Information on New Bargaining Agreements

We will keep updating this page to ensure the latest guidance is being provided. The last revision was made on April 21, 2023.

The bargaining agreements for Academic Student Employees (ASEs), Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) and Postdoctoral Scholars were ratified in late December 2022. Graduate Studies has been actively engaging with the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Academic Personnel and Programs for guidance on admission letters, compensation plans, and a variety of other questions.

The new ASE, GSR and Postdoc contracts are in effect immediately following ratification. Some portions of the contracts, including wages, will be phased in over time. The new rates will govern our minimum rates of compensation for graduate academic student employees and postdoctoral scholars. 

The AY 2022-2023 salary rate is effective April 1, 2023, and future escalations are expected to be effective each October. Updated salary scales, once formatted, will be posted annually on the UCOP website Current Academic Salary Scales.

Important Notes:

  • Current GSRs should be mapped onto the indicated salary point that corresponds to their current step and should continue on this step or higher for future appointments.
  • For new students (entering Fall 23), a department may make a determination about where to place a student on the GSR steps/salary points. Moving forward, in all cases, GSRs and ASEs must meet the contract expectation in terms of work experience.
  • The percentage appointment should be based on work effort. If the work duties and effort for GSR or ASEs are modified, the percentage appointment may be increased or decreased. However, there is no requirement or expectation that the percentage appointment should change solely on account of ratification of the contracts. 

Here are the latest updates:

Contract Highlights

Tools and Resources

FAQ