University of California Refuses to Attempt to Resolve ULPs
The California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has urged the University of California and UAW Local 4811 to address a series of Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) filed by the union, which has sparked a statewide strike. Despite PERB’s call for a resolution process, the University of California has yet to engage. Currently, 2,000 workers at UC Santa Cruz are on strike, with tens of thousands more across other campuses preparing to join. You can read the ULP charges here.
“We are open to sitting down with UC to resolve these Unfair Labor Practices,” said Rafael Jaime, president of UAW 4811, which represents 48,000 workers across ten campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. “We stand ready to reach a resolution on these ULPs. Academic workers’ first priority is to guarantee our rights and the rights of our coworkers. We’re disappointed that UC has refused to engage in PERB’s resolution process.”
The union demands that the resolution of the ULPs includes amnesty for individuals who were arrested or are facing university discipline due to their participation in peaceful pro-Palestine protests. Additionally, the union seeks negotiations over workplace and policy changes implemented by the university in response to political speech on campus.
President Drake has further exacerbated the situation by introducing a new system-wide policy requiring all protestors to undergo the student conduct and employee discipline processes following their arrest. This policy, unilaterally implemented without union negotiation, bypasses the agreed-upon grievance process and infringes upon the collective bargaining agreement, according to the union.
“We’re extremely disappointed at UC’s intransigence,” Jaime said. “PERB has opened a path to resolve the crisis in the UC system, and UC management is refusing to take it. That’s why we’re filing another ULP charge today and restating our openness to sit down and resolve this situation at PERB. If UC does not resolve these ULPs, our union’s Executive Board will announce the next of the campuses to Stand Up no later than Friday.”
UAW 4811 represents academic workers who are integral to the University of California’s research and academic mission. These members perform the majority of teaching, grade papers, and conduct cutting-edge research that generates billions in annual funding for the institution.
