Ariana Isabel Duckett
News Editor
On May 1, International Workers’ Day, UC workers and students hosted the May Day Rally, or We Make the University Work Rally, at UC Santa Barbara (UCSB). American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 and University Professional and Technical Employees-Communications Workers of America (UPTE-CWA) 9119 also held a one-day strike against the University of California’s (UC) unfair labor practices. Several other unions and labor organizations participated in solidarity with the two unions, which were on strike due to the UC system’s unfair labor practices.
Teach-ins were held at the steps of Storke Tower from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. One exercise included identifying worker rights versus civil rights. Several participants shared negative work experiences they had had — being “fired for asking for overtime” and using dangerous cleaning products which “ate through” employees’ clothes and gave them rashes.
“When we fight together, we win together.”
Angie Magaña, a nurse practitioner at UCSB Student Health Services and member of the California Nurses Association, spoke during the rally about the importance of solidarity amongst the local unions and labor organizations. “Anytime any of us is underpaid, overworked, or disrespected, we all are,” Magaña said. “Those of us working on the front line, those of us who are providing care, who are educating our students, who are running this university, are being told to accept less, and be grateful for it.”
According to Magaña, “This is not just about money. This is about values,” to create a UC “where labor is respected, where contracts are fair, and where workers have a real voice” instead of one which is not “investing in our students” or their education. “When we fight together, we win together.”
Laurence Young, the business agent of Teamsters Local 2010, addressed UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang, who announced he was stepping down in August 2024, and his future predecessor, who has not been chosen yet.
“If you treat [on-campus workers] with respect and dignity, you will be perceived as a respectful and dignified member of our community,” Young said. “If you ignore us and deny us the fair wages and benefits that we’ve earned, you will be marked as a burden, and we will address that burdensome relationship through all the avenues of power available to us.”
Young then addressed Chancellor Yang directly, “Please remember, we are your peers … and most importantly, we are your neighbors.”
Marches commenced in the morning and continued on and off until 2 p.m. Chants included “UC, UC, you can’t hide / we can see your greedy side,” and “UC, UC, you’re no good / treat your workers like you should.”
Analyzing the Past to Assert a New Future
AFSCME service unit vice president Francisco Garcia, who is also a senior lead in the UCSB custodial department, spoke with The Bottom Line (TBL) about the personal impact of the UC hiring freeze.
According to Garcia, the hiring freeze occurred “in the middle of bargaining,” which Garcia described as “very unfair.”
Thirteen thousand workers left the UC in the past three years for “better-quality working conditions” and “better pay,” Garcia said, which additionally burdens the workers like Garcia who stayed.
“It’s hard for us because then we have to cover for whoever left,” according to Garcia. “The workload is huge. People get injured.”
Santa Barbara City Councilmember Wendy Santamaria spoke with TBL after the rally about the UC being a “common oppressor” amongst local unions. Santamaria graduated UCSB in 2020 and used to be involved in AFSCME.
“This being May Day, we have to remember this is a day looking back on history — that revolution — and for, you know, losses and victories,” Santamaria said. “We really made great strides, and that’s why May Day is so important to workers and the working classes. It’s all interconnected.”