About Us
Student Researchers United is a group of students working in research positions across the University of California organizing to better our working conditions through forming a union. We make critical contributions to world-class research at UC, but many of us lack secure rights and protections in the workplace, struggle to pay high housing and other costs, and face increasing uncertainty about our futures.
Beyond UC, we aim to increase the voice of all researchers in the democratic process by advocating for increased research funding, fair visa and immigration policies in the US, and safer, more just working environments in all academic institutions.
Student Researchers have witnessed the power of organized Postdocs, Academic Researchers, and Academic Student Employees at UC to dramatically improve their working conditions through unionization with United Auto Workers. On this website you can learn about some of the victories that Teaching Assistants, Tutors, and Readers at UC have won through their union, UAW 2865, and that Postdocs and Academic Researchers have won through their union, UAW 5810. You will also learn about how, as Student Researchers, we can improve our own working conditions by forming a union.
Check out our profiles by clicking on a campus page below!
“I’m a Graduate Student Researcher in Chemical Engineering. By forming a union, we can guarantee Student Researchers in all departments at all campuses the right to negotiate equitable and safe working environments, and fair compensation. Being able to shape our working conditions to meet our needs and ensure all our fellow workers feel safe is a vital first step in making research accessible to researchers from underprivileged and marginalized communities, and will foster a healthy and productive research environment for all.” – Kimberlee Keithley, UC Santa Barbara
“I’m a physics Ph.D. student and a GSR at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. My research is focused on high precision tests of the Standard Model of particle physics. Given persistent issues of harassment and discrimination in graduate school, as well as the unique challenges our international coworkers often face, forming a union is the best path forward for protecting researchers in the work place. We need a union to ensure SRs are protected so that we can focus on our work, knowing if we face harassment we will be protected by the collective power of our coworkers.” – Greg Ottino, UC Berkeley
“I am a Graduate Student Researcher studying neuroscience at UCSD. Forming a GSR union would allow us to negotiate collectively for necessary policy changes to the UC administration. We shouldn’t have to ask for protections from harassment, discrimination, and for a more inclusive environment; it should be a guarantee.” – Chiaki Santiago, UC San Diego
“I’m a Graduate Student Researcher studying thermoelectric materials in the Materials Science and Engineering Department. Forming a Student Researchers union will allow for our best interests to be represented by us and our coworkers, and ensure that we can cultivate a working environment that is as stimulating and effective as possible.” – Brea Hogan, UCLA
“I’m a Graduate Student Researcher in the Informatics Department studying clinical decision making. When I first arrived in my PhD program, I attempted to work through the university administration’s diversity programs to advance the needs of myself and my colleagues to have safe, stable, well-supported graduate careers, only to find myself frustrated. I increasingly became convinced that any effort funded by the university would ultimately uphold the university as it stands. Only an independent organization of student researchers, like a union, can place the appropriate pressures to effect real change.” – Mustafa Hussain, UC Irvine
“I’m a Graduate Student Researcher in the Helen Wills Neuroscience Program at UC Berkeley studying the genetics of aging and neuronal-glial interactions. I’m passionate about forming a union because I know student researchers need power to change our working conditions in order to have safe and supportive lab environments. From chemical spills to harassment and discrimination, our work is dangerous, and we need to build power as workers in order to win protections.” – Holly Gildea, UC Berkeley
“I am a Graduate Student Researcher in Bioengineering at UCSF studying transcriptional dysregulation in cancer. In conversations with my co-workers, I’ve heard so many incredible ideas about how to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion at the UCs. Forming a union gives us the power to decide and vote on our own working conditions. I look forward to the day where we, as student-researchers, can negotiate with the university as equals to make graduate research more inclusive!” -Kate Crawford, UCSF
“I’m a Graduate Student Researcher studying evolutionary human genetics in the UCD Integrative Genetics and Genomics graduate group. I believe that being part of a union will allow us, as graduate student researchers, to address critical issues of harassment and discrimination in the work place while collectively working towards a more equitable research environment that promotes greater inclusion and diversity, especially in STEM.” – Aarthi Sekar, UC Davis
