UC Berkeley academic workers and researchers could be seen tabling throughout campus Wednesday with signs asking union members to participate in the ongoing UAW strike vote.

Across the UC system, four units of the UAW — a union of more than 40,000 graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and student researchers — are in the process of bargaining for respective contracts with the university. All units are also in the process of voting for strike authorization. Should the vote pass, the bargaining teams will be given permission to call for strikes if they reach a stalemate with the university in terms of negotiation.

“We are taking this step because the University’s unlawful bargaining practices are preventing us from reaching agreements on fair pay, affordable housing, and workplace equity for international scholars and working parents,” said Connor Jackson, campus doctoral student and head steward of UAW 2865, in an email. “We do the majority of teaching and research at UC, yet most of us are severely rent burdened because we are so underpaid.”

Results of the strike vote will be finalized Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.

Rae Wymer also contributed to this report.