We Teach UC

University Council – American Federation of Teachers

panoramic image of a crowd of students and their instructors taken in a large plaza. In front of the crowd, people hold up a banner reading "The UC Works Because We do"

UC-AFT Teaching Faculty

UC-AFT (University Council – American Federation of Teachers) represents over 7,000 teaching faculty and librarians at the University of California. We are a member-led union, working together to defend public higher education against austerity politics and attacks on academic freedom.

Bargaining Updates

Coming Up

Feb. 19 – Bargaining Kickoff: Statewide Day of Action

Feb. 27 – CAT Training #1, 10am – RSVP

Together, we have won:

  • Stable career pathways, including rehiring rights and Continuing Appointments
  • Increased minimum full-time salary from $28,000 dollars in 2000 to over $70,000 dollars in 2025
  • Expanded protections for academic freedom and against discrimination
  • Expanded access to health care, unemployment benefits, and Paid Family Leave.
  • Negotiated increases in our Unit 18 Faculty Professional Development Fund to over $5 million dollars.
What We’re Fighting For
Color image of a picket line led by two women holding signs reading "UC-AFT on Strike" and "Enough is enough"
portrait of a dark-haired woman wearing all black sitting with her hands crossed in her lap

“As a lecturer in the Latin American Studies Program at UCSD, I teach nearly 1,000 students each year — students from diverse backgrounds and majors who are inspired by liberation movements across the Americas and eager to critically engage new ideas.I want a contract that honors what this work requires: academic freedom, freedom of speech, and smaller class sizes that make real dialogue and deep learning possible. Smaller class sizes and time to teach with care make it possible for me to support that kind of critical, courageous thinking.”

Amy K., UCSD