UCLA Students Rally for Union

The UCLA Students Assn. of Graduate Employees / UAW held a series of lively rallies on campus Wednesday to kick off a three-day strike for collective bargaining rights.

The strike, meant to pressure the administration into acknowledging the union of graduate student employees, is the group’s second one this academic year and was planned to coincide with similar strikes at other UC campuses.

The rallies attracted about 1,000 teaching assistants, undergraduate students and members of other unaffiliated unions.

“Some people think this is all about dental benefits,” said Steve Shea, a teaching assistant in the history department. “But the real issue is whether grad students can have a say in their employment.”

The answer from the administration is that they can’t.

“Our position is still the same as before,” said Robin Fischer, associate dean of the graduate division. “Chancellor [Charles] Young has not seen fit to acknowledge SAGE/UAW.”

University officials said that during the union’s five-day strike in November, only three graduate student employees failed to meet their teaching obligations. The union said it represents 2,500 members.

Many employees held classes off-campus or after picketing hours, Fischer said.

But union members disputed that estimate and said the university was ill-equipped to make such a determination.

John Medearis, a spokesman for the union, said union officials held extensive conversations with academic student employees and learned that many of the union members did in fact strike.

UCLA is appealing an administrative law judge’s ruling that instructional employees have the right to unionize.