It’s been one year since Research Coordinators and Consultants (CoCos) ratified their first union contract and joined UAW 4121 as members of the Research Staff unit, growing our union and worker power on campus by 600 members!
Be sure to join your union and make your voice heard today!
During the first year of the CoCo contract, we:
- Joined together with our Research Scientist and Engineer colleagues to fight for better working conditions for researchers across campus
- Won and protected our right to discrimination and harassment-free workplaces through the grievance process
- Received our hard-won 3.5% raise in November and 1% raise in April, alongside a 10-15% raise to CoCo base wages
- Won job security protections such as just cause dismissal and proper 45 day notice for layoffs, alongside many other wins concerned with career advancement, equity, and workplace condition
“After joining UAW 4121 I feel more empowered to make changes in my workplace and safer when I ask to improve my working conditions. Joining our union has meant that I’m not alone in the process. I’m part of a bigger group of CoCos and Research Staff, and there is power and protection that comes with that.” – Perla Bravo, Research Coordinator from Health Systems Population Health
CoCos won this first contract because UAW 4121 members came together and participated throughout their first contract campaign. Right now, Research Staff and Postdocs are in the middle of bargaining for their next contracts, and ASEs are already gearing up for their next campaign as well. The contracts that members are fighting for now will define our working conditions for the next few years, and what we can win is, again, determined by how many of us show UW that we will fight for the working conditions we deserve.
What matters is the work union members do together, so get involved in fighting for your new contract by signing up to be a Contract Action Team (CAT) member to share what you learn and know with coworkers in your department, or email “I’m in” to uaw4121@uaw4121.org to learn more!
Solidarity,
Natalie Wellen
Abby Gambrill
Joice Tang
Lou Baker
Cirstyn Michel
Jenna Morris
Katie Osterhage
Gourav Khullar
Valerie Bentivegna
Iván Cruz
Lucas O’Bryan
Gracy Shaw
Tess Grover
Evan Howard
Nicholas Shane Patrick
KeliAnne Hara-Hubbard
Jessamy Johnson
Joey Schafer
Alana Dee
Cecily Rosenbaum
Stella Heflin
Cailin Jordan
Shirley Mathur
Lisa Carr
Izzy Chaiken
Jake Sacks
Cassandra Henderson
Mateo Lopez Espejo
Winston Dredge
Haruki Hirasawa