Unions are known for fighting for higher wages and workplace conditions. But faculty members in the University of California system on Wednesday authorized their union to call a strike over something entirely different: free speech.
The union, UAW 4811, represents approximately 48,000 graduate students and other faculty at the University of California System's 10 campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Union members outraged by the university system's response to campus protests have called on the union to address grievances that go beyond basic collective bargaining issues to concerns about workplace protests and speaking out. I asked for it.
The strike authorization vote, which passed with 79 percent support, comes two weeks after dozens of counter-protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian camp at the University of California, Los Angeles, for several hours without police intervention or arrest. It was done later. The next day, police in riot gear destroyed the encampment and arrested more than 200 people.
The vote does not guarantee a strike, but rather gives the executive committee of the local union, which is part of the United Auto Workers union, the authority to call a strike at any time. Eight of the 10 University of California campuses still have a month of classes left before summer break.
The union accused the University of California of unilaterally and unlawfully changing its free speech policy, discriminating against pro-Palestinian speech, and creating an unsafe work environment by authorizing attacks on protesters. , announced a call for votes.
“At the heart of this is our right to free speech and peaceful protest,” UAW 4811 President Rafael Jaime said in a statement after the vote. “When members of the academic community are threatened and beaten down for peacefully demonstrating on this issue, it threatens our ability to speak out on all issues.”
A spokesperson for the University of California's Office of the President said in a statement that the strike would set a “dangerous precedent for bringing non-labor issues into collective bargaining agreements.”
“To be clear, UC understands and embraces its role as a forum for free speech, lawful protest, and public debate,” spokeswoman Heather Hansen said. “However, given its role, these non-labor-related disputes cannot prevent it from fulfilling its academic mission.”
Several camps still operate on University of California campuses, including UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Davis. On Tuesday, protesters at the University of California, Berkeley began clearing their positions after reaching an agreement with university officials.
Berkeley President Carol Christ said in a letter to protesters on Tuesday that the university plans to begin discussions about divestment from certain companies, and that by the end of the year she hopes to reach an “immediate and permanent ceasefire.” He said he plans to publicly support “efforts to secure the same.” Month. But she said it was not within her authority to divest from companies that do business with or are doing business with Israel.
After clearing their tents on Wednesday, some Berkeley protesters headed to the University of California, Merced, to attend a meeting held by the University of California Board of Regents. More than 100 people registered for public comment, and nearly all who spoke out about the protests criticized the university authorities' response.
This strike authorization vote allows for so-called “stand-up” strikes. The tactic was first used by the United Auto Workers union last year during contract negotiations with General Motors, Ford Motor Co., and Stellantis. The move allows local union executive committees to focus strikes on specific campuses or among specific groups of workers to gain influence, rather than calling on all union members to strike at once. It becomes possible.
Jaime, the UAW 4811 president, said before the vote that the union would use this tactic to “reward campuses that are making progress” and could call strikes against campuses that are not making progress. Stated. He added that unions would only announce a strike “at the last minute to maximize disruption and confusion for employers.”
The union announced Wednesday that its executive committee will announce later this week whether it will call a strike.
Tobias Higbie, a professor of history and labor studies at UCLA, said free speech strikes are unusual but not unprecedented. Teachers unions are also made up primarily of young people and have been far more accepting of organized labor than young people, even in recent years, he said.
“This shows how generational change not only affects the workplace, but also unions,” Higbee said. “As we move forward, younger union members will increasingly make these demands of the union.” I think this is probably a harbinger of things to come, as that will be the case for the next few years. ”
Jill Cowan Contributed to the report.
