Officials at the University of California at Santa Cruz said they were “left with no choice” but to fire the students, who say they need a cost-of-living adjustment in order to live nearby.More details:
The University of California, Santa Cruz fired 54 teaching assistants (TAs) Friday after they went on strike for higher wages.Those of you who want more government, who think government is always the solution against evil capitalist ways--this is government, this is the University of California system.
The graduate students began withholding final fall grades as part of a wildcat strike not approved by union leadership. Striking assistants said the wage increase was necessary to keep up with the cost of living.
"We are sympathetic to the high cost of housing in Santa Cruz and the pressure this puts on TAs, but a wildcat strike is not the way to get relief," university President Janet Napolitano said in a Feb. 14 letter to the striking students, CNN reported.
The students also said that in addition to the 54 fired students, 28 other TAs were sent notices that they would not be considered for such positions in the next semester.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded to the firings Friday, calling them “disgraceful” and asking Napolitano and the university to “stop this outrageous union busting and negotiate in good faith"...
The university has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the union for failing to stop the strike in keeping with its collective bargaining agreement. The union counterfiled its own charge, saying the school has refused to meet with the union to negotiate cost-of-living adjustments.
And if there are no risks to striking, you end up like France. I hope no one wants that.
Does Bernie listen to himself speaking?
ReplyDeleteSen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) responded ...“stop this outrageous union busting and negotiate in good faith"...
Ummm, the university bargained in good faith. They had a valid contract with the union. Workers didn't abide by the contract. So aren't the workers the ones who didn't bargain in good faith and were in fact, employer-busting?
I would be shocked if the university wasn't within its rights to fire the TAs. They were holding hostage the grades of students who needed them to graduate and get jobs. They violated the terms of their employment under the union contract and thus do not have a right to further employment.
To not allow the university to do would set a precedent that the union could strike whenever it wants regardless of what the contract says. I think the TAs got a good life lesson here.