UC’S FAILURE TO RESPOND TO GRAD WORKER WAGE PROPOSAL SENDS LARGEST STRIKE IN THE COUNTRY INTO ITS THIRD WEEK

It has been 11 days since graduate workers made their latest wages proposal, with no response from the University. Actions across that state Monday will encourage the University to bargain efficiently and in good faith. 

Academic Workers are beginning Week 3 of the largest higher education strike in US history.  In the last week, the UC has continued to ignore the central proposals from 36,000 Academic Student Employees and Student Researchers. While Postdoctoral Scholars and Academic Researchers have made progress at the bargaining table, UC has shown a lack of leadership and urgency when it comes to graduate student workers. 

“It has been 11 days since graduate workers made their latest wages proposal, with no response from the University,” said Rafael Jaime, President of UAW Local 2865. “UC’s failure to bargain fairly and efficiently is putting education and research at risk. Since the strike began on November 14th, the Public Employment Relations Board issued 6 complaints against the University’s unlawful actions undermining negotiations over compensation. In particular, UC has attempted to circumvent the collective bargaining process by blocking a portion of our pay from being covered in our union contracts.” 

“At the same time, our unions have filed 6 additional Unfair Labor Practice charges against UC for unlawful attempts to intimidate and fire striking workers,” Jaime said. “UC is wasting time breaking the law instead of bargaining in good faith.”

It is not too late for UC to make a reasonable proposal and salvage the academic term. In Postdoc bargaining, UC recently modeled this by making a substantial proposal including wages that address the cost of living. UC Postdocs are on track to have the highest academic salary scale of any Postdocs in the country; UC must now do the same for the 36,000 Academic Student Employees and Student Researchers whose labor powers the university’s central mission.

On Monday, November 28th, we will hold the following strike events which all are invited to attend:

• Bay Area/Northern California: Rally and March to the UC Office of President. Meet at 1pm at Snow Park (at the corner of 19th Street and Harrison) in downtown Oakland and march to the UC Office of the President at 1111 Franklin Street. 

• Santa Barbara: Rally at 12pm at the Chem Lawn (just south of Physical Science Building North).

• UCLA: Rally and march against retaliation. Meet at 1:30pm at the Inverted Fountain at UCLA.

• UC Riverside: Rally and march to the Chancellor’s mansion. Meet at 1:30 on the lawn south of Sproul Hall.

• UC Irvine: Rally and march to the Chancellor’s mansion. Meet at 12pm at UC Irvine Engineering Hall.

• UC San Diego: Rally and march meeting at Geisel Library at 1pm.