How do we defend our rights?

Now that we grad workers at USC have our first union contract, it’s on all of us to actively enforce the union contract in our workplace by actively organizing around the grievance process.

Common Workplace Issues

  • Wages and Tuition/Fee Remission (e.g. late or incorrect pay, incorrectly charged fees, tuition remission issues)

  • Abusive conduct/bullying, harassment and discrimination

  • Health and safety issues

  • Job Security Issues (e.g. losing your job after you accepted it, unjust discipline or dismissal from your appointment, being arbitrarily under-appointed)

  • Access needs (e.g. workers with disabilities being denied an appropriate accommodation)

  • Parent Rights (e.g. difficulties accessing paid parental leave or childcare benefits)

  • International Grad Worker Rights (e.g. visa proceedings, re-hiring protections, legal fund)

  • Workload (e.g. going over your weekly hours)

  • Misclassification (e.g. course assistants performing TA work without appropriate compensation)

  • Inadequate Workspace Materials

  • Leaves (e.g. health leave, sick days, bereavement days)

Need Help?

Please fill out Workplace Issue Reporting Form below or send an email to contractenforcement [at] uaw872 [dot] org if you believe you are experiencing violation(s) of your contractual rights, and a fellow grad worker will follow up with you about potential next steps.

Want to apply for a fund?

The Childcare Subsidy fund and the Dependent Healthcare fund detailed in our contract are administered by USC, and can be applied for by going through the links below.