UC system sues anti-Israel faculty union, citing no-strike clause violation
On June 5, the University of California announced that it is suing its faculty union, United Auto Workers Local 4811 (UAW), for going on strike, arguing that the union violated a no-strike clause in its contract.
The union has stated that it has been 'peacefully protesting on campus for peace and freedom in Palestine.'
On June 5, the University of California announced that it is suing its faculty union, United Auto Workers Local 4811 (UAW), for going on strike, arguing that the union violated a no-strike clause in its contract.
One clause in the contract between the UAW and the university system states that there shall be “no strikes” during the span of the agreement.
“The UAW, on behalf of its officers, agents, and members agrees there shall be no strikes, including sympathy strikes, stoppages, interruptions of work, or other concerted activities which interfere directly or indirectly with University operations during the life of this Agreement or any written extension thereof,” the clause states.
The university administration argues that, despite this clause, the faculty union nonetheless went on strike, allegedly blocking access to different streets and buildings, according to the lawsuit.
The union has stated that it has been “peacefully protesting on campus for peace and freedom in Palestine.”
The university has retorted that the strike violates the contract the UAW signed.
“The blatant breach of the parties’ no-strike clauses by UAW will continue to cause irreversible harm to the University as it will disrupt the education of thousands of students in the form of canceled classes and delayed grades,” Melissa Matella, the Associate Vice President for Employee and Labor Relations at the University of California, said.
“The breach of contract also endangers life-saving research in hundreds of laboratories across the university and will also cause the university substantial monetary damages,” she explained.
The university says that the union’s strike could have major consequences, potentially canceling classes for thousands of students.
“When UAW members strike, they will end the vast majority of the classes, seminars, discussions sections, and laboratory sections UAW members oversee,” UC Santa Barbara Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshal and UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt state in the lawsuit.
“The sheer number of academic student employees, volume of courses that they teach, and specialized skills they bring to their work makes finding substitute instructors impossible. Should this strike occur, tens of thousands of undergraduate students will see crucial lectures, seminars, discussion groups, and labs canceled,” Marshall continued.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of California and UC UAW, the academic union, for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
