UAW Local 4811 calls on members at UCSB to join student worker strikes across the state
ISLA VISTA, Calif. – On Friday, the Executive Board of the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implements Workers of America (UAW) Local 4811 has called on student workers at UC Santa Barbara to join the rolling strikes happening across the UC system starting Monday, Jun. 3.
This is the third wave of campuses joining the Stand Up strikes already happening at UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, and UC Davis.
On Monday, a total of 31,500 student workers will have been called to walk off their job sites in response to what Local 4811 alleges are violations of state labor practices by the UC system used in response to campus-based protests about the Isreal-Hamas conflict detailed the labor union in a press release Friday.
"For the last month, UC has used and condoned violence against workers and students peacefully protesting on campus for peace and freedom in Palestine," stated Rafael Jaime, President of Local 4811. "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."
Student workers across the UC system voted to authorize the rolling strikes between May 13 and 15 of this year.
According to UAW Local 4811, dozens of student workers are currently facing criminal charges as well as disciplinary action following police response to protests at UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Irvine between May 1 and May 15.
On Wednesday, May 29, UC Santa Barbara's Student Senate issued a resolution demanding divestment from major defense contractors and financial disclosures for the university's administration as part of ongoing on-campus protests.
"UC has unilaterally changed their policies on employee speech and discipline, without giving our union notice or negotiating these changes," said Tessa Cookmeyer, a postdoctoral student at UC Santa Barbara. "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."
In response to the latest announcement, the UC system issued the following statement:
"We are disheartened that UAW continues publicly escalating its unlawful strike in violation of its contracts’ no-strike clause and encouraging its members to disrupt and harm the ability of our students to navigate finals and other critical year-end activities successfully. UAW’s goal to “maximize chaos and confusion” has come to fruition, creating substantial and irreparable impacts on campuses and impacting our students at a crucial time of their education. We are hopeful PERB [California Public Employment Relations Board] will intervene and ask the court to end this precedent-setting, unlawful action."
The Regents of the UC system filed a request for injunctive relief regarding the strikes on May 29 citing the existing contract between the education system and the labor group which states, "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."
