Nearly 48,000 workers in the University of California system are set to go on strike on Monday. File Photo courtesy Wikimedia commons
Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Graduate workers in the University of California system have voted to authorize a strike starting Monday that could be the largest higher education work stoppage in U.S. history.
Three unions, representing 48,000 teaching assistants and student researchers, academic researchers and postdoctoral scholars, are negotiating for increased compensation, childcare reimbursements, job security protections, sustainable transit incentives, eliminating fees for international scholars and stronger disability accommodations.
The strike date is set for Monday and is scheduled indefinitely.
"TA's make somewhere between $20,000 and $25,000 per year. And for a place like Santa Cruz, that is next to impossible, especially given the rental market here," graduate student instructor and strike coordinator Jack Davies told KSBW-TV in Salinas, Calif., adding that "student workers like myself spend more than 60% of our income on rent."
In a statement, the UC disputed allegations by the United Autoworkers Union that it has behaved illegally during the negotiations.
"We strongly disagree with the UAW allegations that UC has engaged in unlawful behavior," university officials said. "Throughout 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."
Postdoctoral scholars have been offered an average minimum pay increase of 7.5%, graduate student researchers were offered a 9 to 10% increase and academic researchers were offered a 4% increase.
Yet many say this is not enough because of the high living costs.
Hannah Waterhouse, a postdoctoral scholar in soil science at UC Berkeley, said she if forced to commute more than four hours daily by train from Sacramento because of how unaffordable rent is in the area near campus.
"It's just feeling barely sustainable at this point and I actually personally know a few people who've passed up on applying to UC jobs, because the pay doesn't match the cost of living," she told The Guardian.
