Dear campus community,
Our campus received notice last Friday that there will be a labor strike from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10by AFSCME service (SX), patient care technical (EX), and skilled trades (K7) workers. Additional bargaining units, healthcare professionals, research support professionals, and technical employees will be joining the strike in sympathy. In advance of this scheduled strike activity, we write to share some information and resources that you may find helpful.
The university is committed to ensuring that all people may exercise the constitutionally protected rights of free expression, speech, and assembly. The ongoing opportunity for the expression of a variety of viewpoints is at the core of this commitment. The right of free speech in a university includes the right to acts of peaceful dissent, protests in peaceable assembly, and orderly demonstrations which include picketing.
It is equally important to know that these rights are subject to restrictions based on time, place, and manner rules. For example, UC policy does not allow free expression to disrupt the regular and essential operations of the university, to significantly infringe on the rights of others, or to block or impede ingress to or egress from the campus or buildings. When free expression disrupts our ability to offer classes, administer exams, carry on research, or run the university in general—or when it violates university policy or the law in any way—then it may be subject to disciplinary consequences.
Additionally, please remember that no employee is ever obligated to strike. Unions are legally prohibited from threatening or coercing members in other ways to keep them from coming to work. Staff members should remain in contact with their supervisors and managers to discuss their schedules and work locations.
If you feel you are being threatened, harassed, intimidated about crossing the picket line, or are prevented from working by picketers or striking employees, please immediately notify your supervisor and your campus employee & labor relations office. In cases of emergency, please dial 9-1-1.
Though we do not know how these strike activities will impact the operation of our campus, we are working to do everything we can to ensure continued operations. TAPS Transit Operations will give highest priority to providing Disability Van Service (DVS) clients transport between on-campus locations while suspending the Bike Shuttle and regular Loop and Upper Campus shuttle services. Santa Cruz Metro buses typically do not enter campus during strikes; however, they generally drop-off and pick-up riders at the base of campus.
It is anticipated that three dining halls will be open during the strike; however, dining hall hours will be limited from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the types of prepared food available will be limited as well. We also anticipate that all cafes and restaurants operated by UC Santa Cruz Dining may be closed.
We also anticipate that the Student Health Services will be open during the strike, but will have limited services. The health center recommends that students proactively take care of any immediate health care needs such as medication refills prior to the strike. Walk-in crisis sessions will be available at CAPS during the day until 4 p.m. In the event that a student needs access to telephone crisis assessment after 4 p.m., please direct UCSC students to call 831-459-2628, and select option “3” (talk to counselor) on the automated menu. The student will be connected to a crisis counselor who can provide immediate consultation and support by phone. All students can access LiveHealth Online, a telehealth service that connects students with a healthcare practitioner via computer or mobile device. Visit the website to learn more: https://healthcenter.ucsc.edu/billing-insurance/livehealthonline.html.
If you have questions about campus operations on strike days, information will be posted on a special web site: http://www.ucsc.edu/advisory/, recorded on the campus communication hotline (459-INFO), provided to KZSC Radio (88.1 FM) for broadcast, and shared via the campus Twitter account (https://twitter.com/ucsc). If access to the campus is not possible, further instructions to the campus community will be posted via these channels.
Thank you for your patience during this time.
