"Graduate student workers are making an unusual request in their contract negotiations with the University of California: a legal fund to help them navigate visa issues. The ask from United Auto Workers Local 4811, which represents 48,000 teaching assistants, postdocs and researchers at UC Berkeley and other UC campuses including 15,000 at UC Berkeley comes amid increasing uncertainty for international students about their future in the United States as the Trump administration ramps up restrictions on immigrants and foreign visitors."
"About 40% of the union's members come from other countries, according to its leaders. One of the things that has allowed the University of California to be a world leader in education and research is the fact that we welcome people from all over the world, said Tanzil Chowdhury, a UC Berkeley Ph.D. student in materials science and engineering who chairs the committee negotiating on behalf of teaching assistants and graduate student researchers."
United Auto Workers Local 4811, representing 48,000 teaching assistants, postdocs and researchers across UC campuses (about 15,000 at UC Berkeley), is seeking contract provisions to assist international student-workers facing visa uncertainty. Roughly 40% of union members are from other countries. Contract demands include a $750,000 legal fund for visa navigation, continuation of pay for researchers temporarily stranded outside the U.S. due to visa issues, and reimbursement of visa-related fees. Negotiations are underway with the current teaching assistant and graduate student researcher contract expiring Jan. 31 and separate contracts for non-student researchers expiring next year. The University values international student employees and continues to engage with UAW to bargain a successor contract.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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