Workers at the University of California approve contracts after a strike

Labor Relations at the California State University: A Union Statement on a Student Work Stoppage ‘Conserved’ and ‘Indefinite’

Union representatives said Friday a majority of striking graduate students and teaching assistants approved two contracts to formally end the work stoppage.

About 12,000 other striking workers, mainly postdoctoral students and academic researchers, already ratified an agreement that will boost their pay by 29%. They will also get better family leave, child care subsidies and job security.

The strike was the largest ever among academic workers, according to the union. It was watched by other university campuses around the country.

The University is committed to providing every employee with a competitive compensation and benefit package that honors their many contributions to the institution, to their community and to the state of California, the statement said.

The agreements cover about 36,000 workers, many of whom make as little as $24,000 annually, a paltry salary for living in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego and Berkeley, where the university system has campuses.

The strike ended last Friday after a tentative agreement was reached. Several attempts to reach a deal were made with the mediation assistance of Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

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By the end of 2024, the minimum pay for teaching assistants will be at least $36,000, with higher pay for students on campuses in particularly expensive cities. The graduate student researchers will make $40,000, according to union representatives.

A group of workers branded as “Strike to Win” urged workers to oppose the tentative agreement due to the fact that it didn’t meet some of their demands.

If the three-day strike continues as planned, students will suffer, the superintendent said. The strike would make it impossible to keep schools open in the district, he said.

“As LAUSD parents and workers, SEIU Local 99 members know a strike will be a sacrifice but the school district has pushed workers to take this action,” Arias said in a statement.

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced schools would be canceled for students starting Tuesday after last-minute negotiations, which included new raise offers, failed.

The United Teachers Los Angeles is a union that represents about 30,000 teachers in the nation’s second largest school district.

“Under California law, we cannot drive the school system into a bankruptcy position. We cannot drive the school system into a red position. If we were to acquiesce to all the demands, that is where we would be, it is not legal.

“We are eagerly awaiting on a counter proposal and we are ready to put another compelling offer on the table to continue the dialogue,” Carvalho said. The consequences of a strike can be serious in our community, so we believe they should be avoided.

“If the district doesn’t realize that our members are valuable… once they stop working, then nothing’s really gonna change,” said Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99.

“We need to reach a resolution that honors the work of our dedicated employees, while respecting the rights our children have to a quality education, meals and access to enriching school activities,” Carvalho said.

The district would help families, including opening 24 grab-and-Go food sites, as well as 154 schools that will provide supervision, and about 120 city-run sites at libraries, recreation centers and other locations.

The Los Angeles Zoo is giving away free admission to students and adding two extra hours of extended care per day for students in kindergarten through 5th grade.

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The leader of the union said he understood the challenges families faced when schools were closed for strikes. Many of the workers are school district parents, too.

“Families have been sacrificing for far too long on poverty wages. Students have been sacrificing for too long in school environments that are not clean, safe or supportive for all,” Arias said.