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Frustrated With University, Academic Workers Make UC Irvine The Sixth Campus To Enter Strike
Academic workers at UC Irvine have joined a growing strike movement.
(
Julia Barajas
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LAist
)
Topline:
The union that’s been in a labor dispute with the University of California for several weeks now has expanded its strike to a sixth campus, UC Irvine. The union includes teaching assistants, student researchers, and postdocs. Many say they're still trying to make sure undergrads are taken care of.
State of the strike: UC and the union, UAW 4811, have been making their case to the state's Public Employment Relations Board, which has so far opted not to seek an injunction against the union. UC has now taken its case to state court, accusing the union of a breach of contract.
Finals are close: Mark Gradoni is a graduate student who teaches a class in world history. He said he woke up early this morning to finish putting together a study guide; final exams start next week. He told his students, "We’ll do our best to answer questions and make sure that you all don’t bear the brunt of, or suffer for, the university’s choices."
Why workers are fired up: Savannah Plaskon is a teaching assistant in a political science class. She also said she was arrested in a protest last month and spent 14 hours in jail: "What made it worse is a few days after I was released I found out I was banned from campus, so I was essentially rendered homeless by the university."
What the university says: “The university continues to monitor the situation and has developed continuity plans to minimize the disruption of an unlawful strike on the teaching of our students, research and university operations," said UC Irvine spokesperson Tom Vasich.
Go deeper: When Is A Strike Legal? And Who Gets To Decide? What's At Stake As UC Strikes Ramp Up
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