SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Hundreds of University of California workers walked off the job Monday after the United Auto Workers (UAW) union voted to strike last week. Their decision was a response to the UC administration's response to the pro-Palestine encampments on UC campuses statewide.
"The university was stifling people's ability to their freedom of speech, and then was essentially doing many illegal things in response to that," said UAW 4811 representative Emily Weintraut.
The large police response to protests on campuses like University of California, Los Angeles has union members at UC Davis concerned a similar response could happen at their school.
"I think regardless of who you are as a worker at the university, that's a violation," said Weintraut.
It comes as the union representing more than 250 police officers within the UC system, including Davis and Los Angeles, is maintaining their stance that they've been wronged by the UC administration. The Federated University Police Officers' Association (FUPOA) blames the UC for failing to have a proper safety plan in place. They have called on the Board of Regents to work with campus police to come up with solutions. The union is now getting support from the UAW as well.
"It sounds in line with the unfair labor practice charges that we've been filing, the university failed to protect workers, it's still having ongoing health and safety violations. It's not doing its job," said Weintraut.
Last week, the UC filed an unfair labor practice, demanding the UAW to stop their strike and saying it's illegal. ABC10 has reached out to the UC for comment, but the inquiry was not returned by time of publication.
The House of Representatives will be holding a hearing on Thursday in the Education and Workforce Committee. Major colleges, including UCLA, will be expected to testify about how they've been handling the encampments on their campuses.
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