By Perla Chavez
OAKLAND, CA – University of California-Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and UC Irvine will be participating in the third round of the ULP Strike this week, announced the Executive Board of UAW Local 4811 last Friday.
Joining colleagues at UC Santa Cruz, UCLA and UC Davis, the total number of workers called on to the ULP Strike by Wednesday is 31,500, the union added.
While the union represents 48,000 academic workers across the UC system, 3,000 workers are from UC Santa Barbara, 8,000 workers from UC San Diego and 5,000 workers from UC Irvine.
Beginning June 3, academic workers at UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego were expected to walk off the job, said the Executive Board, while UC Irvine will join them on June 5.
The statement released from the Exec Board stated the strike resulted from unfair labor practices that UC committed. The strike was approved by a vote May 13-15 by academic workers across the UC system after militarized police officers from numerous outside law enforcement violently eject(ed) and arrest(ed) peaceful pro-Palestine protesters at UCLA, UC Irvine and UC San Diego.
The 4811 Exec Board reports UC unilaterally changed discipline standards, free speech rights, and academic freedom; and disciplined peaceful protesters, adding the strike continues as a result of the UC’s choice to not address and remedy these affairs despite having opportunities to do so.<
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The President of Local 4811, Rafael Jaime, stated, “For the last month, UC has used and condoned violence against workers and students peacefully protesting on campus for peace and freedom in Palestine.”
“Rather than put their energies into resolution, UC is attempting to halt the strike through legal procedures. They have not been successful, and this strike will roll on. We are united in our demand that UC address these serious ULPs, beginning with dropping all criminal and conduct charges that have been thrown at our members because they spoke out against injustice,” Jaime said.
AUW explains many student workers are facing criminal and/or disciplinary charges between May 1 and May 15 at UCLA, UCSD and UCI for peacefully protesting. Some student workers have even been told they are barred from campus, including classes and housing.
4811 highlights the story of Elliot Yu, UCI graduate worker who lost home access and hand functionality after an arrest at a rally, aiding injured individuals.
Yu claims, “The Regents’ brutal response to the peaceful protests has left a stain on the University’s legacy, and physical scars on many of its students and workers — myself included. But they can still reverse course and seek resolution to their unlawful crackdown on union members’ rights and discrimination against protesters for Palestine.”
Postdoctoral scholar at UC Santa Barbara, Tessa Cookmeyer noted in the union statement, “UC has unilaterally changed their policies on employee speech and discipline, without giving our union notice or negotiating these changes.”
Cookmeyer added, “UC then used these changed policies to not only arrest and injure dozens of our coworkers, but also ban many of them from their workplaces and homes. What’s at stake here are our core rights as workers and union members, and the ability of anyone in the UC community to take part in this historic movement for justice in Palestine.”
Postdoctoral scholar at UC San Diego, Sean Pike stated in the UAW statement, “Our students and colleagues understand that when someone treats you unfairly, you have to stand up for yourself. You have to stand up for what you believe in.”
Pike added, “We cannot accept discrimination, violence, discipline and unlawful changes to our working conditions. We have to protect our fundamental employment rights.”
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