Nearly 50,000 University of California student workers — researchers, postdocs, teaching assistants and graders — said Thursday they will strike on Nov. 14, an action that threatens to hobble UC campuses and laboratories up and down the state ahead of next month’s final exams. The frustrated employees voted by a 98% margin — 35,654 to 904 — [last] Wednesday to strike over pay and what they called UC’s unfair labor tactics. The labor action is expected to be open-ended...
Although UC’s Office of the President expressed confidence that instruction and research would continue seamlessly during the strike, individual campuses acknowledged that large-scale walkouts would be tough, with classes having to be canceled if all of the union members left work. Even with lower participation, some research labs are likely to have to close for safety if there aren’t enough people to staff them. Also, if the strike overlaps with finals, “it would be challenging,” said UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore. “Our undergraduates depend on our graduate students to provide feedback on their work and/or assistance understanding course material,” so a disruption could be hardest on those students. Gilmore said it was likely the campus would tap faculty to step in and support undergrads and make sure their grades are posted on time.
Compensation is a key sticking point in the labor dispute...
The 48,000 mostly student employees are represented by the UAW, the United Auto Workers union, whose full name is the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. But there are no autoworkers in the UC action.
Instead, there are four groups of academics bargaining for separate contracts with the university:
• Local 2865 includes 19,000 teaching assistants, tutors and graduate students who teach and grade papers.
• Another 17,000 student researchers don’t yet have a local number because they haven’t negotiated a contract with UC since joining the union last year...
• Local 5810 has two bargaining units, including 5,000 academic researchers — such as those at UCSF who study diseases — and 7,000 postdoctoral researchers who have been negotiating with UC for a year.
No healthcare workers are represented, and UC’s medical centers will remain open during a strike. The UAW has filed 20 unfair labor practice claims against the university, accusing UC of unilaterally changing pay and benefits, and withholding information it was required to disclose...
Full story at https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Thousands-vote-to-strike-across-UC-system-The-17554377.php.
Note that the filing of unfair labor practice charges - if the charges are upheld by the California Public Employment Relations Board - provides certain legal protections to strikers.
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https://ia601402.us.archive.org/25/items/big-ten/planned%20student%20strike.mp3
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