Today's strike activities

As you know, today was the first day of a two-day systemwide strike called by the United Auto Workers union. On our campus, the UAW represents approximately 600 teaching assistants.

For most of the day, the campus has been able to keep the West Entrance open to vehicular traffic. The exception began before 6:30 a.m., when strike participants were impeding the ability of motorists to enter campus. The entrance was reopened by 8 a.m.

In the process of reopening the west entrance, UC police arrested 20 people. Nineteen arrests were without incident and involved protestors who were standing in the middle of Empire Grade, a county road. They were given several orders to disperse. They refused and were subsequently arrested on charges that included blocking an entrance to a university, disobeying an order from an officer, and failing to disperse. One other person was additionally charged with resisting arrest.

I appreciate the calm and professional manner in which UC police handled this morning's challenge. Other members of the campus community are also to be commended for their patience and understanding.

As we get closer to Thursday, please continue to stay informed about any impacts that result from this strike. Please check the campus home page or go directly to a strike information web site for information about transportation, dining, and other many services that could be impacted.

In addition to updating that web page as information warrants, the campus will continue to:

•  Record information on the campus's communications hotline, 459-INFO (831-459-4636).
•  Relay information on a regular basis to KZSC Radio (88.1 FM) for broadcast.
•  Share information via Twitter (twitter.com/ucsc).

Thank you.