UC Irvine academic workers join strike over response to pro-Palestinian protests

Academic workers protest at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Xinhua)

LOS ANGELES, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine in the western U.S. state of California walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests.

"TODAY! UC Irvine stands up to join its sister campuses on ULP (unfair labor practice) strike against the UC's continued violent repression of workers' rights," announced the workers' union United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4811 on social media platform X on Wednesday morning.

The largest employee union in the UC system represents 48,000 graduate teaching assistants, researchers and others at 10 UC campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of the public university system.

"We have the fundamental right as employees to a strike, to walk off the job," Michelle Gardner, a UC academic worker, told Xinhua on the campus, adding that "We are not afraid."

She criticized the UC's violent crackdown on students and academic workers' right to free speech and peaceful protest against the war in Gaza.

The union's members voted last month to authorize a strike to protest the university's controversial response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, which they said has caused unsafe work conditions and violated their free speech rights.

The first UC campus that stood up and withheld labor was UC Santa Cruz where academic workers walked off the job on May 20. The walkout spread to UC Los Angeles and UC Davis on May 28, and further expanded to two more campuses, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara, on Monday.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been spreading at colleges and universities across the United States amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Hundreds were arrested in crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests and encampments on UC campuses across the state. Around 50 people were arrested on May 15 during police crackdown on a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at UC Irvine.

An academic worker protests at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Xinhua)

Academic workers protest at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Academic workers protest at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Xinhua)

Academic workers protest at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Academic workers protest at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

An academic worker protests at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua)

Academic workers protest at the University of California (UC), Irvine in Orange County, California, the United States, on June 5, 2024. Academic workers at the University of California (UC), Irvine walked off the job on Wednesday, joining their counterparts at other campuses in the UC system on strike in response to the university's handling of pro-Palestinian protests. (Xinhua)