These UC Santa Cruz Graduate Students Are Striking For Better Working Conditions

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The student workers at UCSC first decided to withhold from submitting undergraduates’ grades by the fall quarter deadline of December 18, an action the university told them was an “abandonment of your job responsibilities,” but the movement soon escalated to a labor strike. By early February 2020, 82 student workers refused to submit grades, and over 300 refused to teach classes, hold office hours, or conduct research. In response, the university sent dismissal letters to 54 student workers regarding their teaching assistant positions in the upcoming spring term on February 28, and 28 other student workers were told they would “no longer be considered” for teaching positions.