The University of California in Santa Cruz fired 54 graduate students who were working as teaching assistants because they refused to submit grades while striking for higher wages.
The teaching assistants started a grading strike, without the approval of the union that represents graduate students, in hopes of negotiating higher wages. The students wanted a raise of $1,412 to help pay for rising rent prices near the campus. The strike started with 200 teaching assistants withholding grades in December and escalated to many teaching assistants holding public protests and refusing to attend classes or assist in research.
The university argued that the firings were necessary because students had broken the bargaining agreements already in place by the graduate student union that had not sanctioned the protest. University of California system President Janet Napolitano warned students on Feb. 14 that the grading strike was “not the way” to negotiate with the school.
“We are sympathetic to the high cost of housing in Santa Cruz and the pressure this puts on TAs, but a wildcat strike is not the way to get relief,” Napolitano explained.
Lori Kletzer, the school’s interim campus provost and executive vice chancellor, announced to students on Friday that the teaching assistants had been fired for refusing to turn in grades. “It is extremely disappointing to us that we have to take such a drastic step, but we ultimately cannot retain graduate students as teaching assistants who will not fulfill their responsibilities,” she said.
Kletzer also outlined steps the university was taking to combat high-rent prices near the university, noting, “While I’ve disagreed with the tactics the graduate students have used to communicate their concerns, I do not want to downplay the gravity of those concerns.”
Students were outraged by the decision. They announced further protests that will begin on Monday in response to the firings, including a call for classes to be canceled so other students can participate.
The situation grabbed attention across the country by people sympathetic to unions, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a candidate for president.
“This is disgraceful. All workers deserve the right to bargain and strike for better wages and benefits. To Janet Napolitano and UCSC: stop this outrageous union busting and negotiate in good faith,” Sanders said.
This is disgraceful. All workers deserve the right to bargain and strike for better wages and benefits. To Janet Napolitano and @UCSC: stop this outrageous union busting and negotiate in good faith. https://t.co/oaQGTovOdW
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 29, 2020
Kavitha Iyengar, president of a local UAW union said, “We are shocked by UC’s callousness, and by the violence that so many protesters experienced as they peacefully made the case for a cost of living increase. Instead of firing TAs who are standing up for a decent standard of living for themselves, UC must sit down at the bargaining table and negotiate a cost of living increase.”
The outrage didn’t stop the university from moving ahead with an unfair labor practice charge against the graduate student union for failing to stop the teaching assistants from participating in a wildcat strike, which broke their bargaining agreements. In turn, the union filed a lawsuit against the university for refusing to meet leaders over concerns about cost of living adjustments.
In total, 54 students who had jobs for the spring semester were fired, and 28 students who did not have positions for the semester were notified that they would not be considered for any future employment opportunities by the university. The strike was also connected to a demonstration that led to the arrest of 17 students who had blocked a campus entrance.
Napolitano, who oversees the university system, was the secretary of homeland security during President Barack Obama’s first term and was governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009.
