Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
About 48, unionized academic workers of the campus of the University of California (UC) began a strike this Monday 19 November to demand better wages.
employees, who do most of the teaching and research in California’s premier system of higher education, left their work this morning.
Solidarity & power to all of the striking workers!! ✊✊✊
48, academic workers at the University of California have begun the largest higher education strike in US history!!! The UC workers, represented by @UAW, are picketing at all 10 UC campuses this morning. pic.twitter.com/qhvgDYpwBi
— People’s City Council – Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) November 14, 2022
The UC system-wide work stoppage includes teaching assistants, postdoctoral fellows, graduate student researchers, tutors, and fellows, as well as that workers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Related: Some 48, University of California system academic workers plan to strike Monday
This strike is expected to cause major disruptions in teaching activities as well as in normal life on the different campuses.
Union leaders stated that This strike will be the largest that any academic institution in history has had.
At 8: 00 am, UCLA workers held demonstrations in different parts of the campus; Similar scenes were reported at UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Merced.
On the Irvine campus, unemployed workers demonstrated in the university headquarters at 8: 24 am, while at UC Davis and UC San Francisco were scheduled to start at 9: am.
“We have been negotiating throughout the weekend and although significant progress has been made, we are still far from many of the issues that will make UC a more equitable university,” said this Monday in a statement the president of the UAW 493193677, Rafael Jaime, who represents 19,00 of the 48, workers.
The president of the UAW 2865 he was early Monday morning at UC San Diego along with striking workers holding signs and marching through campus.
“We are negotiating with the university the 24 hours and listening to all their offers. We are going to be here as long as it takes”, Jaime highlighted.
A group of 48 state legislators sent a letter in support of student workers , urging UC President Michael Drake to negotiate in good faith with the workers.
“UC is one of the best public university systems and research institutions in the world, largely due to its ability to attract the most talented academics from a wide range of backgrounds. But the UC system can’t live up to its mission and reputation if its own employees don’t feel respected.”
Unionized workers demand significant salary increases, as many have difficulty affording housing near their campuses; as well as childcare subsidies, better health care for dependents, public transport passes, lower tuition costs for international scholars, and better accessibility for workers with disabilities.
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