On September 16, 2025, a broad coalition of unions representing more than 100,000 workers at the University of California (UC) filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenging the Trump administration’s cancellation of federal grants, and threats to cancel other federal funding, in order to force the UC to agree to demands that will violate the speech rights of and otherwise harm faculty, staff, and students, in violation of the Constitution and existing law.
In late July 2025, the Trump administration canceled almost $600 million in research grants to UCLA and, in early August 2025, issued extensive demands that included restrictions on protests, disclosure of certain student disciplinary records, a ceding of oversight of curriculum and faculty hiring and promotion, elimination of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) measures, and discrimination against transgender students and UC medical center patients.
Altshuler Berzon LLP represents the American Association of University Professors, American Federation of Teachers, University Council-American Federation of Teachers, United Auto Workers (UAW), and California Nurses Association/National Nurses United in the case. Other unions bringing suit include the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 3299, Teamsters Local 2020, UAW Local 4811, University Professional and Technical Employees–Communication Workers of America, and the Council of UC Faculty Associations and campus-specific Faculty Associations. Together, the union plaintiffs represent professors, researchers, registered nurses, skilled craft workers, service workers, patient care technical workers, graduate students, and more—all of whom joined together to stand up to the unlawful threats of the Trump administration.
A copy of the complaint can be found here: ECF 1 – Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief. Press coverage can be found here: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-09-16/university-of-california-faculty-sue-trump-over-ucla-fine-research-cuts and here: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/uc-unions-lawsuit-trump-21049950.php