Fighting to Protect Research and Higher Education
Science, Technology, and Engineering Professionals (STEPs) at LBNL are joining with unionized employees across LBNL, UC and beyond to address the serious threats we’re facing as an institution and gain a stronger voice to protect our critical work and our livelihoods. Those of us working at LBNL are experiencing sudden pauses to our projects, uncertainty about future support of our programs, confusing communication from the administration, and a disregard for staff input. One central goal in our effort to form a union is to gain a strong and legally protected political voice in the CA statehouse and in Washington to advocate for better funding and more equitable policies around education and research.
Recent UAW townhall in UC Davis
Most recently, STEPs joined UAW workers at UC/LBNL and workers from other National Labs across the country to petition policy-makers to avert proposed cuts to DOE funding. So far, the worst of the initially-proposed cuts haven’t materialized due to workers across the country standing up and rallying their communities to stand up for science. Pressure directed at DOE was complemented by UAW-organized town halls in legislative districts across the state, where packed rooms of workers confronted congressional representatives with compelling stories of how proposed cuts would impact our lives, our work and broader society.
UAW has also led the fight against changes to policies that impact international workers. UAW recently filed a lawsuit, joined by a coalition of other labor unions and civil society groups, targeting the recently-announced $100,000 fee for H-1B visa holders. In 2017, the UAW international filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court challenging the Trump administration’s travel ban, as academic workers, including international scholars, rallied at airports around California to protest the ban. In 2018, international workers in California and Washington worked with Congressional Representatives Judy Chu and Pramila Jayapal 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. In 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.
By joining UAW as a new union of STEPs at LBNL, we’ll be able to continue leveraging our expertise and power to defend LBNL and UC’s budget and advance policy that supports the essential work we do.
