With final exams just a week away, graduate teaching assistants went on strike at all eight University of California campuses for the first time in a battle over their right to unionize. There are about 9,000 teaching assistants, readers and tutors. Scott Prudham, a member of the Berkeley-based graduate student association, expected at least that many, probably more, were striking at campuses in Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside and Santa Cruz. Teaching assistants lead discussion groups, help students prepare for tests, grade papers and act as mentors.
Tutors give individual remedial instruction, and readers grade papers and exams.
There have been many other strikes before, but this is the first time grad assistants have simultaneously walked out at all UC campuses. The issue is whether the students can unionize for collective bargaining, a right they have been trying to win for 15 years. The university system does not recognize the union, and it has no bargaining rights. Its position is that teaching assistants are primarily students, not employees, and don't have the right to unionize. We're more employee, than student Graduates assistants argue they handle the bulk of teaching duties, so they deserve to be considered employees.