Caltech and the Caltech Graduate Researchers and Postdocs United (CGPU-UAW) met for in-person bargaining sessions on October 14 and 15, and on October 28 and 29. During the bargaining sessions, the parties discussed their proposals on union recognition, support for international unit members, leaves, tuition and fee remission, and the Institute's emergency fund for graduate students.
The parties made progress during these sessions, reaching significant consensus on the recognition article, and the majority of the articles related to support for international unit members and leaves. Additionally, the parties signed a tentative agreement on tuition and fee remission. The tentative agreement affirms the Institute's position that tuition and fee remission are, fundamentally, an academic subject, and preserves the Institute's existing approach to tuition and fee remission by clearly stating that PhD students do not have out of pocket costs for their tuition or student fees at Caltech.
Since bargaining began in May, the parties have reached tentative agreements on 27 topics, including industry-leading articles related to protections from discrimination, harassment, and abuse; free speech and expression; bonding and parental leave.
Details on past bargaining sessions and tentative agreements reached to date are in previous updates. Caltech plans to meet with CGPU-UAW again in November to continue bargaining in good faith towards a first contract.