FAQs for Implementation of New Labor Contracts for GSRs, ASEs, and Postdocs

The new contracts are in effect immediately following ratification. Some portions of the contracts, including wages, will be phased in over time. There are no retroactive wage agreements. The new salary increases will occur on April 1, 2023.

The initial scale increase for all units will be April 1, 2023 and again each October 1 for the duration of the contracts. See extended salary scales for budgeting purposes.

See extended salary scales for budgeting purposes.

See extended salary scales for budgeting purposes.

Once a student is appointed at a salary point, they should remain at that salary point or greater for all future appointments, and no downward movement on the salary point scale should be taken.

Historically, Basic Science students at UCSF have been compensated as a 50% appointment. This appointment acknowledges that students need more than 50% effort to dedicate to engaging in experiments, writing, and studying related to completing their PhD degree program. UCSF has taken the position that Basic Science GSRs will maintain their 50% appointment. 

The responsibilities and workload for GSRs and ASEs remain under the purview of the University as part of management rights. Work duties are expected to be briefly described in the Description of Duties accompanying the Appointment letters. The Workload article states that the appointment percentage must be commensurate with the hours worked (effort), not calculated to achieve a gross dollar figure which means the appointment FTE must approximate the hours reasonably required to complete their work. It does not reflect the total number of hours needed to engage in work directly related to their PhD program; these are educational, not employment activities. Departments should have a mechanism to justify the FTE based on the workload for the particular appointment.

GSRs are considered exempt employees. The GSRs workload (time and effort commitment) will be commensurate with the appointment percentage each month. It is understood that the workload may fluctuate in a given time period (e.g., workweek, month, academic term) due to the general functions and activities within a research lab or program. The expectations of attendance, presence, and participation should be defined clearly between the supervisor and the employee.

As has always been true, any student can concurrently hold different types of appointments (ASE, GSR). This has not changed.

Graduate students (GSRs and ASEs) with an appointment percentage of 0-50% will follow the normal approval process. For appointments between 51% and 74%, approval from both the program director AND student’s faculty adviser is required. Appointments of 75% and over require approval of the Graduate Dean. This applies to Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters only and does not apply to summer quarter. The academic interests and academic progress of the graduate student should be the focus of any justification provided.

This type of internal fellowship is typically not covered by the bargaining agreement especially if that is the only type of support received by the student.

Nowhere in the contracts is it stated that students are guaranteed any percentage of appointment. Any single appointment may not be less than 25%. Percentage appointment must be commensurate with the hours worked (effort), and not calculated to achieve a gross dollar figure. Appointments over 50% and at 75% and over require approval. 

Students not employed as GSR are not impacted by the agreement. However, UCSF has taken the position that all Basic Science students will be compensated similarly.

Yes, the designation is Interim Postdoctoral Scholar – Employee (Title Code 3256). This title may be utilized when a University of California graduate student who recently obtained their PhD degree or equivalent needs a short-term appointment to complete an existing project from their graduate education program before moving on to other employment. This appointment is limited to individuals who have completed their graduate work at the University of California. The minimum appointment shall be for at least 3 months.

• Temporary title for “bridging” a UC graduate student who has recently earned a PhD over to a Postdoc to complete a research project
• Cannot exceed one year in the title
• If subsequently hired in another Postdoc title, the date of hire remains the original date for calculating months of service as a Postdoc
• Receives all benefits of a Postdoc

Example:

• Recent UCSF Graduate Student (PhD conferred) needs four months to complete their doctoral research project
• Appoint using title code 3256 for four months
• What if they need more time to finish the project?
  • Can be provided a reappointment in 3256 for up to one year, but cannot stay in 3256 longer than one year. If reappointment is for another 8 months, the total in Title Code 3256 will be for 12 months - so okay.
  • If PI decides to keep the Interim Postdoc after the max of 12 months, then a reappointment into Title Code 3252 – Postdoc-Employee will apply.

Under the UC-UAW Agreement, a GSR is:

Graduate student who (1) performs research as a condition of receiving financial remuneration (2) from funding generated by the University in an academic department or research unit, provided that the graduate student (3) is performing this funded research under the control of the University and under the specific direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator.

Therefore, students on filing fee status are not able to have academic appointments or get paid by any federal funding that requires an academic appointment.

GSRs are considered exempt employees. The GSR workload (time and effort commitment) should be commensurate with the appointment percentage each month. It is understood that the workload may fluctuate in a given time period (e.g., workweek, month, academic term) due to the general functions and activities within a research lab or program. The expectations of attendance, presence, and participation should be defined clearly between the supervisor and the employee.

The workload of ASEs (TA/AI/Reader/Tutor) should be completed within days of the final exam. There is normally no expectation of work to be completed during academic breaks for this classification of employee or job.

The ASE paid leave will be administered on an academic year basis and will be administered from October – September. The Postdoctoral paid leave is to be administered on a calendar year from January – December.

Starting in the 2023 Fall academic term, GSRs and ASEs will be required to centrally report their Short-Term Leave and Personal Time Off (PTO) through the Huntington Business System (HBS) timekeeping system, like most other employees at the University of California. The Graduate Division is providing this tool to assist in tracking leave until the HBS is fully implemented. Leave requests are initiated by the student and approved by the principal investigator.

As their contract requires, GSRs and ASEs must seek prior leave approval from their PI/Supervising faculty. While PTO for GSRs is allotted annually, approval is at the PI’s discretion. Leave approval is based on the operational needs of the laboratory and can be denied based on these needs. Available leave is based on the requirements outlined in the contract, and any other time off beyond these requirements would be without pay and is at the discretion of the responsible PI.

Short-Term Leave (GSRs and ASEs):

GSRs and ASEs with a 50% appointment are eligible for up to two (2) days of leave per quarter for a total of (8) days per academic year. The leave will be prorated for salaried GSRs and ASEs for appointments less than 50%. The short-term leave may be used for the following purposes: personal illness or disability, birth, adoption, or care of a child or family member, family emergencies, and immigration meetings on behalf of the employee or family member. Short-term leave does not carry over from year to year. 

Personal Time Off (GSRs only):

GSRs with 25% or more appointments for at least one month are also eligible for paid personal time off. Personal time off is 12 workdays each year. For shorter appointments, twelve (12) workdays will be prorated one (1) day per month for every full month of appointed service. PTO does not carry over from year to year or if a GSR’s appointment ends early. Absences under (1) day do not require PTO. 

Vacation leave was not part of the final agreement. Instead, GSRs with a 25% or more appointment for a minimum of one full month will be eligible to use personal time off with pay during the length of the appointment. GSRs may earn up to 12 days per year and the days will be prorated at a rate of one day per month for every full month of appointed service.

No. The new eight-week benefit is limited to eight paid weeks during the academic year or fiscal year.

The Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) is a savings plan that allows participants to accumulate tax‐sheltered money for retirement. If you are appointed at 50% or more and are a registered student, the deductions and participation will not be in effect during the academic session. However, if you are not registered/enrolled in the summer then you will be eligible to participate in the program. During the period of eligibility, 7.5% of salary will be deposited automatically in the Defined Contribution Plan and credited to an individual tax‐sheltered account. Participation in DCP is mandatory. The only exception to DCP deductions is for non‐resident aliens who are present in the U.S. under the F‐1 or J‐1 visa programs.

• Defined contribution plan summary (PDF)
• DC Plan after-tax savings account options
• Payroll FAQs for retirement plans

It is always best practice to have clear syllabi with associated learning goals and expectations, descriptions of academic expectations, and clear explanations of how academic assessments and evaluations of work will be conducted. The contract acknowledges that academic responsibilities continue to exist for all students and that these academic requirements may be separate from employment workload. We've reached out for more guidance on this topic and will update the FAQ as soon as possible.

Yes, graduate program policies should continue to be followed. For students who are not meeting academic requirements, please ensure you are following the academic probation and dismissal guidelines available here.

With the ratification of the union contract, represented graduate students are now eligible to be reimbursed for dependent childcare expenses up to $1,350 per fiscal quarter.

• To be eligible, a GSR or ASE must have an appointment of 25 percent time or more for the entire quarter for which childcare reimbursement is sought.
• A qualified dependent is a child, 12 years old or younger, in the custody of a GSR, on July 1st.
• The childcare provider must have a valid tax I.D. or Social Security Number.

ASEs must submit reimbursement requests no later than the last day of the following term. GSRs must submit reimbursement request no later than 30 calendar days from the end of the quarter for which reimbursement is sought. 

If a GSR has already received reimbursement through a training grant or external fellowship of $1,350 or more, they are not eligible for additional reimbursement. The GSR can receive a maximum of $1,350 from all fund sources.

For more information, visit the childcare reimbursement program webpage.

As a reminder, GSRs paid through UCPath and ASEs may participate in the UC Dependent Care Reimbursement.

The employee (student) pays this cost on a pre-tax basis. For more information, please see DepCare FSA for Academic Student Employees

The same funding source as the gross pay (no separate funding source entered in UCPath for leaves).

Dependent health insurance and eight paid weeks of leave started upon ratification in December 2022.

No, the current UCOP policy and the local UCSF policy for NRST coverage of GSRs over 45% FTE are what is required.

Since tuition and fees are a benefit of employment, the employing unit is expected to cover the remission of tuition and fees. Fee remission will be proportionately split according to the distribution of effort across all salary fund sources.

Generally speaking, the contract is in effect immediately upon ratification. The specific contract articles governing wages go into effect 90 days after ratification. The effective dates for the new ASE and GSR wages are the start of the first pay period of the Spring 2023 quarter, April 1, 2023.

Increases will be handled via a UC-wide salary range adjustment. The range adjustment will collapse the existing GSR tables, expand the ASE tables, and increase the rates. Likewise, future increases required by the contract will be processed systemwide. 

For the first phase of wage implementation, effective April 1, 2023, the GSRs currently on payroll will be adjusted by UCOP/UCPath. HR is reviewing the adjustments for GSRs on payroll and ensuring they are accurately processed. For GSRs on Stipend payments, program coordinators must submit new stipend requests for the difference in pay. Instructions were provided to the Grad Dean’s Office and may be obtained from the Controller’s Office. We also have a Box resource from HR. To request access to the Box Folder email HR at [email protected].

No, work-study eligibility does not take into account earnings from employment positions. It does take into account any student financial support fellowships, fee remissions, and/or financial aid the student receives.

If you have issues or questions about your paycheck, please submit a General Inquiry to HR and a member of the HR Team will review and be in contact with you. Submit your paycheck question at peopleconnect.my.site.com (MyAccess log in required), click ASK A QUESTION on top menu, and then fill out the form: 

• Subject line: paycheck issue [or what other text would you like to enter] 
• Type: Payroll/Paychecks  
• Sub Type: Pay Error 
• Description: Describe what is wrong with your check; include paycheck date  
• Click "Submit"

Your issue will be routed to your HR Generalist to look into the issue. 

Quarters of experience are counted separately in the TA/AI classification and GSR classification. They are not a combined total.

Experience is counted for experience obtained at their campus, not limited to department/unit/college. Experience does not need to include experience obtained outside of UCSF. However, nothing prohibits hiring a student at a higher experience level.

Experience is counted for experience obtained at their campus, not limited to department/unit/college. Experience does not need to include experience obtained outside of UCSF. However, nothing prohibits hiring a student at a higher experience level.

New appointment letter templates will be created using new, required language. However, continue to utilize the current templates for all offers to reduce delays in spring appointment notification and hiring. Links to updated template language will be updated when available.

 A student may hold multiple positions in different titles.

Per the new contract, the initial appointment for postdoctoral scholars must now be two years.

According to the new contract, reappointments must be at least one year. Though only a one-year reappointment is required, in cases where a postdoc only had a one-year initial appointment, a two-year reappointment should be honored so that the postdoc receives at least one two-year appointment over their career.

Yes. There are three justifications: 1) Less than one (1) year of programmatic work; 2) exhausted eligibility as a postdoc; and 3) work authorization limitations.

The PI is required to offer a new postdoc an initial two-year appointment. If the project funding ends before the appointment end date, then the postdoc would be subject to layoff. 

Reasons for less than one-year reappointments can only be for: 1) less than one (1) year of programmatic work; 2) exhausted eligibility as a postdoc; and 3) work authorization limitations. If the reason is lack of funding, the process would be to give a one-year appointment and then initiate a layoff if no other funding is available.

No, proof of two-year funding is not required. But it is good practice to keep records of funding.

The Postdoctoral paid leave is to be administered on a calendar year from January – December.

For postdoctoral scholars, yes, experiential increases will be implemented in April and October each year.

No, there is no exemption to the two-year appointment. All initial postdoc appointments at UC must be for two years. However, there is a new release provision for Postdocs on their initial appointment, with a minimum of 30 days’ notice to the Postdoc. The release cannot be effective before the one-year mark. Release is at the University’s sole discretion and can be for any reason except an unlawful reason.

• Postdocs appointed/reappointed before April 1, 2023, and on the May 1, 2022 salary scale, will have their experience levels adjusted automatically to the April 1, 2023 salary scale.
• Postdocs will no longer receive their experience level increases on appointment/reappointment dates. Rather, the initial appointment date into the postdoctoral title determines when they will receive their increase, either on April 1 or October 1, based on their appointment date.
  • Postdocs whose initial appointment occurs from October 1 through April 1 will move to the next experience level on October 1 of each year or a 3% increase, whichever is greater
  • Postdocs whose initial appointment occurred from April 2 through September 30 will move to the next experience level on April 1 each year or receive 3% increase, whichever is greater

Example 1: If a postdoc was reappointed on February 1, 2023, and their initial appointment date into the postdoctoral title was February 1, 2022, and they received an experience level increase on February 1, 2023, then on April 1, 2023, they will receive a range adjustment based on the April 1, 2023 scale at that experience level. Then on October 1, 2023, they will receive a range adjustment in accordance with the October 1, 2023 pay scale and an experience level increase. Future range increases and experience level increases will then occur on October 1 of each year.

Example 2: If a postdoc is reappointed on April 23, 2023, upon reappointment, they will receive an experience level increase based on the current April 1, 2023, salary scale. Thereafter, they will receive experience level increases on April 1 each year. Future range increases will occur on October 1 of each year.

If you have issues or questions about your paycheck, please submit a General Inquiry to HR and a member of the HR Team will review and be in contact with you. Submit your paycheck question at peopleconnect.my.site.com (MyAccess log in required), click ASK A QUESTION on top menu, and then fill out the form: 

• Subject line: paycheck issue [or what other text would you like to enter] 
• Type: Payroll/Paychecks  
• Sub Type: Pay Error 
• Description: Describe what is wrong with your check; include paycheck date  
• Click "Submit"

Your issue will be routed to your HR Generalist to look into the issue. 

Postdocs should be reappointed on their anniversary date and advanced to the next step on the May 1, 2022, salary scale.

All offers, effective on or after December 9, 2022, must be amended based on the requirements of the new contract.

UCSF has committed to bridge funding for postdocs over the next 18 months. However, please see the FAQs regarding the UAW overpayment process and technical guidance for the same.