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UC’s 13,000 teaching assistants (and other instructional assistants such as readers and tutors) play an important role in helping UC faculty fulfill the University’s instructional mission, and UC values their many important contributions as evidenced by the fact that UC salaries, benefits and professional opportunities for its TAs are among the best in all of public higher education.
Current Status of Negotiations
UC has been working hard with the United Auto Workers for the past six months on a fair contract that continues to give our Teaching Assistants the best possible terms of employment within available resources – resources that have been significantly constrained due to the current state budget deficit.
In a good-faith attempt to reach an agreement before the contract expired on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, UC entered into non-stop, intensive negotiations with the UAW beginning on Sunday, September 28th. While the conversations were substantive and some differences narrowed, the parties were unable to reach an agreement.
On Wednesday, October 1, immediately following the contract expiration, the union indicated to UC it was calling a one-day strike at UC campuses.
Clarification of the University’s position on “Sympathy Strikes”
As with all UC labor contracts (and most labor contracts generally), UC’s current contract with the UAW prohibits UC student employees from striking over their terms of employment during the duration of the contract. Some unions believe, however, that such provisions do not prohibit their members from joining in the strikes of other unions (called “sympathy strikes”).
UC has a long tradition of supporting the civil expression of individual views, and student employees are free to join in any demonstrations they choose, so long as it is on their personal time and does not conflict with their agreed upon work duties under the contract. Accordingly, UC is asking that its student employees agree to not abandon their agreed upon job duties to join in sympathy strikes, just as other UC academic employees such as lecturers and librarians have agreed.
UC’s response to the union calling a one-day strike
UC considers a strike at this time not only very unfortunate and disruptive to negotiations, but illegal since all settlement opportunities within the full bargaining process, including impasse procedures, have not been exhausted as the law requires. The union claims such a strike is legally justified because it has filed unfair labor practice charges against the University. However, what should be made clear is that either side can file as many ULPs as they like, and simply because one party may do so does not mean the charges have merit. It is up to the state labor board to determine the validity of such charges, and the legality of any strike based on them, and the University is confident that such scrutiny would show that UC has not engaged in bad faith bargaining.
All UC campuses have contingency plans in place to help ensure that instructional activities, as well as general University operations, will continue with as little disruption as possible.
