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Resolution in Support of UAW Strikers and Student Protest Climate at UC
University of California Student Association had a meeting and passed a resolution in support of student activists at UC Santa Cruz.
Resolution:
WHEREAS from April 2-3, UAW 2865, the UC Student-Workers Union, called for a peaceful, legal strike in protest of management’s unlawful intimidation of student-workers; and
WHEREAS on April 2 at UCSC, during the start of the picket line, police responded by intimidating and arresting students who were exercising their rights. Members and undergraduate allies were arrested without reason, and with unnecessary force, while trying to exercise their right to a moving picket; and
WHEREAS on April 3 at UCSC and across the state, the UC police continued to intimidate and arrest peaceful students participating in a legal strike; and
WHEREAS the UCSC administration strategically chose to escalate a peaceful, lawful picket by importing riot police from UC Berkeley prior to the demonstrations. The Berkeley police have a history of physically assaulting both students and faculty at peaceful demonstrations. Wearing riot helmets and batons, and resting their hands on their weapons, police used conflicting messages to create confusion about what demonstrators could do to avoid arrest; and
WHEREAS the UCSC administration deprived UAW members of their legal right to picket; and
WHEREAS graduate and undergraduate students were held for 10 hours on April 2 in County Jail and are now entangled in the legal system; and
WHEREAS media distortions were spread by officials, including the posting of names and mugshots of arrested students. UCSC Spokesperson Jim Burns specifically made false claims that UAW graduate students were the primary people arrested, that a young woman incited violence by hitting an officer in the head, and that a student pretended to be shot with a taser; and
WHEREAS from threats to international student’s visa status who participate in union activity, to unlawful videoing, and calling legal strikes illegal, the UC has proved time and time again that it will say anything to prevent student-workers from exercising their rights; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that UCSA reaffirms it’s support for UAW 2865 and other labor Unions, and the work they do to represent workers;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA condemns the use of police violence and intimidation against peaceful protests;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA leadership will demand a meeting with Jim Burns, UC Spokesperson, to discuss the lies he spread in the media and to form a policy in the future to prevent abuses such as these;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA representatives and leadership will put pressure on Administration to immediately drop all charges against the UCSC students. Administrators to target should include Alison Galloway, UCSC EVC and Provost, George Blumenthal, UCSC Chancellor, Nader Oweis, UCSC Chief of Police, and Janet Napolitano, UC President;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA leadership will demand a meeting with Janet Napolitano to review the police response to the UAW 2865 strike within the context of the recommendations from the Edley/Robinson Report, and demand that these recommendations be met and future police activity be used to protect peaceful protest,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UCSA believes that UCSC officials involved should be held accountable for the escalation of the situation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UCSA believes the UCSC administration be reprimanded for its failure to resolve the situation peacefully and engaging in the tactics of hard line and intimidation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UCSA calls on President Napolitano to develop a system-wide policy of handling student protests in UC setting the commitment to compromise, a peaceful dialogue and the absence of physical confrontation as the main priorities.
WHEREAS from April 2-3, UAW 2865, the UC Student-Workers Union, called for a peaceful, legal strike in protest of management’s unlawful intimidation of student-workers; and
WHEREAS on April 2 at UCSC, during the start of the picket line, police responded by intimidating and arresting students who were exercising their rights. Members and undergraduate allies were arrested without reason, and with unnecessary force, while trying to exercise their right to a moving picket; and
WHEREAS on April 3 at UCSC and across the state, the UC police continued to intimidate and arrest peaceful students participating in a legal strike; and
WHEREAS the UCSC administration strategically chose to escalate a peaceful, lawful picket by importing riot police from UC Berkeley prior to the demonstrations. The Berkeley police have a history of physically assaulting both students and faculty at peaceful demonstrations. Wearing riot helmets and batons, and resting their hands on their weapons, police used conflicting messages to create confusion about what demonstrators could do to avoid arrest; and
WHEREAS the UCSC administration deprived UAW members of their legal right to picket; and
WHEREAS graduate and undergraduate students were held for 10 hours on April 2 in County Jail and are now entangled in the legal system; and
WHEREAS media distortions were spread by officials, including the posting of names and mugshots of arrested students. UCSC Spokesperson Jim Burns specifically made false claims that UAW graduate students were the primary people arrested, that a young woman incited violence by hitting an officer in the head, and that a student pretended to be shot with a taser; and
WHEREAS from threats to international student’s visa status who participate in union activity, to unlawful videoing, and calling legal strikes illegal, the UC has proved time and time again that it will say anything to prevent student-workers from exercising their rights; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that UCSA reaffirms it’s support for UAW 2865 and other labor Unions, and the work they do to represent workers;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA condemns the use of police violence and intimidation against peaceful protests;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA leadership will demand a meeting with Jim Burns, UC Spokesperson, to discuss the lies he spread in the media and to form a policy in the future to prevent abuses such as these;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA representatives and leadership will put pressure on Administration to immediately drop all charges against the UCSC students. Administrators to target should include Alison Galloway, UCSC EVC and Provost, George Blumenthal, UCSC Chancellor, Nader Oweis, UCSC Chief of Police, and Janet Napolitano, UC President;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UCSA leadership will demand a meeting with Janet Napolitano to review the police response to the UAW 2865 strike within the context of the recommendations from the Edley/Robinson Report, and demand that these recommendations be met and future police activity be used to protect peaceful protest,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UCSA believes that UCSC officials involved should be held accountable for the escalation of the situation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UCSA believes the UCSC administration be reprimanded for its failure to resolve the situation peacefully and engaging in the tactics of hard line and intimidation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UCSA calls on President Napolitano to develop a system-wide policy of handling student protests in UC setting the commitment to compromise, a peaceful dialogue and the absence of physical confrontation as the main priorities.
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I am quite appalled that students were arrested during a peaceful demonstration in support of strikers. My son is a supporter of the strikers. He has been brought up in on the ideals of Dr. King and Ghandi, who demanded change with out the use of violence. We are working class and support unions and workers rights. It is sad that I fear for him at a great university that has now chosen to use violence and arrests to quell the strike. Please do the right thing, and desist from using riot police who incite violence rather than keep the peace when dealing with the peaceful protesters.
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