Previously: UC Walkouts, Rallies Planned For Today
University of California students, faculty and staff are holding strikes and walkouts at UC campuses today to protest how the system’s Board of Regents has dealt with reductions in state funding.
Protests are planned throughout the day, including a noon rally at UC Berkeley’s Upper Sproul Plaza.
The protests are being organized by the University Professional and Technical Employees-Communication Workers of America union Local 9119.
In July, the Board of Regents approved a plan to institute employee furloughs along with other cuts and fee hikes. UC President Mark Yudof also announced this month a plan to increase student fees by another $2,514 over the next year.
Picket lines were set up at all 10 UC campuses this morning, including Berkeley, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. There was also a protest at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
The protests and strikes will only be for today, the first day of class on most of the campuses, but Tanya Smith, president of the UPTE-CWA Berkeley chapter, said they will likely be used “as a springboard for more things.”
The vote on the new fee hike proposal is not expected to take place until November, and Smith said that she thinks there will be more actions before then.
In response to today’s actions, UC Berkeley has planned a teach-in this afternoon to discuss the decline of state funding for public higher education.
That event is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. at One Pimentel Hall.
