For the second time in two years, academic student workers at UC Santa Cruz are on strike. Last weekend, United Auto Workers (UAW) 4811 at UC Santa Cruz was the first of 11 campuses to receive “stand-up” orders. More campuses are expected to join the work stoppage if demands for free speech protection, investment transparency, and divestment are not met.
UAW 4811 voted to authorize a strike on May 15. This came after the union filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge against the University of California on May 3. Members of UAW 4811 cited the UC administration’s continued violation of workers’ legal rights to free speech and protest as justification for the strike.
UAW’s Demands:
- AMNESTY for all academic employees, students, student groups, faculty, and staff who face disciplinary action or arrest due to protest.
- RIGHT to free speech and political expression on campus.
- DIVESTMENT from UC’s known investments in weapons manufacturers, military contractors, and companies profiting from Israel’s war on Gaza.
- DISCLOSURE of all funding sources and investments, including contracts, grants, gifts, and investments, through a publicly available, publicly accessible, and up-to-date database.
- EMPOWER researchers to opt out from funding sources tied to the military or oppression of Palestinians. The UC must provide centralized transitional funding to workers whose funding is tied to the military or foundations that support Palestinian oppression.
UAW 4811 consists of over 48,000 members and represents 10 UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Out of 19,780 members who voted, 79 percent approved the strike.
“Our union has filed unfair labor practice charges in response to the unsafe working environments and the violation of free speech we saw at other campuses,” said Rebecca Gross, a graduate student and union chair of UAW 4811 for Santa Cruz. “This is the way that we as workers can respond. The university did something illegal, and we’re going to show them that they can’t set a precedent for that in the future.”
Doug, who requested to omit his last name is a graduate student involved in Researchers Against War. Hedescribed the strategy of the “stand-up” strike.
“We are going to have each strike hop from campus to campus so that the university does not know what specific campus the next outpouring is going to be at,” Doug said. “The union will alert each campus and they will have about a 48-hour notice to get ready.”
The ULP charge filed by UAW 4811 cited action the University of California took after requesting forceful police intervention against peaceful employee pro-Palestinian protestors on May 2. Two days before, April 30, a large mob of counter-protestors attacked workers and students protesting at the UCLA encampment. The UC did not call for police intervention until two hours after the attack began. The ULP charge labels this as an unsafe work environment.
The union has since amended the charge to include additional violations at UC San Diego and UC Irvine after police escalation at both campuses’ encampments. The ULP charge says that the University violated the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act after retaliating against employees for engaging in united action relating to working conditions.
UAW 4811 employees are demanding employees receive a personal concious right to opt out of participation in military-funded research and are opposing the alleged discrimination and hostile work environment directed toward Palestinian, Muslim, and pro-Palestinian Jewish employees and students. They echo undergraduate demands and request disclosure and divestment from University funds in Israel’s war effort.
On May 17, the UC filed its own ULP charge against UAW 4811 with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). The UC’s filing claimed the action was an “illegal strike,” and asked PERB to order a cease and desist on strike activity. PERB has not yet reviewed UAW’s ULP filing nor the UC’s cease and desist request.
In the UC statement, they cite Article 15 of the UAW and UC contract, which reads: “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 website states PERB has the sole authority to determine the legality of a strike.
On May 21, the University filed for injunctive relief with PERB to end the strike claiming it is unlawful and would cause “irreparable harm” to year-end activities if continued. The strike has a hard end date on June 30.
From the picket line, Gross shared that while UAW 4811 members were anticipating the UC to file an injunction against them, they would not let that break their strike.
“We have to continue to build power as workers,” Gross said. “I hope the university has learned they can’t unleash police on students and workers without a response.”
