These past few weeks, University of California Academic Workers across the state have been striking through UAW 2865 in support of livable wages for severely rent-burdened workers. These workers include graduate student instructors (GSIs), post-docs, student researchers, tutors, readers and teaching assistants. These workers have been living off wages as low as $24,000 per year, making it extremely difficult to afford rent and food simultaneously.
I have heard many complaints about the strike, so I wanted to provide my perspective on this significant movement, specifically at my school — the University of California, Berkeley.
The UC Academic Workers, most notably the GSIs, are the backbone of this institution. With professors teaching lectures with as many as 1500 pupils, students rely on small group discussions led by GSIs for instruction. GSIs often have to fill the gaps the professor misses during lectures. Professors have limited office hours and too many students to interact with. Moreover, some professors have inflated egos, as expected teaching at the popular UC system, making it hard to converse with them if you don’t have a spine built of metal.
Spoiler alert: My spine is built of Jenga blocks.
Throughout my time at Berkeley, this has been the first semester I interacted with professors multiple times. In previous semesters, I’ve had professors be too busy to meet up or be too intimidating. When I finally met with a professor, she called my question “dumb” and refused to answer it, asking me if I had another question. A few months after, I met with a separate professor for the first time. When I asked him to clarify a concept I did not understand, he falsely accused me of not attending a previous lecture and told me to watch a recorded version.
By contrast, I have not had a single GSI who did not genuinely care for my success (other than one who was out half of the semester). If I couldn’t make it to their office hours, they would direct me to another GSI’s office, where I would still be treated with respect and receive help. My GSIs never asked me to provide a doctor’s note when I explained my situation to them and would answer questions whenever they could, not two weeks after the deadline had passed.
I have anxiety and find it extremely difficult to stand up for myself, whether it be in the classroom or with my friends. It is empowering to see the GSIs unite with other workers against a large corporation that has at least twice the resources (lawyers, money, power) they have. It takes strength for the GSIs to take a stand and have the entire country watch their every move. Therefore, it frustrates me when I see my peers complain about needing to have class or their GSIs not emailing them back.
The GSIs have terrible living conditions and we should not let our wants dictate their needs. It’s the university’s responsibility — not the GSIs — to find alternative solutions for our exams and grades if they do not pay their workers. One UC Berkeley student explained why she supports the UAW, stating, “The GSIs are always there for us when we need them. This is our chance to be there for them.”
The university started this mess, so they must clean it up. Instead of spending millions of dollars, using our tuition, on buying multiple homes for the chancellors and UC president, they should focus their efforts on their students. By paying their graduate students, they will help their undergraduate students receive a better education.
Similar sentiments were expressed at UC San Diego, halfway across the state from UC Berkeley. Undergraduate student and tutor Ariel wrote, “As an undergraduate tutor and a student, this strike has impacted me in so many ways. As a tutor, I felt it was my obligation to contribute to the strike’s success by canceling my office hours with contempt to ensure that our professors, especially in STEM departments like CSE, feel the impact in the most substantial way possible. My goal by withholding labor is to make sure that we as workers stand united in solidarity to make sure that our strike has meaning and to try and put pressure on UC to negotiate in the best faith on the shortest time scale possible. Meanwhile, as a student, I’ve felt the impact of classes moving remotely or being canceled altogether due to a lack of support instruction, which shows me that this strike is working. And while UC may continue to stall, we as students and workers will stand solid and undeterred, and I hope this persistence forces the UC regents to act in the best faith.”
No change comes without hardship, something deeply enshrined not only in Berkeley’s history but throughout the UC system. UAW 2865 asks for $54,000 a year, minimum, to live in California without worrying about rent. The pay is far from ideal, but all workers want is a livable wage. The UC administration must now stop being greedy and negotiate with UC academic workers. One thing is clear: UAW 2865 will not end the strike until their demands are met. And we must stand in solidarity with them.