Graduate Students at UC Santa Barbara Rally for Improved Wages
Three Union Locals Join All Campuses for Better Conditions
As contract bargaining with the University of California (UC) continues, three unions representing 48,000 academic workers rallied across UC campuses in an intended show of collective power. Union representatives initially hoped for a joint bargaining table, but UC rejected their proposal. “The lines between academic worker titles are blurred, with many of us switching between roles,” said Robert McLaughlin, a PhD student at UCSB. “We all keep UC functioning and face similar struggles like rent burden and toxic workplaces.”
UC Santa Barbara’s rally took place outside of Cheadle Hall on April 26, where about 50 people gathered in support of the unions UAW 2865, SRU-UAW, and UAW 5810. Speakers articulated proposals and decried UC’s perceived intransigence. “[UC] attempts to divide and ignore us because they know we’re strongest together,” charged Evan Plunkett, a postdoctoral researcher. “Unity and purpose are how … we will win equity in the workplace and affordable housing in the communities where we work.”
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