The University of California filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) with the state Public Employment Relations Board today, asking the state to order UAW 4811 and its bargaining unit members to cease and desist strike activity.
UAW authorized a potential strike on Wednesday and has stated action is imminent and would be designed to “maximize chaos and confusion” across the UC system. On May 17, UAW announced it asked its members at UC Santa Cruz to strike on Monday, May 20. UC’s filing asks PERB to issue a cease and desist to UAW from engaging in any current strike activities and refrain from future strikes violating the no-strike provision in its collective bargaining agreements.
“Given UAW’s publicly stated position and the subsequent potential impacts on our students and campuses, we are forced to take decisive action to ensure we can continue to fulfill our fundamental missions of teaching, research and public service,” said Melissa Matella, associate vice president for Systemwide Labor Relations.
Each of UAW’s four systemwide bargaining units with UC state: The UAW, on behalf of its officers, agents and members, agrees that there shall be no strikes, including sympathy strikes, stoppages or interruptions of work, or other concerted activities which interfere directly or indirectly with University operations during the life of this agreement or any written extension thereof. The UAW, on behalf of its officers, agents, and members, agrees that it shall not in any way authorize, assist, encourage, participate in, sanction, ratify, condone, or lend support to any activities in violation of this article.
“We respect and value a productive working relationship with our labor unions,” Matella added. “We collaborate regularly to reach mutually beneficial agreements around employment terms. We have and continue to hope that UAW will honor the terms of our contracts.”
For more information about UC and UAW, visit https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor-news/uaw-news-and-updates-2/