. But unions fought back—when Chinese students were restricted to 1-year visa validity, UAW academic workers, along with Judy Chu and other members of Congress, pushed back. If the Trump administration returns to their 2019 policies, international scholar visa renewal will also become much more complex. It is expected that the Trump administration will even try to renew restrictions on OPT. Our union contract will be one of the strongest protections we will have for the coming years. 

Under the last Trump administration, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) systematically rolled back workers’ rights to form unions and engage in collective bargaining. A second Trump administration could pose a direct threat to the NLRB’s ability to protect union activities during contract negotiations and enforcement. Caltech Graduate Student Workers and Postdocs cannot wait—we need a contract NOW.

How and why have academic workers prepared to strike at other institutions?

In any negotiation, the threat of a strike is the foundation of our power as workers in the U.S. thanks to the National Labor Relations Act in 1935. Last year, USC Graduate Student Workers (GSWs) and Postdocs at Mt. Sinai won their first union contracts, setting new industry-standards and establishing strong rights and better benefits in their workplaces.

At USC: Nine months after the union election, the administration still offered no proposal for wage increases. In response, hundreds of Research and Teaching Assistants met on campus and called on their bargaining team to schedule a Strike Authorization Vote for the next month. The next bargaining session, the USC administration sent their first wage counterproposal! USC GSWs won their contract without striking by preparing to strike as a majority of the campus. They demonstrated their strike-readiness by doing a “Last Chance Practice Picket” after their Strike Authorization Vote. Two months after the call to schedule a strike authorization vote, USC GSWs overwhelmingly ratifed their first union contract.

At Mt Sinai: After 14 months of stalled negotiations, Mount Sinai postdocs voted YES in an SAV and saw an immediate response from their administration. But, when their administration didn’t meet their final key, financial demands, their bargaining team called for a strike. Postdocs struck for two weeks; two months after the SAV, they had a ratified contract. Postdocs at Mt. Sinai fought for and won the highest postdoc salary in the country.

Do strikes work? What makes a strike effective?

Mass participation is the key to an effective strike. By striking, 2000 GSWs and Postdocs would stop performing critical labor for the day-to-day functioning of Caltech, including research and teaching. Mass participation in a strike would be disruptive. It would show the administration that our labor is worth the benefits we are fighting for, providing us with significant leverage at the bargaining table.

Striking would attract support for our campaign from important elected officials, media scrutiny that the Caltech administration wants to avoid, and solidarity from other unions across Los Angeles. Already our historic Strike Authorization Vote has led to media outlets like the Los Angeles Times to reach out and elected officials like City Councilmembers Jess Rivas, Rick Cole, Steve Madison, Jason Lyon, and Congresswomen Judy Chu to solidify their support.

A Graduate Student Worker/Postdoc strike would be damaging for the Caltech administration, and that’s why a credible strike threat is our greatest asset at the bargaining table.

What has led to the Strike Authorization Vote and potential strike?

Since forming our union in February 2024, Caltech has not come to the table with serious proposals on key issues such as wages, benefits, and international worker protections. Here is a rough timeline of events:

• After numerous town halls and surveys and thousands of organizing conversations, a supermajority of GSWs and Postdocs signed Union Authorization Cards and filed for union recognition in December of 2023.
• In December of 2023, Caltech administration decided to not voluntarily recognize our union despite overwhelming support from GSWs and Postdocs, and engaged in an anti-union campaign to try to convince GSWs and Postdocs to vote against forming a union.
• In February, GSWs and Postdocs voted overwhelmingly to form a union anyway with a 76% GSW and 83% Postdoc YES vote, and a strong majority of both units voting in the election.
• In April, a majority of GSWs and Postdocs ratified initial bargaining demands, which called for improvements to several areas of GSW life, including pay, healthcare, financial & legal support for international GSWs and Postdocs, protections against workplace abuse, and union rights.
• In June, over 100 GSWs and Postdocs showed up to a bargaining session to support the bargaining team as they introduced key articles pertaining to wages and healthcare benefits. GSWs and Postdocs reminded the administration’s bargaining team that regressive bargaining, which could be considered unlawful, did not meet Institute standards.
• Admin’s counterproposal on Nondiscrimination would have prevented GSWs and Postdocs who face workplace discrimination/harassment from filing a grievance under the contract, forcing GSWs and Postdocs to only use Caltech-controlled processes.
• In July, over 300 GSWs and Postdocs rallied to tell the Caltech administration that existing processes like Title IX do not meet the needs of our community. Courageous international scholars also shared stories showing that current international scholar policies are not enough to alleviate the additional burdens they face. 
• This mass action sent a message, and during the next set of bargaining sessions, Caltech administration agreed to industry-leading protections against bullying, discrimination, and harassment alongside 2-year initial postdoc appointment lengths, which has an outsized positive effect on international postdocs. 
• In October, Caltech administration finally submitted counterproposals on Leaves and Support for International Unit Members. The good news: Postdocs will be eligible for pregnancy leave even if they have served for less than one year! International workers will also be protected by industry-leading rehiring language allowing those who face visa trouble to regain their jobs once their immigration status is resolved. The bad news: our demand for visa fee reimbursements and paid leave for visa renewal has still not gotten a substantive response.
• In November, 600 Postdocs and GSWs called on the bargaining team to set dates for a Strike Authorization Vote in response to both the administrations bargaining positions and the newly re-elected Trump administration. Afterwards, the administration finally passed their first counterproposal on healthcare and indicated that they would be amendable to covering more of our healthcare premium costs. They also doubled the number of scheduled bargaining days through January and proposed an Agency Shop in their first counterproposal on Union Security which is almost unheard of in contract negotiations!
• In December, 1240 Postdocs and GSWs voted Yes in a historic Strike Authorization Vote with 72% of the campus turning out to vote! During bargaining sessions after the vote, the administration finally passed their first comprehensive economic package. The good news: GSWs will have a larger percentage of our healthcare premiums covered and the administration finally proposed 3 days of paid leave for visa renewal, though still grossly insufficient. The bad news: our demand for industry-leading pay for industry-leading work was met with denial. The administration proposed industry-lagging wages and zero guaranteed annual increases over the course our of proposed contract because they didn’t see institutions like UC Berkeley, Stanford, or Mt. Sinai as our peer.

It has nearly been a year since our union election and Caltech administration has still failed to respond adequately on economic issues like wages, healthcare, and visa fees. We cannot afford to wait; we call on the administration to move with us towards economic justice. Top Pay for Top Work. Read more about our fight here.

What conditions would prompt the Bargaining Team to call for a strike?

If Caltech administration does one or more of the following without changing their position:

• Continues to propose unacceptable offers on key equity issues such as international scholar support.
• Offers unacceptable terms key aspects of our compensation and benefits, such as wages, healthcare, and childcare
• Continues to delay counteroffers at the bargaining table, arbitrarily and needlessly pushing back the timeline for GSWs and Postdocs to have a first union contract

Academic Workers at Caltech need to be ready to go on strike for a better contract. In order to have a clear sense of how many of us are ready, it is essential for every lab to have a Lab Leader who can communicate bargaining updates and relay feedback rapidly. Sign up to attend a Strike Captain Training here! Democracy is built with strong organizing structures across campus and the decision to go on strike is one all academic workers will take together in January.

What would a strike look like for me as a Teaching Assistant?

Teaching Assistants perform a great deal of the teaching work here at Caltech. During a strike, we would collectively decide to immediately stop all work performed on behalf of the University, including lecturing, grading, lesson planning, office hours, and administrative work. At other institutions that have struck or prepared to strike, Teaching Assistants have given their students notice in advance and typically received support from their students, many joining rallies, marches, and the picket line.

What would a strike look like for me as a Postdoc or Research Assistant?

Postdocs and Research Assistants carry out a critical role in Caltech’s lucrative research initiatives, powering Caltech’s labs and research centers that bring in hundreds of millions of dollars of grant money and provide incalculable benefits to Caltech’s reputation. In 2023, our grants and contracts brought in $490 million in revenue or 50% of all revenue at Caltech. As Research Assistants, we would collectively decide to immediately stop all work performed on behalf of the University, including lab work, field research, grant writing, and administrative work.

What should I do with my live test subjects if we choose to strike?

It’s ultimately Caltech’s responsibility to make sure that basic lab maintenance happens during a strike. There are also ways that you can prepare for a potential strike. This could include planning your experiments in advance or informing supervisors that they may need to make alternative plans to take care of your subjects.

What would happen to my benefits if I went on strike? And if I’m on a fellowship?

Caltech has the right to temporarily not pay GSWs and Postdocs who go on strike, including those on fellowship. GSWs and Postdocs on external fellowships may have their pay paused if Caltech distributes their funds. If external fellowship funds are distributed directly from the granting agency, it is up to the granting agency to determine if pay would be paused.

In the event of a strike, GSWs and Postdocs who complete strike duties will be eligible for $500 per week of strike pay from the UAW strike fund, contingent on presence at the picket line. We GSWs and Postdocs would also have the option to establish a hardship fund and fundraise to provide assistance and mutual aid to workers who experience emergency financial hardship due to lost pay. In very rare cases when healthcare benefits are temporarily stopped, the UAW Strike and Defense Fund also covers benefits such as medical and prescription drugs, which mirror the contracted plans prior to the strike.

During a strike, can I choose to perform only part of the work I’m assigned to do as part of my appointment?

Effective strikes are broad, visible, and complete. Partially striking, on the other hand, would be risky and unadvised. Continuing to do a portion of your work while striking some of it could open you up to discipline from your advisor / PI / department.

More importantly, a strike is something that we do together, as GSWs and Postdocs, across Caltech. Our power comes from our labor, and a strike with mass participation and total commitment would mean major improvements to pay, benefits, and international worker assistance.

Won’t striking hurt me/my PI more than the university? 

Caltech’s primary role as a center of teaching and research cannot exist without us. Withholding our labor strikes directly at the heart of the Institute. That said, a fair contract, where GSWs and Postdocs are paid what we’re worth and have safe working conditions, will improve teaching and research at Caltech in the long run. While participating in a strike would require all of us to make sacrifices, striking also would give us the collective power to pressure Caltech to agree to a contract that would secure vital improvements on campus.

Can I keep working at another Caltech job I have (i.e. at the Writing Center)?

Any potential strike would result in GSWs and Postdocs stopping our “bargaining unit work.” Bargaining unit work refers to labor we perform in our capacity as Teaching Assistants and in our day-to-day research work. 

A stoppage of work that falls outside of our bargaining unit work (for example, a position at the writing center) would not be considered a protected work stoppage.

What does striking look like if I’m a Fellow?

All Graduate Fellows and most Postdoc Fellows are included in the bargaining unit and so would be legally protected when participating in a strike. Postdoc Fellows on specific fellowships where they receive a W-2 from a different employer can only strike Caltech-specific work.

What about my dissertation research and writing? Can I attend lab meetings on strike? Which work, exactly, am I not doing?

Because of the complex nature of graduate student worker and postdoc labor, there is no hard and fast rule for which work to stop during a strike. 

If you’re a Research Assistant who performs dissertation research/writing as part of your bargaining unit work (i.e. in a lab setting as part of your Research Assistantship or in addition to your Teaching Assistantship), then your dissertation work could be considered part of the work that would stop during a strike. 

If your dissertation work is not labor you are being compensated for in your capacity as a Research Assistant or in-unit Fellow, then your dissertation might not be considered bargaining unit work that would need to stop during a strike. That said, many workers consider dissertation research/writing to be work that benefits Caltech (and part of their job duties) and choose to stop this work during a strike anyway. Regardless, any potential strike would take place after ample time to prepare and set contingency plans, to minimize any disruptions to GSWs and Postdocs’ academic progress.

Lab meetings are generally considered bargaining unit work. We would typically stop attending lab meetings during a strike.

How long would a potential strike last for? 

It’s impossible to say how long a strike would last and highly contingent on the timing of when Caltech administration would come to the table with a fair offer. That said, we can look to other examples of recent academic worker strikes for context. At the UC, 2022’s 48,000 academic worker strike lasted roughly one month. At the University of Washington, their postdoc 2023 strike was closer to one week.

In general, strikes work when there is mass participation and majority support, and a crucial part of an effective strike is knowing when workers are at the peak of our power and can win the best possible contract at the table.

I’m planning to graduate at the end of this year. What about my degree progress?

Any potential strike would take place after ample time to prepare and implement contingency plans, to minimize any disruptions to GSWs’ academic progress. Ideally, GSWs would plan out research and writing so that it would occur before and after any potential strike, and would do everything possible not to complete work that benefits Caltech during a strike.