With Finals Fast Approaching And Their TAs On Strike, UC Students Soldier On

Finals are imminent across University of California’s schools, and students at many campuses won’t have reliable access to their teaching assistants as they prepare for exams.

Those TAs — along with researchers, postdocs and other academic workers — are on strike, at six campuses now since May 20.

For weeks, the UC system and the union that represents the workers have been trading jabs through press releases and the state’s Public Employment Relations Board, which is tasked with resolving labor-management disputes. Both underscore the importance of getting everyone back to work, but they have vastly different views on how to accomplish this.

In the absence of a resolution, students have hunkered down to study and write.

Study and strike

Among them is Savannah Plaskon, a second-year Ph.D. student in political science at UC Irvine, who also works as a teaching assistant and researcher. On Wednesday morning, she had 13 hours to submit a six-page paper. She was also on strike.

Academic workers at her campus have joined a growing labor stoppage against their employer. The union that represents them, UAW 4811, has filed unfair labor practice charges against UC, alleging that the system violated workers’ rights when deploying police to dismantle encampments protesting Israel’s war effort in Gaza. The strike began in late May at UC Santa Cruz, and has also expanded to UCs Davis, L.A., San Diego, and Santa Barbara.

To fulfill her responsibilities as a union member and student, Plaskon brought her laptop to the picket line on Wednesday, to type away during breaks.

Last month, hundreds of police officers in riot gear descended on the encampment at UC Irvine. They arrested dozens of protesters, including faculty members.

Plaskon was one of them, and said she was in jail for 14 hours. "What made it worse,” she added, “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."

Mark Gradoni, a graduate student who teaches a class in world history, woke up early Wednesday to finish putting together a study guide for his students. "We’ll do our best to answer questions,” he said he told them, “and make sure that you all don’t bear the brunt of, or suffer for, the university’s choices." Then, he went on strike too.

The union only authorized the strike through the end of June. One of their chief demands is amnesty for those who were arrested or facing disciplinary action. Instead, UC has doubled down on efforts to put an end to the strike, while each campus manages however they can.

“The university continues to monitor the situation and has developed continuity plans to minimize the disruption,” said Tom Vasich, a spokesperson for UC Irvine.

Mark Gradoni, a graduate student who teaches a class in world history, is among those who joined the strike at UC Irvine.

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Julia Barajas

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LAist

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Disruption and dedication

In a courtyard just outside the student center, Jessica Rosenow took a moment to enjoy the sun Wednesday before heading to class. She’s a fourth year undergraduate studying English and literary journalism. So far, she told LAist, the strike has not impacted her classes.

However, she did point out other disruptions: When police came to clear the encampment on May 15, one of her classes was suddenly canceled. And another was moved to Zoom.

As a transfer student, third-year chemical engineering major Amer Ayesh has focused on making the most out of his time on campus. “I honestly love UCI,” he said. “I’m getting to know a lot of people, and I’ve been getting exposed to a lot of opportunities.”

Ayesh also said the strike hasn’t affected his classes, and that he’s not worried about losing access to teaching assistants because he relies on himself to learn new material. Still, he expressed sympathy for the strikers. “They’re simply asking for justice,” he said.

Staying ready

UC officials have twice sought to quell the labor stoppage by making their case to the state's Public Employment Relations Board. So far, the agency has opted not to seek an injunction against the union.

UC has now taken its case to state court, accusing UAW 4811 of a breach of contract. The union and some legal experts dispute UC’s claim. As the dispute drags on, four more campuses could be called to join the strike.

Mia Villegas, a psychological sciences researcher at UC Irvine and union executive board member, said “coming to work has been a day-by-day decision” since May 15.

“And I think every worker walking the picket line today feels that way,” she added. “Every person who showed up today and every person withholding their labor is ready to do so for as long as necessary.”