Dear Wildcats,
TL;DR: The sick-out strike on January 22 is going ahead! Make your plans for here or San Francisco!
The strike poll is drawing to a close and you can expect to receive full results and information over the weekend.
One question from the poll gauged interest in a sick-out strike next Wednesday, January 22, the day of the Regents meeting. This entails taking one of your contractually guaranteed and legally protected sick days on this day. (More information on this below*).
At the time of writing**, we have 358 TAs and GSIs committed to this sick-out strike. A further 372 non-teaching grads voted in support of the sick-out strike, with overall support presently at 86% of respondents. This email is to let those graduate students know that the strike is therefore going ahead, and that they are in good company. So, get ready!
There are graduates, undergraduates, and workers from multiple campuses attending the Regents meeting on the 22nd. People are using the public comments section to raise our various demands, attending a rally outside, sharing food, building community and solidarity, and making organizing connections with folks across the UC.
If you are able, we suggest you come to this meeting. We have a bus departing from Quarry Plaza at 4:30am and Trader Joe’s parking lot at 4:45am. Please fill in this form ASAP if you plan on attending: bit.ly/eattheregents.
There will also be activities in Santa Cruz. More information to follow!
*Article 17 of the collective bargaining agreement governs sick days. Nothing in that article requires or permits the university to demand proof of illness for a sick day. Instead it requires the university to grant a “reasonable request” for a sick day. If the university attempts to require you to produce proof of illness, it would arguably be a violation of Article 17 and is something the union could grieve.
**A reminder that we are extending the deadline for COLA Straw Poll to 10pm Saturday, 1/18. Please click here to take the poll if you haven’t already.