Quick Take
UC Santa Cruz workers from six different unions, including those representing graduate students, contractors and dining workers, held a protest Thursday denouncing restrictions against protest activity on university property. They’re calling on the University of California and the UCSC administration to end policies such as prohibiting the wearing of masks while protesting.
About 150 people, including roughly 40 workers from several unions, called on UC Santa Cruz and University of California administrators to end restrictions on protest activities on campuses during a rally Thursday morning at Quarry Plaza.
The event, called the “UC Workers Rally Against Repression!” was organized by six unions on the UCSC campus and targeted the time, place and manner restrictions – which include the UC’s ban on encampments and the use of masks while protesting.
Jake Adiarte, Nor Cal Carpenters Union director of organizing, told Lookout they want the university to know the unions are together in denouncing the restrictions on protest activities.
“We’re here to stand up and fight [against] the time, place and manner issues that UC Santa Cruz is pushing on the individuals that want to speak their mind, show their opinions,” he said. “Frankly, it’s our free speech rights to be able to do that.”
The rally comes after students and workers have been approached by UCSC police, and in at least one case were arrested, for protest activities at the university. In October, UCSC police arrested a student on campus who used a microphone and wore a mask during a protest marking the anniversary of the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Adiarte told Lookout that workers represented by the carpenters union were told they couldn’t use a banner held together by PVC pipe as it was considered a “structure” and the restrictions prohibit structures.
Echoing what students and faculty members have told Lookout, Adiarte said the time, place and manner restrictions are unclear and difficult to understand.
UCSC spokesperson Scott Hernandez-Jason told Lookout via email that several demonstrations on campus this academic year have complied with the restrictions.
“UC Santa Cruz has clear and straightforward policies designed to both support rights of free expression at the university, while preserving the right of our campus community to access education, residences, and campus facilities,” he wrote.
Dozens of professors and students have signed a petition urging the UC to end the time, place and manner restrictions.
“It is clear that these policies are not a guideline for safe conduct on campus, as the UC administration contends, but rather a license to crack down on workers’ and students’ exercise of their protected right to protest,” the petition reads. “[United Auto Workers] 4811 and other unions have responded by issuing a demand to bargain over these Time Place Manner restrictions, and bargaining is currently underway.”
UAW 4811 represents about 48,000 graduate students across the 10 UC campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The union represents more than 1,500 workers at UCSC.
Unions with representatives at the rally included UAW, AFSCME, UPTE, the Nor Cal Carpenters, the American Federation of Teachers and the Santa Cruz Faculty Association. The Santa Cruz Faculty Association is the union representing UCSC faculty.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME) Local 3299 represents University of California employees who work in patient care, dining, custodial, transportation and other service areas. At UCSC, it represents more than 27 patient-care workers and 474 custodial and transportation workers.
University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119 (UPTE) represents about 19,000 UC system workers, including physician assistants, pharmacists, mental health clinicians and information technology workers. At UCSC, it represents about 232 workers.
The University Council-American Federation of Teachers, or UC-AFT, represents about 6,500 lecturers across the UC system, and about 350 at UCSC. NorCal Carpenters represents construction workers for contractors that have projects taking place on the campus, such as Bjork Construction Company and Largo Concrete.
Kevin Painchaud contributed to this report.
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