48,000 University of California academic workers on strike across 10 campuses

BERKELEY, Calif. -  Nearly 48,000 unionized academic workers at all 10 University of California campuses walked off the job Monday, calling for better pay and benefits.

The strike by researchers, postdoctoral scholars, tutors, teaching assistants and graders threatens to disrupt classroom and laboratory instruction across the statewide university system just weeks ahead of final exams in December.

Picket lines went up at 8 a.m., with workers saying they need significant pay raises to afford to live in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego and Berkeley where housing costs are soaring.

Before noon, union members from the United Auto Workers held a rally at Sproul Plaza in Berkeley. 

"I'm out here fighting to make sure I don't have to pay as much in rent," said Max Smiley, a graduate researcher in physics. "I live almost an hour away from campus because the rent closer is too expensive. I have a really long commute. I don't want to commute that long anymore."

Rhiannon Welch agreed. Welch, a faculty member, was rallying in solidarity for the graduate students. 

"It's basically impossible," Welch said. "You don't make enough to pay market rate childcare expenses." 

Rafael Jaime, president of UAW Local 2865, which represents 19,000 of the 48,000 academic workers, joined protesters at UC San Diego.

"We are negotiating with the university around the clock and listening to all their offers," Jaime told the Los Angeles Times. "We’re going to be out here as long as it takes."

Demonstrators were also out in force at UC campuses in Santa Cruz, Merced, Santa Barbara, and Irvine. Some 300,000 students attend the 10 schools that make up one of the nation’s most prestigious state university systems.

In a statement, UC said it had entered the talks with a "genuine willingness to compromise," adding that "many tentative agreements" on issues such as health and safety had been reached.

"UC’s primary goal in these negotiations is multiyear agreements that recognize these employees’ important and highly valued contributions to UC’s teaching and research mission with fair pay, quality health and family-friendly benefits, and a supportive and respectful work environment," the statement said.

In addition to pay raises, the unionized workers are demanding child care subsidies, enhanced health care for dependents, public transit passes, lower tuition costs for international scholars and better accessibility for workers with disabilities.

Laurel Lucia, an academic researcher in health policy, has worked at Cal since 2009 and been on plenty of picket lines. But this one was likely the biggest, she said. 

"Better wages, childcare subsidies," she said, "are the kinds of things that will help us stay at UC for a long time and do good research." 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.