Frequently Asked Questions

We need:

• A Fair, multi-faceted agreement: RSEs deserve a fair overall agreement that includes meaningful pathways for professional development; better support for parents, caregivers and visa holders; rights/protections that are afforded to other UW employees; practices that support equity and inclusion, and more
• UW to not violate labor law: UW must rescind the decision to unilaterally convert Research Scientists and Engineers (RSEs) into hours-tracking positions and bargain in good faith to increase wages and/or provide clarity and support for non-exempt RSEs.
• An End in sight: Bargaining with “no end in sight” is unacceptable. We need UW to commit to ending their delay tactics and finishing this contract. They have yet to even provide counter proposals on compensation, childcare, rights of international researchers, bridge funding, and more.
• A Living wage: RSEs need a living wage. UW must provide a response to our Compensation proposal that includes a fair increase to RSE wages.

We filed our petition for certification in December 2021, and more than a year later we are still far from reaching a first agreement that provides fair and equitable support for RSEs. Certification was stalled for more than 6 months when UW Admin challenged the inclusion of nearly 300 people in our bargaining unit, and through the adjudication process we’ve seen that 99% of those challenges were baseless. After bargaining started, Admin has moved slowly and made it clear that they don’t think of these negotiations as a priority – stating that there is “no end in sight” for our contract. UW has violated the law by not bargaining in good faith over the decision to convert overtime exempt RSEs to overtime eligible (see the full ULP here and an overview here).  And they are unmoved by and unresponsive to the vast majority of our proposals—including wages, childcare, rights of international researchers, professional development, bridge funding, and more;RSEs have spent nearly two years identifying these priority needs through thousands of conversations and surveys.

A strong Yes vote makes it clear that we are willing to take additional steps to hold UW accountable so they make real movement toward a fair agreement.

You should have been emailed a ballot on Monday, February 6. Search your inbox for subject: “Strike Authorization Vote Ballot: UW Research Scientist and Engineer A-4” OR reach out to us for the link by emailing contact@uwresearchersunited.org.

Most strike authorization votes do not result in an actual strike. However, following this important first step, if we authorize a strike we will continue to prepare to maximize the chances our strike is successful if a strike is needed.

The short answer is a lot. Specific impacts include:

• 2001: SAV and strike led to a change in state law that obligated UW to bargain with Academic Student Employees (ASEs).  This law in turn formed the basis for legislation applying to Washington State University ASEs, UW and WSU Postdocs, and now ASEs at regional universities.  SAV and strike moved UW to stop opposing legislation that would provide a bargaining framework for ASEs (which formed the basis for legislation for WSU ASEs, UW Postdocs, and now ASEs at regional universities).
• 2004 SAV led to the negotiation of the first ASE CBA. Bargaining the entire contract took five weeks
• 2011: SAV (and a sit in) led to the creation of the childcare fund in the ASE CBA, which then was adopted by Postdocs and Medical Residents
• 2015: SAV led to the waiver of one of the major student fees, reducing out of pocket costs for ASEs
• 2018 – SAV also got UW to move +2% in wages proposal for ASEs. On eve of 1-day strike ASEs won paid orientation, trans-affirming health care, waived mental health deductibles, establishment of equity survey, and the EPIC program (anti sexual harassment training program) 

A strike is a complete work stoppage. During a strike, Research Scientists/Engineers would not perform our work duties and instead would participate in picket lines to increase the visibility of the strike. Strikes can be fixed duration or open-ended. Each Research Scientist would make a choice about whether to participate, and we’d need to decide together how a strike could create conditions for maximum participation and maximum impact. We of course hope that UW will change course, bargain in good faith and promptly reach an agreement that will address the needs of RSEs.

Mass participation on picket lines will also create a crisis for UW. When we demonstrate our solidarity publicly while withholding our labor, Admin will have to answer for their conduct, particularly when other workers who serve campus honor our picket lines, and community allies and others with influence over the University weigh in and demand that the University negotiate a fair agreement.

Strikes by public employees in Washington are not prohibited by law. The statute governing RSE collective bargaining neither prohibits strikes by public employees nor grants the express right to strike. Many public sector unions in Washington—including our own—can and do hold strike authorization votes and go on strike. Many teacher strikes have happened in Washington State. At UW: in 2001, a huge majority of UW Academic Student Employees (ASEs) struck without getting fined or disciplined and without the union being sued. In 2018 the same was true with another ASE one day strike, and in 2022 a UW Librarians one day strike. As with all other union action, our solidarity and willingness to be public is our best protection: there is strength in numbers. We’ll work to support each other and work with UAW leadership and other representatives to navigate legal or other challenges as they arise

International and undocumented workers can participate in union activities, just as domestic workers do. 

As with all other union action, our solidarity and willingness to be public is our best protection. The law doesn’t specifically prevent our employer from taking disciplinary action against those who engage in this action, up to and including termination. But at other strikes at UW (see above) this did not happen because participation was so strong. Collectively we would hold the employer to a “just cause” legal standard, and push them to demonstrate that any disciplinary action taken was appropriate and applied equally to every member of the bargaining unit. In other words: they’d have to take on all of us in order to take on one of us.

RSEs have the right to strike. UW also has the right to not pay us for the work we don’t do while on strike. In the event of a strike, RSEs who choose to participate in the strike and who complete our strike duties will be eligible for $400 per week of strike pay from the UAW strike fund.

As workers represented by UAW, RSEs have access to UAW’s Strike and Defense Fund after losing pay for participating in a sanctioned strike. Strike benefits are $400 per week in strike pay, along with medical benefits in the event that UW withholds healthcare benefits. UAW Local 4121 also has an established hardship fund and will be fundraising to provide further assistance to workers who experience emergency financial hardship due to lost pay.