WE ARE
UNION MADE
We are UAW 4811 members from across the state united by a common vision for a powerful, member-driven union rooted in the principles of worker democracy, majoritarian action, and militant organizing. We believe that, as organized workers, we must center the fight against austerity, poverty, gentrification, racism, patriarchy, and xenophobia to transform UC into a social good. We are committed to building a mass labor movement at UC and beyond to win greater control over our working conditions and secure a more just future in California.
On Union Democracy
We are committed to a democratic, inclusive, and worker-led union. Our union’s purpose is to give workers democratic control over our working conditions — and we believe that this requires a democratic union led by workers. Direct and delegated decision-making both have their place in a well-functioning democratic organization, but in either case, decision-making must be structured and mass-participatory. Only by maximizing member participation in the activities of our union, developing diverse leadership across departments and job titles, and coordinating our efforts do we have the power to wrest unilateral control of our workplace from the boss and collectively determine our working conditions. Labor struggle based in an inclusive, participatory union enables us to fight against discriminatory and abusive practices in our workplace, and for the collective empowerment of our diverse workforce.
On Mass Action
We are committed to mass action through one-on-one organizing — building a wall-to-wall union of UC academic workers with the power to win. Our power as workers is in our numbers, and building mass, conscious engagement and the confidence to take collective action requires a deep, one-to-one organizing: a disciplined and systematic effort to meet every coworker where they are, build collective confidence and relationships of trust by confronting our employer together, and recruit and train union leaders and organizers in every campus, department, and unit. We are committed as well to bringing unorganized UC workers into our union to build towards the structural power that can shut down all operations of the university, and build sectoral power by supporting organizing drives at other universities.
On Institutional Power
We are committed to building long-haul worker power through our union. The university is well organized and well resourced. To win greater control over our working conditions, we need to build a strong, fighting organization that can exist beyond any individual struggle or single set of leaders. To be effective, our union needs supermajority membership, collective resources, elected officers accountable to the membership and empowered to wield institutional power, and staff who can organize and train new leaders to move a collective, democratically decided agenda.
On Political Power
We are committed to building political power as workers. As two of the largest public sector unions in the US, UAW 4811 has the potential to become a vehicle to democratize both our workplace and society. That means taking on not just the UC but also the billionaire bosses who shape the political economy of California. State and federal labor law shape the terrain on which unions and bosses struggle for power, and this holds doubly true for public sector workers. Without engaging in mass politics, we cede ground to anti-labor forces seeking to limit our collective strength. We believe in working through our union to elect progressive, pro-labor candidates and move a legislative agenda that benefits working people and dismantles systems of economic and social oppression.
On Strikes
We are committed to strategic, mass-participation strikes. Strikes are our most powerful weapon as workers — and that power comes from mass participation of workers maximizing the amount of labor we withhold. We understand that mass strikes are not the result of spontaneous eruptions and must be actively organized; we also understand they must be carried out as part of a broader long-term strategy of building power. Every contract is a compromise that reflects the balance of power between worker and employer — but winning strong contracts provides the foundation for further gains and militant organizing. Therefore, we see strikes and contract fights as part of a larger, constant struggle, and we understand that our strategy must be to maximize short-term wins that will shift the balance of power in our favor over the long term.
On Unity
We are committed to productive internal debate and a united front to the boss. Regular, open, structured and good-faith debate is foundational to our union’s democracy; this is the only way to build consensus, shared vision, and unified action. When we are undisciplined in our debate and disagreements, we alienate our coworkers, discourage participation, and show weakness to the employer. This undemocratic and counterproductive behavior has no place in our union, and undermines the unity and mass participation from which our strength derives.
Current Union MADE Officers
