Protecting the Rights of International Students

International students and scholars have always faced challenges and precarity on account of our status as visa holders. In 2020, the federal government increased this pressure by issuing a number of short-sighted and xenophobic policies, from requiring international students to attend classes in person during the COVID-19 crisis or risk deportation, to restricting H1B visas, to the Muslim travel ban, to restrictions on Chinese international student visas, and more. These actions have created tremendous stress, concern and uncertainty for international students/scholars and our futures.

By forming a union, international Student Researchers can negotiate for additional protections. Through their contracts, for example, UC Postdocs have won increased rights for international Postdocs by ending UC’s practice of denying health benefits for many international Postdocs and ensuring equal treatment regardless of immigration status.

UAW has also been a critical resource and provided a political voice for international students and scholars to affect national policy. UAW Academic Workers have used their collective strength to:

UAW Local 2865 and UAW 5810 union members with Congresswoman Judy Chu discussing her Dear Colleague Letter in support of Chinese international students at her office in Pasadena, 2018.

In October of 2020, UAW Academic Workers mobilized against a proposed rule by ICE to shorten visa stays for international scholars; thousands of public comments were submitted, including by the President of the UAW International. In July of 2020, thanks to the direct action by UAW Academic Workers across the country, in addition to efforts by our university and government allies, ICE backed down from its directive to deport international students taking online classes due to COVID-19. In 2017, the UAW International filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case challenging the Trump administration’s travel ban.

Working with members of Congress, UAW academic workers helped win the Optional Practical Training STEM extension. UAW Locals 5810, 2865 and 4121 also worked with Congressional Representatives Judy Chu (San Gabriel Valley, California) and Pramila Jayapal (Seattle) on a Dear Colleague letter demanding that Secretary of State Pompeo restore the validity period of Chinese international students’ entry visas from 12 months back to 60 months.  

Nationally, the UAW represents more than 80,000 workers in higher education, a powerful force for effective lobbying, enabling UAW Academic Workers to help win an extension to the Optional Practical Training program for international workers in STEM fields in 2016.

 

UAW 2865 and UAW 5810 members protest outside of ICE offices in San Francisco, summer 2020 

“When I was applying to jobs between my undergraduate and graduate programs, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to stay in the US. Optional Practical Training extensions that UAW helped pass allowed me to stay and have an important career experience. That showed me the important role that unions of academic workers have in giving political voice to international and immigrant workers.”
– Donghyung Lee, UC San Diego

“My name is Zhixun (Jason) He and I’m a Ph.D. Student in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at UC Merced. As an international student, I’ve experienced first-hand the importance of a union contract. A few summers ago, I traveled abroad to renew my visa. Due to visa processing times that were outside of my control, I was unable to be physically present at the start of Fall term to teach my first section. Without any attempt to reschedule with another TA or communicate with me about a potential solution, the University unilaterally rescinded my Teaching Assistant appointment and I had to pay over $13,000 in tuition and fees to stay academically enrolled. In response, I filed a union grievance with the support of a peer UAW 2865 union steward. Because of the strong appointment security rights in the TA union contract, the University agreed to settle the grievance by repaying all of my tuition and fee costs. Given that many international students continue to be affected by restrictive visa rules and the UC administration is often indifferent to individuals’ situations, my story underscores how vital it is that Student Researchers have the protections of a union contract.”
– Zhixun (Jason) He, UC Merced