UAW Local 4811 & Other Unions Are Taking Action To Support Union Members Engaging In Protests

An important article in The Guardian under the headline "Union plans strike vote over crackdown on University of California Gaza protests" opens with the following:

The largest union of academic workers, which represents more than 48,000 graduate student workers throughout the University of California system, will hold a strike authorization vote as early as next week in response to how universities have cracked down on students’ Gaza protests.

“The use and sanction of violent force to curtail peaceful protest is an attack on free speech and the right to demand change, and the university must sit down with students, unions, and campus organizations to negotiate, rather than escalate,” read an announcement of the strike vote from UAW local 4811.

Earlier this year, the union voted by a margin of more than nine to one in favor of supporting a ceasefire, according to the announcement.

Read more here.

From UAW Local 4811

A May, 2024 post on UAW Local 4811's website gives the following advisory notice:

Last night, LAPD police in riot gear arrested more than 200 peaceful student protesters and academic workers exercising their legal right to demonstrate against the death, destruction and human suffering directed at the people of Gaza. Many of those arrested had spent the previous night seeking medical care or hospitalization after being physically attacked and maced by a group of anti-Palestinian counter-protesters. Though UCLA and LAPD were on notice of the attacks, they deliberately failed to respond.

In response, our union is preparing Unfair Labor Practice charges against UCLA arising from the Administration’s conduct and actions taken at their request. UCLA administration unilaterally took action that impacted our teaching, our work obligations, our safety and our academic freedom. Of note, under existing University policy, employees had the right to engage in peaceful protest at the worksite. When faced with the Palestine Solidarity encampment, UCLA administration unilaterally changed its policies without providing notice or bargaining. In so doing it violated its policy of content neutrality toward speech by favoring employees engaged in anti-Palestine speech over employees engaged in Pro-Palestine speech. It went further by unilaterally changing workplace policies by prohibiting pro-Palestine speech at the worksite. UCLA used its powers to not only change policy but then, in an unprecedented act, used brute force and police intervention to prevent students and workers from exercising what have historically been rights at the University.

As early as next week, academic workers will hold a Strike Authorization Vote to be able to respond to the Administration’s actions as circumstances dictate.

Yesterday, the Daily Californian reported that UC Berkeley management has started negotiations with the Free Palestine encampment. This option remains open to other campuses as well.

In solidarity,

Anny Viloria Winnett
Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA
ASE Trustee, UAW 4811

From the Graduate Labor Organization at Brown University