The fate of an ongoing strike by UC academic workers at a critical time of the year with finals underway could be decided Friday morning in an Orange County courthouse. University of California officials have twice failed before the state Public Employment Relations Board to halt the United Auto Workers Local 4811 union strike that kicked off nearly three weeks ago at UC Santa Cruz and has spread to six campuses, including UCLA and UC Irvine.
The union represents graduate teaching assistants, researchers and other academic workers who lead discussion groups, grade papers, conduct research and administer exams, among other responsibilities. It authorized the strikes last month, alleging its members’ free speech rights were harmed during crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Irvine, among other charges.