Strike Repercussions: Let's Wait and See - Part 4 (More Ripple Effects)

The aftermath of the UC student-worker strike reportedly includes a possible spillover to CSU. From EdSource:

When graduate students and researchers at the University of California launched the nation’s largest strike of academic workers in American history, they may have set an example for what California State student employees might do this spring semester at the state’s other massive university system. 

Cal State academic student employees, support staff and service workers in the nation’s largest university system have been demanding better wages and compensation for years. And multiple studies have concluded that CSU staff — including those who perform important teaching and grading functions — are underpaid.

“We will be fighting for a lot of the similar things that the UC folks have been fighting for,” said Lark Winner, president of UAW 4123, which represents more than 11,000 teaching assistants, graduate assistants and instructional student assistants across the 23 campus system. “Many of our members are rent-burdened, the vast majority of them have limited access to transit support, and our wages are not satisfactory to cover our living expenses.” 

UC academic workers recently reached an agreement with the university system and ratified new contracts that included improvements in salaries and working conditions. But it came after weeks of disruption, grades delayed, classes canceled and research paused. CSU will start bargaining with the academic student employees and other staff unions this spring. And if negotiations don’t go well, some workers have already expressed they’re not afraid to follow in UC workers’ steps and go on strike.

The scale of a work stoppage or strike at CSU might be less than UC experienced because the numbers of such employees are far less than the 48,000 UC academic workers. Plus, Cal State only offers a few doctoral programs, contrasted with the many at UC. Still, CSU graduate assistants and instructional student aides often teach courses, participate in research and provide grading...

Full story at https://edsource.org/2023/could-cal-state-teaching-assistants-and-other-student-employees-follow-uc-to-a-strike/683513.

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https://ia904700.us.archive.org/34/items/new-year-outlook/csu%20ripple.mp3