Welcome to Your Union
Everything to know about union membership
UAW 2478 (formerly CGPU-UAW) is the union by and for 2,000 Graduate Student Workers (GSWs) and Postdoctoral Scholars at Caltech. In January 2025, GSWs and postdocs ratified an industry-leading first contract that majorly improved working conditions at Caltech.
BEFORE WINNING A STRONG CONTRACT
- Workplace issues processed by internal administrative processes with no enforceable timelines and little accountability
- International workers had to pay expensive visa, OPT, and legal fees out of pocket and had no guaranteed PTO for immigration proceedings or visa-related travel
- Caltech administration unilaterally changed free speech policy, threatening union rallies and events.
AFTER WINNING A STRONG CONTRACT
- Union grievance process to enforce contractual rights. Guaranteed timelines and right to appeal to independent mediation or arbitration if necessary
- Up to $500 in reimbursement for visa fees and related expenses and up to 7 days of paid time off PTO for visa renewal
- Unprecedented free speech protections based on CA labor code
Becoming a member is a vote for a better Caltech and better working conditions. High membership demonstrates to the Caltech administration that GSWs and Postdocs are united and ready to enforce and exercise the rights our collective action won us. It also ensures that GSWs and Postdocs, through our union, can continue to pool our resources together, in the form of union dues, to improve our working conditions.
OUR DUES COME BACK TO US BY:
- Paying for the day-to-day functions of our union
- Producing a pro bono legal hotline (888-416-2110) to help with immigration-related concerns
- Covering the costs of political actions like our Unite for Science town hall to protect science funding
