Our UAW Affiliation

UAW is The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. UAW has historically been one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America. Through our organizing efforts in the past two decades, UAW has become the single largest union for academic workers across the US. There are over 100,000 workers in higher education and research institutions who are UAW members. 

Notable among these are 5,000 University of California (UC) Academic Researchers, 7,000 UC Postdocs, 1,500 Columbia University Postdocs, and 1,400 UW Research Scientists/Engineers. At the University of Washington, UAW 4121 is the Local UAW chapter which represents 1,400 Research Scientists/Engineers, 1,000 UW Postdocs, and all 5,500 Academic Student Employees (ASEs, largely graduate students who work as TAs and RAs). By joining UAW, researchers across the region have democratically determined their priorities as a workforce and have joined together to win improved rights and benefits through collective bargaining. Each union has won increases in pay, benefits, and workplace rights. 

Allen Institute workers will elect a bargaining committee made up solely of Allenites and will have a democratic bargaining process. Once the bargaining team and the Allen Administration bargaining team reach tentative agreement on a contract, Researchers in the bargaining unit can vote to approve or reject the agreement.

While Allenites can bargain with Allen through their own democratic process, we will have greater collective strength – both in negotiating with Allen and in making improvements to public policy.

Having the same union that represents researchers at UW and other research institutions in the region will empower us to affect even greater change, and will let Allen workers draw on years of UAW experience representing researchers and scientists.

To learn more about the relationship between Allen Institute United and UAW as a whole, please see our FAQs. We welcome you to contact us with any questions.