About 48,000 unionized academic workers across the University of California’s 10 campuses — who perform the majority of teaching and research at the state’s premier higher education system — walked off the job Monday morning, calling for better pay and benefits.
The systemwide strike includes teaching assistants, postdoctoral scholars, graduate student researchers, tutors and fellows, as well as workers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and it’s expected to cause major disruptions in classes and day-to-day campus life.
Union leaders say the strike, which began Monday morning, will be the largest at any academic institution in history. UCLA workers joined the picket line at 8 a.m. Monday at multiple locations across campus, as did groups at UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced.
UC Irvine strikers planned to begin demonstrating on campus at 8:30 a.m., while some other universities were set for 9 a.m., including UC Davis and UC San Francisco.
“We have been bargaining throughout the weekend and while important progress has been made, we are still far apart on many of the issues that will make UC a more equitable university,” Rafael Jaime, president of UAW 2865, which represents 19,000 of the 48,000 workers, said in a statement Monday.
Jaime was out early Monday at UC San Diego with fellow workers on strike, holding signs and marching around campus. He said the energy was high.
“We are negotiating with the university around the clock and listening to all their offers,” Jaime said. “We’re going to be out here as long as it takes.”
A group of 33 state lawmakers sent a letter in support of the graduate student workers, urging UC President Michael Drake to bargain in good faith with the workers.
“The UC is one of the top public university systems and research institutions in the world, in no small part because of its ability to attract the most talented scholars from a wide array of backgrounds,” the letter reads. “But the UC system cannot live up to its mission and reputation if its own employees do not feel respected.”
The unionized workers are demanding significant pay increases, as many struggle to afford housing near their campuses, as well as childcare subsidies, enhanced healthcare for dependents, public transit passes, lower tuition costs for international scholars and better accessibility for workers with disabilities.