UAW 4123 members and supporters rallied outside the SDSU Bookstore at noon on Dec. 4, “demanding raises, paid leave, and protections for vulnerable workers,” according to an email sent to union members. 

According to Zoe Bozich, UAW 4123’s media spokesperson, the rally is meant to bring awareness to two specific issues: higher wages and paid sick leave for Instructional Student Workers, referred to as Instructional Student Assistants by the CSU.

ISAs are students who work for their university part-time, such as tutors and student graders. Teaching associates (TAs) and graduate assistants (GAs or GSAs) are considered by the CSU as separate Student Assistant classifications rather than ISAs.

Under Article 20, the current bargaining agreement between the UAW and CSU, only TAs and GAs can accrue sick leave after completing one pay period. However, only teaching associates are eligible for health, dental, vision, life insurance and retirement benefits.

Additionally, Bozich said that the CSU claims that they cannot afford to raise salaries for student workers “for the next two to three years.”

Currently, instructional student assistant salaries range from $17.86 to $23.84 hourly. Graduate assistant and teaching associate salaries fluctuate categorically depending on the term of employment, ranging from $3,245 to $16,606 a month.

San Diego’s minimum wage stands at $17.25. San Diego’s minimum wage is set to increase to $17.75 starting January 2026.

Bozich, an ISA for SDSU’s Department of Astronomy, said that the union has been negotiating with the CSU since June, but claims that the CSU has proposed delaying sick leave for ISAs for two years. 

“It’s 2025,” she said. “They deserve sick pay now.”

Lara Schwartz, an ISA assigned to SDSU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, said that student workers are not getting fair wages compared to the impact of the work they do. 

“I’m rallying today for student workers that are keeping the school running for all other students across departments,” she said.

Reychel Joy Robles, TA and head steward for the UAW 4123 at SDSU, helped organize the rally, leading chants like “CSU, you’re no good, treat your workers like you should.”