FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2022
Contact: Juan Ramiro Sarmiento
(785) 760-6567 | JuanRamiro.Sarmiento@younginvincibles.org
YI Stands In Solidarity With UC Workers on Strike
(Sacramento, CA) – Today marks the fifth day of the largest university-based strike in United States history, as 48,000 academic employees walked off the job on Monday. The labor action has engulfed all ten schools in the University of California system, disrupting classes and bringing research to a standstill.
The UC System strike is the latest in a reinvigorated labor movement that has wrought victories in unionization efforts from Starbucks to Amazon. Notably, public opinion has been supportive of organized labor since its high mark in 1965.
Academic employees, including researchers, teaching assistants, and other university employees, represented by the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) are demanding significant salary increases, increased reimbursement for public transport, additional childcare subsidies, and expanded healthcare for dependents, among other benefits. Housing, in particular, remains a sticking point for workers employed on campuses located in some of the most expensive housing markets in the country. A survey of UAW workers found 40 percent of graduate workers spent more than half of their income on rent.
According to union officials, ongoing discussions broke down after the UC System failed to go through collective bargaining during the course of negotiations, triggering 48,000 workers to walk.
In response, Alfredo Camacho, West Regional Director for Young Invincibles issued the following statement:
“The nature of academic work leaves students dependent on their employers, thousands of whom are students reliant on recommendations for advancement. No one should have to jeopardize their future for fair compensation.
Most of the research, grading, and everyday teaching at UC schools is carried out by academic workers. They represent the backbone of the university system and should be appropriately rewarded for their labor. And yet, thousands of workers and graduate students employed by the university face the prospect of getting additional jobs to cover basic needs – materializing another barrier to higher education and upward mobility. All academic employees deserve the dignity afforded by a living wage commensurate with the cost of living of their home institution.
The working conditions, compensation, and rising costs of living that precipitated the largest university-based strike in US history exemplify the need for workers to have the power of collective bargaining and the protection of a union. It is YI’s goal to strengthen worker protections and secure a living wage for all young adults at the local, state, and federal levels.”
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Young Invincibles (YI) is a national advocacy and policy nonprofit organization focused on amplifying the voice of young people in the political process at the local, state, and federal levels. YI focuses on issues impacting young adults ages 18 to 34 in higher education, health care, economic security, and civic engagement. Our offices include Washington, D.C., California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Texas. For more information, please contact Juan Ramiro Sarmiento at (785) 760-6567 or juan.sarmiento@younginvincibles.org