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48,000 University of California Academic Workers Plan To Strike At UC Campuses

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48,000 University of California Academic Workers Plan To Strike At UC Campuses

(CTN NEWS) – SAN DIEGO — At 8 a.m. on Monday, thousands of researchers and student workers at the 10 campuses of the University of California went on strike to demand better compensation and working conditions.

According to Ryan King, a University of California President’s Office spokesman:

“UC officials are in contract talks with the United Auto Workers regarding four academic bargaining units: postdoctoral scholars, academic researchers, academic student employees (teaching assistants/readers/tutors), and graduate student researchers.”

In a statement given to CNS, King stated:

“Our main objective of the negotiations was to reach multiyear agreements that would fairly compensate the employees in question for their significant and highly valued contributions to the university’s teaching and research mission as well as provide them with family-friendly benefits and a respectful work environment.”

“With an open mind and a genuine desire to compromise, we carefully listened to UAW priorities. Negotiations are moving forward on important concerns like a respectful workplace environment and health and safety issues, and several tentative agreements have been made.

We are dedicated to further negotiations in good faith and completing agreements as soon as possible.”Then the statement went on.

According to UAW leaders, negotiating teams resolved to go ahead with a strike on Monday “unless the University of California ends its unlawful action to secure fair contracts before then” after meeting late on Saturday night.

According to union officials, some employees make as low as $24,000 annually. The workers want better childcare benefits, more secure jobs, free passes to the public transportation system, higher incomes and bigger annual raises.

48,000 University of California Academic Workers Plan To Strike At UC Campuses

Unionized academic workers across the University of California’s 10 campuses hit the picket line Monday, including these striking workers at UCLA. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

A negotiation team member, Jade Moore, stated, “We have no choice but to move towards a strike after months at the bargaining table and 26 unfair labour practices filed.”

A UAW 2865 bargaining team member named Mai Do said, “Too many students are being forced to leave University of California because their salaries are insufficient to cover the escalating cost of accommodation, whether on or off campus.

Because I spend more than 60% of my income on rent alone while working at the University of California, I’ve had to take on credit card debt to pay for my essentials.”

Muhammad Yousuf, a member of UAW 265, said, “There’s a housing crisis in California, and we’re not immune.” Many graduate students are not paid a living wage, Yousef said.

“I make about $23,000 a year before taxes as a TA, and my rent is $1,500 a month, so I’m spending 90 percent of my salary on rent,” Yousuf said.

Graduate students want their salaries bumped up to $54,000 per year. International scholars also demand childcare subsidies and lower tuition costs.

Zach Goldberg, a Ph.D. student at UCSD, said, “Without the university changing course, we can’t win our demands.” UC campuses rely heavily on graduate students for research and teaching.

Goldberg said, “Now it’s time to show the UC what our labour accomplishes for them and this university to force them to meet our demands.”

The 10 University of California institutions, including UC Riverside, employ 48,000 people, including 17,000 student researchers. In October, they decided to authorize a strike.

A strike might significantly affect the classroom, possibly leaving classes without instructors and professors without staff to mark papers. Additionally, it might stop a sizeable amount of the research conducted at UC campuses.

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