50K UC Workers Vote To Strike Over Pay, Conditions

CALIFORNIA — Some 50,000 University of California students could walk off University of California campuses up and down the state later this month just ahead of final exams.

Student workers — researchers, postdocs, teacher's assistants, tutors, readers, graders and other academic employees — voted by a 98 percent margin to strike for higher wages and better working conditions, UC Student-Workers Union 2865 announced on Thursday.

UC teaching assistants earn $24,000 a year, according to the union. Meanwhile, the average rent in California is around $1,538 per month — for a studio, according to RentData.org. One-bedroom apartments typically cost an average of $1,854 per month.

"Academic workers are tenants and we are tired of spending up to 90% of our salaries on rent!" the union tweeted.

The strike could impact campuses as soon as Nov. 14.

A researcher with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory told the San Francisco Chronicle he is paid just $40,000 per year to run complex experiments, with a workload that amounts to a full-time job of at least 40 hours per week. His appointment letter only acknowledges that he is being paid for just 20 hours a week, like most of his coworkers across the university system, he said.

“Our work benefits the university in a huge way. It’s critical to bringing in billions of dollars in research funding, and you can’t do those things in just 20 hours,” Tanzil Chowdhury told the newspaper.

Union officials argue that, for years, academic workers have been unfairly compensated, yet they are tasked with heavy workloads. Student workers are demanding a minimum of $54,000 a year, a figure based on the median cost of housing in the state, the union said.

In response accusations of unfair labor practices, a spokesman for the UC system told Patch: "the union’s allegations are not true. 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. Despite these unfounded claims, UC remains committed to continuing its good faith efforts to reach agreements with UAW as quickly as possible. "

The UC system is offering the following raises, according to FairUCNow:

• Student Researchers: 6% raise, 3% annual raises thereafter
• Academic Student Employees: 7% raise, 3% annual raises thereafter
• Postdocs: $59,362 minimum salary, 3% annual increases, higher benefit costs
• Academic Researchers: 4% raise, 3% annual raises thereafter

" All campuses will be prepared to ensure continuity of instruction and research in the event of a UAW strike," UC officials wrote in a statement to Patch. "Ultimately, differences must be resolved at the bargaining table, with both sides being flexible and willing to compromise. UC believes its proposals have been fair, reasonable, and responsive to the union’s priorities, and looks forward to continuing negotiations with the UAW and settling these contracts as quickly as possible."

About 48,000 academic workers will bargain for new contracts, including: 19,000 TAs, readers, and tutors; 12,000 postdocs and academic researchers; and 17,000 student researchers.

"I stand in solidarity with UC Academic Workers who seek a fair contract and voted to authorize a strike if needed. I urge the UC System to meet and bargain in good faith with the UAW Academic Workers," Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes tweeted on Thursday.

If the strike does hit during finals week, the universities would struggle, UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore told the Chronicle.

"Our undergraduates depend on our graduate students to provide feedback on their work and/or assistance understanding course material,” she said.