BREAKING! Student Solidarity Wins Big Across University of California System!

After 3 years of students campaigning alongside AFSCME 3299 workers from across the University of California (UC) system, spanning 10 campuses and 5 medical centers, workers recently won a historic contract with strong language against outsourcing of union jobs, a long overdue wage increase, language to advance workforce inclusion and training, free speech protections, and immigrant rights protections.

A USAS Regional Organizer from UC Irvine Local 65, Melissa Molina sums up the victory: “To me, organizing is about believing that another world is possible, and that we can build towards this every single day. The past three years in this struggle alongside our workers have been full of strike after strike, bargaining session after bargaining session. Yet, I could never lose hope in the presence of the workers and students building power together. I feel so joyful knowing that the day workers and students have been organizing and fighting for every day is here. It’s a beautiful reminder of what our collective power wins!”

The UC system is one of the largest employers in California, employing more than 30,000 workers. In 2017, when the contract between the UC system and AFSCME 3299 (the UC’s largest employee union representing the lowest paid direct employees, with a predominant membership of workers of color) expired, the UC’s attempted to undermine workers’ rights. They tried to increase workers’ retirement age to 65, give them a risky 401K pension plan, increase their cost of healthcare, and continued to contract out union jobs as a union-busting tactic.

The UC’s even attempted to pit workers and students against each other by threatening to raise tuition to pay for workers’ demands. However, students understood that worker issues are also student issues. Workers keep the university running and when workers are overworked, short-staffed, and underpaid, students are negatively affected in every way — from their relationships with workers, to the cleanliness of their buildings, to the food they eat, and the transportation they take to and from their classes. 

9 USAS Locals across the UC’s campaigned alongside workers to support their demands including Student Labor Advocacy Project at UC Los Angeles – USAS Local 1119, Worker Student Solidarity Coalition at UC Santa Cruz – USAS Local 501, United Student Labor Action Coalition at UC Santa Barbara – USAS Local 805, USAS Local 143 at UC Davis, SLAM – USAS Local 720 at UC Berkeley, USAS Local 65 at UC Irvine, USAS Local 209 at UC Merced, USAS Local 19 at UC Riverside, and USAS Local 94 at UC San Diego.

USAS members made workers’ issues visible by tabling, holding town halls, and organizing worker panels. Students led rallies, letter delegations to chancellors, Valentine’s Day actions, and public comment speak-outs. They disrupted UC Regents meetings, visited Regents at their homes, and interrupted UC President Janet Napolitano’s book tour. Over the course of 3 years, students joined workers on the picket line nearly a dozen times. Students came out to picket lines, with as many as 400 students at a time, and traveled to the UC medical centers to picket there as well. Students even risked arrests and citations at the strikes where the university also used student conduct as a means to intimidate organizers from showing up in solidarity with workers, but it didn’t work.

Over 10,000 service workers across the UC’s voted 99% yes to ratifying their new contract on Friday, K7 Skilled Craft workers at UC Santa Cruz won their contract a few weeks ago, and over 19,000 patient-care workers have reached a tentative agreement which they will vote to ratify very soon! 

This wasn’t only a fight for better wages, healthcare, and job security — it was also a fight for racial justice. Together, workers and students won contract language to eliminate some of the inequalities and discriminatory practices that UC workers face by banning the box, expanding career ladders for women and people of color, and adding protections for undocumented workers. 

The UC system tried to intimidate, wear out, and disrespect workers. They even told workers at the bargaining table that they didn’t deserve what they were asking for. Nonetheless student and worker persistence, collective action, and clever strategy won this historic contract.

This victory in California will set a precedent for campus workers across the country!

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