High-visibility vests stood out in a sea of keffiyehs, red shirts, blue jeans and hard hats. An arsenal of instruments of protest: a microphone, megaphones and a set of speakers occupied the front patio of Slug Stop. The crowd joined together in cheers and shouts that reverberated off the buildings flanking the Quarry Plaza.
At least six unions and two different student organizations participated in the “UC Workers Rally Against Repression” on Feb. 20. They came together to rally against the University of California’s “Time, Place, and Manner” (TPM) policy and drew a crowd of about 130 people in support of the cause.
Photo by Kyle James Allemand.
At noon, PhD student and UAW 4811 member Nate Edenhofer kicked off the rally, a microphone and accompanying speaker system amplifying his voice.
Nate Edenhofer addresses the crowd of union members, students and faculty at UCSC’s Quarry Plaza. Photo by Kyle James Allemand
“For the second year in a row, we have all the unions on campus together as one. And this year, the UC and UC administration moves to criminalize our right to protest and organize,” said Edenhofer, addressing the crowd. “We are here today to stand strong together in solidarity and tell them that, no matter what kind of policy they write, we’re strong together. They can’t stop us from organizing, they can’t stop us from protesting, and they can’t stop us from striking — is that right?”
The crowd answered with thunderous applause and enthusiastic cheers. Members from AFSCME 3299, NorCal Carpenters Union, UC-AFT and SJP all spoke out against TPM policies following the introductory speech.
TPM policies limit the ability of students and non-students alike to exercise their rights to free speech on UC campuses. These policies place restrictions on time and location, use of amplified sound and the traffic-flow impact of demonstrations on UC property. While some restrictions are clearly defined, the policy also mentions “unspecified issues” that may violate TPM. This last term remains undefined by both UC and UC Santa Cruz policy.
UCSC states that it implemented policies in accordance with California State Senate Bill 108, which directed the UC schools to enforce TPM. The bill was passed in June following last year’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment protests on college campuses nationwide.
At UCSC, a local campus organizer was arrested on Oct. 7 after being warned by a UC Police Department officer that their use of a bullhorn violated the code of conduct and campus policy, as per TPM policies. The officer demanded the speaker remove their masks and identify themselves; when they refused to comply, the student was placed under arrest and taken into custody.
The following day on Oct. 8, another group of graduate workers received a swift dispersal order from UCPD while setting up for a demonstration.
[Photo 1] (left to right) Signs with caricatures depicting President Donald Trump, California Governor Gavin Newsom, UC President Michael Drake and W.E. O’Neil Chief Operating Officer John Finn. [Photo 2] Protestors marching down Steinhart Way holding a sign depicting Chancellor Cynthia Larive and Campus Provost Executive Vice Chancellor Lori Kletzer .Photo 1 by Kyle James Allemand. Photo 2 by Reggie Sasaki.
“Ultimately, nobody was arrested, but we’ve been thinking a lot about, as a union, as grad workers, how these TPM restrictions are affecting our entire community,” said Jess Fournier, a graduate worker in the feminist studies department, in reference to the Oct. 8 dispersal order. “The TPM restrictions were also used to threaten AFSCME in preparation for their strikes and have also affected the carpenters union, so the idea of this was to bring people together and have solidarity across our different unions.”
Prior to the “UC Workers Rally Against Repression,” organizers distributed flyers with a QR code to a petition demanding that “the UC drops all restrictions on our protected right to protest.” The petition mentions the Oct. 7 and 8 TPM incidents and has been signed by over 240 workers and students.
“It’s important that no rollback of our rights goes without us reasserting them, and I think we have power in numbers that we don’t have individually as teachers or even as a single union,” said lecturer and UC-AFT member Jared Gampel in an interview with City on a Hill Press. “I think that the more workers we have, the more leverage we have, and building those connections across unions to where we can build a labor movement on this campus and in this town is how we win.”
The rally also intended to garner support for AFSCME 3299 and UPTE-CWA 9119 and their upcoming strikes. 
An attendee passing out flyers titled “Support The Strike,” detailing the location and time of the strike picket lines. Photo by Reggie Sasaki.
“By bargaining in bad faith and illegally attacking union workers’ rights, the UC is showing its true colors,” said campus loop bus driver and AFSCME 3299 member Kevin Parks, addressing the crowd. “Stop claiming to care about our communities and put your money where your mouth is instead of threatening and intimidating us, stop breaking the law and rigging your system against us.”
Following the conclusion of the rally around 1:00 p.m., members of NorCal Carpenters Union, adorned in neon yellow vests, hard hats and work boots, led a march of about 100 people to Kerr Hall. The growing crowd arrived at the locked doors and participated in chants for 15 minutes before returning to the Quarry Plaza to disperse.
[Photos 1 & 2] Attendees march down Steinhart Way to Kerr Hall. [Photos 3 & 4] Attendees chant and hold signs outside Kerr Hall. [Photo 5] Attendees march down Steinhart Way back to the quarry. Photo 4 by Malia Peris. Photo 2 by Reggie Sasaki. Photos 1, 3, 5 by Kyle James Allemand.
As members of the rally trailed back to the Quarry Plaza, students passing by began to file within the ranks of the march. As the march progressed, the crowd stretched from the Earth and Marine Sciences buildings to the mouth of the Quarry Plaza.
AFSCME 3299 student intern Alex Santiago highlighted the importance of union-student solidarity in an interview with City on a Hill Press.
“There’s a multitude of ways for anyone to get involved,” Santiago said. “You really just have to find one connection in the organizing world, and someone will direct you into a way that you can help.”
“What students can do to help right now the most is just speak to one another,” Santiago said. “Understand why the strike is happening, and understand that these workers are not trying to delay your day, but rather trying to get a livable wage and living conditions.”
Additional Reporting by Bryce Chen.
