The Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Department urges the UCSC administration to persuade UCOP to bargain with the UAW in good faith and to take the bargaining position of the UC Graduate Student Associations seriously. This is necessary to bring UC’s graduate student employee salary scale into line with that of our comparison institutions, to account for the cost of living in California, and to keep pace with the rate of inflation especially in rents and cost of living. This is made all the more urgent by the ongoing critical shortage of affordable rental housing in Santa Cruz county. A recent study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition ranked the Santa Cruz-Watsonville metropolitan area as the second most expensive region in the nation for renters.
As a departmental community, we have always advocated for our graduate student colleagues in their studies and in their work. We did so during the 2019-2020 strike and we will continue to do so. We well understand that students not only have the right to strike but also may need to strike to bring about a resolution that meets their pressing needs. Our department and university rely on the labor of our Academic Student Employees to carry out our research and teaching missions; supporting them supports us all.
As part of our support, we will not cooperate with any retaliatory or disciplinary measures against strike activity. Faculty will not be expected to make up for work not carried out by striking employees. We are, however, aware that we have obligations to all of our students, undergraduate and graduate alike, and we are committed to their success. We will maintain open lines of communication under all circumstances.