University of California Proposes Comprehensive Economic Package for Academic Graduate Student Employees

The University of California presented a comprehensive economic package for academic graduate student employees as part of ongoing negotiations with United Auto Workers Local 4811. The proposal reflects UC's commitment to meaningful total compensation while sustaining its teaching, research and student support mission in a challenging funding environment.

UAW represents approximately 33,000 graduate student employees systemwide who serve as Teaching Assistants, Associate Instructors, Readers, Tutors or Graduate Student Researchers across the UC system.

Graduate students pursuing PhD degrees may hold part-time teaching or research appointments, which provide financial support and hands-on professional training. UC limits graduate student employment to 10 or 20 hours per week, to support academic progress, timely degree completion and student well-being.

"Graduate student employees make important contributions to teaching and research at UC, and this proposal reflects our commitment to supporting them through a comprehensive approach to compensation," said Missy Matella, Associate Vice President for systemwide employee and labor relations at the University of California. "We are focused on providing meaningful, predictable support for graduate students while also sustaining the quality of UC's academic and research mission in a challenging funding environment."

UC's proposal, presented Monday during in-person bargaining in Southern California, is built around a total compensation approach that recognizes wages as one part of how graduate students are supported while completing their degrees.

Graduate student employees appointed from 25% to 50% time, or 10 to 20 hours per week, receive a comprehensive total package that, depending on appointment type, residency status and eligibility, may include the following components, shown with annual dollar values:

• Competitive, at or above market wages and increases over the life of the contract.
• Full tuition coverage valued at $13,140
• Student services fee coverage valued at $1,290
• Campus fee coverage up to $1,242 per term, depending on campus
• Health insurance premium coverage from $5,002 to $12,222
• Nonresident tuition remission valued at $15,102
• Child care reimbursements valued at up to $5,600

The proposal restructures academic employee pay scales across titles, bringing them closer together in recognition of one of UAW's major priorities. Full details available here.

The proposal also:

• Resolves consolidated GSR salary point grievances with up to $2 million in lump-sum payments capped at $1,000 per individual, establishing a standardized and sustainable compensation framework.

  Builds on significant wage increases provided since 2022 while accounting for broader funding realities facing public higher education and federally supported research.

• Continues tuition and fee remissions for eligible graduate student employees while expanding and standardizing coverage of required campus-based fees to reduce out-of-pocket costs and address differences that currently vary by campus.

UC also proposed measures to support graduate student employees facing unexpected challenges, including a designated fund to assist with work authorization and visa-related issues and a transitional position program to provide short-term employment continuity for graduate student researchers affected by unforeseen changes in supervision or funding.

UC remains committed to reaching an agreement that fairly supports graduate student employees while sustaining the academic excellence and research enterprise that define the University of California.

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