This post was updated Feb. 24 at 11:37 p.m.
UC lecturers are tentatively set to begin negotiations with the University in March.
The unit of the University Council-American Federation of Teachers representing lecturers reached its current contract with the University in November 2021. That contract – which included pay raises and expansions of paid leave and health care – is set to expire June 30.
A UC Office of the President spokesperson said in an emailed statement that bargaining between the union and the UC will tentatively begin March 5.
“We’re looking forward to working with the union to reach a mutually beneficial contract that recognizes the value of lecturers and supports their essential contributions to our students, our academic community, and the broader mission of the institution,” the spokesperson said in the emailed statement.
The UC held a public notice meeting Feb. 10 regarding proposed changes from both parties.
The union hosted a rally Thursday outside of Murphy Hall to kick off bargaining, which came as part of a statewide effort by UC-AFT.
Attendees heard from speakers – including union members, the president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council and a United Auto Workers Local 4811 representative. UAW Local 4811 represents more than 40,000 academic and research employees across the UC.
Caroline Luce, the chair of UC-AFT’s Communications Committee and a lecturer in the labor studies department, said in a speech that the union’s demands for its new contract include academic freedom protections and increased job security, adding that many lecturers have to reapply for their positions annually.
“This University has never fully recognized the true value of our contributions to campus – but we know that UC works because we do,” Luce said in the speech.
Luce also led several chants, including “ICE out of LA” and “Who runs UC? We run UC.”
The union represents the University’s librarians as well and reached a contract for them in October 2024 that is not set to expire until January 2029.
Luce said in an interview that the union’s work is especially important during times of increased federal scrutiny on universities, including the UC.
The U.S. Department of Justice sued the UC on Tuesday, alleging it allowed an antisemitic environment for its employees. The Trump administration also suspended $584 million in federal research funding – the bulk of which a judge temporarily restored in two decisions made in August and September – alleging that the university allowed antisemitism, affirmative action and men to participate in women’s sports.
“When we say, ‘we run UC’, it’s really the people that make this University possible,” Luce said in the interview. “As long as we stay resolute and stand together, we can protect this place and defend the value of public higher education.”
Kevin Coffey, a lecturer in the Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, said in an interview that he attended the Thursday rally in part to call for improved job security for non-tenured faculty. Coffey added that he will soon become a continuing lecturer, which will improve job security, but many of his colleagues in UC-AFT have to periodically reapply to teach courses.
One of Coffey’s hopes for the rally was to increase the UCLA community’s awareness of the challenges lecturers face, he said.
“Most of our students don’t even realize that there are lecturers and that those are different from professors,” Coffey added. “It looks much the same from a seat in the classroom. But on our end, it’s quite different.”
Adam Hirsch, the co-chair of organizing for UCLA’s chapter of UC-AFT, said in an interview that he is excited about the potential new contract, as improvements to teaching faculty can result in better learning conditions for students.
“As educators and as union members, we have a really critical role to play,” said Hirsch, a lecturer in the music industry department. “That fight, for now, begins with the fight for our contract and a better collective bargaining agreement – which we know can help win a better and more equitable University.”
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