In what is the largest academic strike in U.S. history, over 48000 workers of the University of California walked out of work in protest of their low wages.
Workers are calling for better pay with a minimum salary of $54,000 a year for all graduate workers and an annual base salary of $70,000 a year for post-docs amid rising housing costs and inflation.
The strike by researchers, post-doctoral scholars, tutors, teaching assistants and graders threatens to disrupt classroom and laboratory instruction across the statewide university system just weeks ahead of final exams in December.
University of California workers are also demanding reimbursement for transportation, expanded health care coverage and better child-care benefits.
The students and employees involved are represented by the United Auto Workers. Rafael Jaime, president of UAW Local 2865, which represents 19,000 of the 48,000 academic workers, joined protesters at UC San Diego.
“We are negotiating with the university around the clock and listening to all their offers,” Jaime told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re going to be out here as long as it takes.”
“Our union stands with our members in California as they fight for fairness and an equitable collective bargaining agreement,” UAW President Ray Curry said in a statement about the strike.
“We urge the University of California to stop their misconduct and bargain in good faith with their academic workers who perform critical work every day.”
“Throughout the negotiations, UC has listened carefully to the union’s concerns and bargained in good faith, as illustrated by the many tentative agreements reached thus far including on topics underlying the UAW’s allegations,” administrators said in a statement.
“Despite these claims, UC remains committed to continuing its good faith efforts to reach agreements with UAW as quickly as possible.”
“UC’s primary goal in these negotiations is multi-year agreements that recognize these employees’ important and highly valued contributions to UC’s teaching and research mission with fair pay, quality health and family-friendly benefits, and a supportive and respectful work environment,” the statement said.
