Timeline
CUCFA Accomplishments
CUCFA has spent decades winning concrete gains for UC faculty on pay, benefits, governance, and academic freedom. Here is what organized faculty can accomplish.
2025
Lawsuit Defends UC Against Trump’s Attacks
Forced the Trump administration to return $500M in seized research funds. CUCFA gathered data for a class-action lawsuit that successfully clawed back half a billion dollars in research funding taken from UC researchers.
Lobbying Kills the 8% Budget Cut
Killed the governor’s proposed 8% budget cut to UC state funding. By lobbying alongside university supporters, CUCFA turned back a major austerity attack that would have hit faculty salaries, positions, and resources directly.
2024
ULP Charge Fights Speech Suppression
Filed an Unfair Labor Practices charge over suppression of pro-Palestinian speech. When UC moved to suppress faculty speech and organizing rights, CUCFA used labor law to fight back.
2021
Legislation Ends Two UC Union-Busting Tactics
Removed two of UC’s union-busting tools through legislation. AB-237 stopped UC from taking away health insurance from striking employees; AB-1550 closed a loophole that would strip represented employees of union representation if they were to become members of the Academic Senate.
2019
Organized Pushback Reversing Retirement Cut
Blocked a UCOP plan to cut employee retirement contributions by 1%. A proposed increase in the employee share of UCRS would have amounted to a stealth pay cut. Organized pushback reversed it, with UC instead increasing the employer contribution.
2000
Legislation Established Faculty Lecture Ownership
Won legislation clarifying that professors own their lectures, not UC. This foundational intellectual property victory protects faculty from the university commodifying their teaching and was won through collective advocacy, not individual negotiation.
1987-88
Doubled Proposed Salary Raise
Won a 5.7% salary increase instead of the 3% the legislature proposed. CUCFA’s lobbyist made the case directly to the legislature and the UC administration itself called the effort “outstanding.” Faculty got nearly twice the raise they would have otherwise.
1986
Organizing Defeats Salary Cap Ballot Measure
Defeated Proposition 61, which would have capped faculty salaries at $64,000. CUCFA raised over $396,000 and led the campaign against a constitutional salary cap.
1979
Faculty Lobbying Overrides Governor’s Veto
Successfully lobbied to override the Governor’s veto of a 14.5% salary increase. When a governor tried to block a major raise, CUCFA went to the mat and won gains for Senate faculty. This is what having an organized, independent faculty voice means in practice.
1978
Faculty Help Pass HEERA
CUCFA was present at the founding of HEERA itself. The very law that governs higher education labor relations in California was passed based of faculty lobbying. CUCFA is first chaired by David E. Feller, UC Berkeley Professor of Law and renowned labor law expert. The legal framework faculty rely on today was built by faculty organizing.