UC student workers authorize strikes in response to on-campus counter-protest efforts

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Student workers at all eleven University of California campuses voted to authorize a Stand Up Strike due to alleged unfair labor practices at UC Los Angeles on Apr. 30 and May 1 and UC San Diego on May 6.

Between May 13 and 15, 19,780 Teaching Assistants, Readers, Tutors, Student Researchers, Postdocs, and Academic Researchers participated in the Strike Authorization vote with 79 percent of participants voting for authorization.

Now, the Executive Board of UAW 4811 has the power to decide if and when certain campuses will be called to strike and will make those decisions on a rolling basis detail a press release on the authorization.

"At the heart of this is our right to free speech and peaceful protest," said Rafael Jaime, a graduate worker in the English Department and President of UAW 4811. "If members of the academic community are maced and beaten down for peacefully demonstrating on this issue, our ability to speak up on all issues is threatened."

According to UAW 4811's website, several factors will determine which campuses are called to strike including: the status of unfair labor practices, strike readiness, and role of each campus in their overall strategy.

Below are a list of alleged unlawful actions committed by the UC system compiled by UAW Local 4811.

• May 1, 2024, police were summoned to UCLA's campus to forcibly eject and arrest peacefully protesting UAW Local 4811 members one day after the University allowed a violent attack on protesters by counter-protester and waited over two hours before requesting police intervention
• May 6, 2024, police were summoned to UC San Diego to forcibly eject and arrest UAW Local 4811 members participating in a peaceful protest in solidarity with the people of Palestine as well as demanding changes to current working conditions
• These actions constituted retaliation and discrimination against UAW Local 4811 engaged in protected protest activity and violate the Higher Education Employee-Employer Relations Act
• The UC system unilaterally changed its employee workplace speech policies without giving the UAW proper notice, a violation of the Higher Education Employee-Employer Relations Act
• The UC System unilaterally changed the terms and conditions of employment related to teaching and work obligations without giving advance notice to UAW Local 4811

In response to the strike authorization, the University of California Associate Vice President of Systemwide Labor Relations Melissa Matella said, "UAW’s decision to strike over nonlabor issues violates the no-strike clause of their contracts with UC and sets a dangerous and far-reaching precedent that social, political and cultural issues — no matter how valid — that are not labor-related can support a labor strike."

The statement goes on to cite the following language found in the mutually agreed to contract between the education system and the UAW including, "The UAW, on behalf of its officers, agents and members, agrees that there shall be no strikes, including sympathy strikes, stoppages or interruptions of work, or other concerted activities which interfere directly or indirectly with University operations during the life of this agreement or any written extension thereof. The UAW, on behalf of its officers, agents, and members, agrees that it shall not in any way authorize, assist, encourage, participate in, sanction, ratify, condone, or lend support to any activities in violation of this article."