1 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: Hello, podcast fans, it's me today, It's James. It's only James. 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: We're giving you some updates on the UC strike, but 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: we recorded these before some changes happened. Progress you could 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: call it. Maybe it's not progress, depends on where you're 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: at a position wise with that. But there are two 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: interviews today. One's going to explain a little bit about 7 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: the bargaining and the differences between rank and fire on 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: the bargaining team. The other one is going to explain 9 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: the very important and radical and and progressive access needs 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: demands that were made. And it seems like ultimately not 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: at least I'm not on the table in this tentative agreement. 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: So that's a tentative agreement out for voting right now. 13 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,279 Speaker 1: If you have been on the internet today Saturday, and 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: if you've been on today, you will have seen it 15 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: presented as if the strike was over. That's not necessarily 16 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: the case, right The contractors up for ratification and it's 17 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: ratified by union members who have to vote on it. 18 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: A number of people who are organizing for a no vote, 19 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: especially people who are in department, saw parts of the 20 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: university which would qualify follower tears of pay. The contract 21 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: has tiered pay, has tiered pay both geographically and depict 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: based on what kind of work you're doing. Um So, 23 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:11,639 Speaker 1: a lot of people who are left at the bottom 24 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: of those tears are obviously feeling like they've they've been 25 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: out of strike for five weeks and haven't got what 26 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: they wanted. A lot of people who run those higher 27 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: tears are also feeling like they should be expressing solidarity 28 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: with their fellow workers at the bottom. But you will 29 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: have seen like a lot of reporting. Some of it 30 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: came up very very quickly after the after the attentative 31 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: agreement was made, which it's odd and perhaps is because 32 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 1: the union appears to be the union staff. I should 33 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: say to people who are who are making these some 34 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: of the people who are who are in favor of 35 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: this contractor using a PR company which appears to have 36 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,839 Speaker 1: maybe seeded some stories and some publications, but we can't 37 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: be sure. Certainly they were very quick to press. So 38 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: I would urge you to listen to this as sort 39 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: of a coda to some of what you might be reading. 40 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: There are two things. You can listen to them separately. 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: You can listen one after the other. We won't have 42 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: any podcasts for a while over there, open to break, 43 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: so I will speak to you again in the new year. 44 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: And I hope you enjoyed both these interviews. Mohammed, can 45 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: you just explain, first of all, tell folks at which 46 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: campus you're at and maybe what you're studying and where 47 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: you are in the in the giant structure that is, 48 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: like the U A W, U C S D. Yeah. Absolutely, 49 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: so I'm at you see San Diego. UM, I'm a 50 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: fifth year in the PhD program in the Department of 51 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: Ethnic Studies. And yeah, I specifically study like Muslim racialization 52 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 1: and sectarianism in the US UM. And how that, Yeah, 53 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: how that looks up to like imperialism, settler colonialism, UM, 54 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,399 Speaker 1: gender formations, things like that. UM. And I suppose my 55 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: place within this, as you say, like the labyrinth of U, C, 56 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: S D, ANU A W politics. UM. Right now, I'm 57 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: just a ranking final member UM. However, a couple of 58 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: years ago, I was UM the unit chair for San Diego. 59 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: So I was actually on the bargaining team previously. UM. 60 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: And that was at the beginning of the pandemic UM. 61 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: And so a lot of like COVID bargaining, for example, UM, 62 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 1: I sort of like oversaw that and prior to that, 63 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: I UM was organizer with the Cola movement and so 64 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: I helped organize the wildcat strike. UM great San Diego. Yeah, nice, Yeah, Yeah, 65 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: there's a long history of union organizing. It's good. And 66 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: so can you explain to folks a little bit about 67 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: because you mentioned the bargaining team there, right, and maybe 68 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: people wouldn't be familiar with the distinctions in union organization. 69 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: Obviously this is in Italy in the nineteen sixties, so 70 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: you don't bargain with the entire union on mass e sadly, 71 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: but they do. The university meets with a certain group 72 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: of union representatives, So can you explain like who they 73 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: are and how they're selected to start with? Maybe? Yeah, absolutely, UM. 74 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: So there are essentially two levels of three level of 75 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: leadership UM within the union. So at the top, in 76 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: terms of statewide leadership, you have the Executive Board UM 77 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: and that's you know, like president, vice presidents for North 78 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: and South campuses UM, trustees, treasurers, things like that UM. 79 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: And then you have campus based leadership and that's split 80 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: between head stewards that are apportioned to campuses based on 81 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: their population in size UM. And then you have to 82 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: kind of sort of like head leadership positions, one being 83 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: the unit chair and the other being the recording secretary. 84 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: And so the bargaining team for the whole union is 85 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: composed of the unit chair and the sec from each 86 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: campus UM. And at this time around, we've added someone 87 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: from you see, San Francisco. They're usually not represented, like 88 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: in the past bargaining cycles they haven't been, So there 89 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: are now nineteen people on UM, the u W two 90 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: eight six five bargaining Team UM, whereas previously there had 91 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: been a team UM. Yeah, and I guess that's sort 92 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: of like final level of of leadership that combines both 93 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,239 Speaker 1: campus level and statewide leadership is what's called the Joint 94 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: Council UM. But that's kind of the hierarchy of the 95 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: structure of the union. Okay, yeah, it's fascinating they just 96 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: went to an odd number because I want to get 97 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: onto some think next, which is this division like there's 98 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: that I think people are calling them BT ten and 99 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: BT nine, right, yeah, which which could a bit b 100 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 1: T nine a b T nine if you if you 101 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 1: didn't have the the UCSF person, which would have been 102 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: a whole larger sort of mess. M Yeah, Yeah, that 103 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,359 Speaker 1: would have been great. So what is this division? Like 104 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: there there are two distinct I guess positions as as 105 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: regards bargaining, so preaus you could explain a little bit 106 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: of that. Yeah, absolutely, UM, I mean I think just 107 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: you know, this might be obvious, but just a preface 108 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: with the fact that UM, even within these so called 109 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: camps of like b T ten, b T nine, there's 110 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: a lot of heterogeneity, right, And so we saw this 111 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: voting block emerge in the first week of the strike 112 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: mainly around UM the wages demand and how UM you know, 113 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: one of the central pieces of that original demand, the 114 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: way that it was crafted was that it was aimed 115 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: at bringing members out of rent burden and so Rent Burton, 116 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: I'm sure folks have talked about this before, but it's 117 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: defined as paying more than of your monthly income in rent. 118 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: And so that translated in terms of our demand to 119 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: a minimum base wage of dollars a year, along with 120 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: wage increases that are attacked onto UM, the increase in 121 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: like the median rental price UM for for housing and 122 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,919 Speaker 1: so uh. In that vote, we saw you know, the 123 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: split emerge ten nine, and then we saw UM again, 124 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: this kind of split paralleled in the vote to have 125 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: open or closed bartning sessions and the fact that ten 126 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: people voted to have closed sessions. And again, you know, 127 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 1: since then, another big concession I'm gonna is the term concession, 128 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: even though there's a lot of consternation coming from like 129 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: u AW leadership, because concession is technically when you lose 130 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: something you've already had, you already have. And so when 131 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: it comes to like the disability and Access article, UM, 132 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: you know, something that we proposed and which you demand, 133 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: that was crafted through and by uh, you know, disability 134 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: just as activists and disabled workers was mandatory supervisor training 135 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: and that was dropped UM. And again we saw that 136 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: along the same lines of ten and nine UM. And 137 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: so you know, I think ideologically speaking, if I were 138 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: to kind of you know, analyze this and give my 139 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: my take, it's that the nine people I think are 140 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: more committed to UM I suppose being like representative of uh, 141 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: their campus concerns. UM. And so, for example, some of 142 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: those b T nine members I was on the bargaining 143 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: team with a few years ago, and you know, they 144 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: and I didn't necessarily agree on a lot of issues UM. 145 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: But now because their campuses have been vocally in support 146 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: of demands like a cost of living adjustment of COLA 147 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: or in support of UM, you know, not dropping the 148 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: amount of child care that we can get folks reimbursed for. UM. 149 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: You know, actually listening to their membership has caused them 150 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: to kind of quinde quote side with UM other bargaining 151 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: team members which may have other ideological commitments beyond just 152 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: the contract, right, and so commitment to progressively defunding you 153 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: see p D right the police department and sort of 154 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:40,599 Speaker 1: putting that those funds elsewhere within the university system. UM. 155 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: And so yeah, I mean I think, you know, we 156 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: see that kind of split and emerge UM, you know 157 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: now with this bargaining cycle. But this is also split 158 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: that's existed within the union for a while. And so 159 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:56,839 Speaker 1: you look historically at the contracts cycle, right, UM two 160 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 1: times thousand eleven, and there's always been this kind of division, 161 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: and it's red. It's represented in American labor more broadly 162 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 1: between kind of like socio political unionism on one end 163 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: and we're like liberal or business unionism on the other. 164 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: And so it's not really at least it shouldn't be 165 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,559 Speaker 1: surprising to us that a lot of those BT ten 166 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: members or a majority of folks on the statewide executive 167 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: board are aligned with what's called like the administrative Caucus 168 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: at the u a W international level, or they're vocally 169 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: supportive of current UW President Ray Curry. And in the 170 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: latest general elections UM, even though officially the local didn't 171 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: take a stance UM. On social media there's photos of 172 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 1: our union president posing with Ray Curry UM for the 173 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: Curry Solidarity Team UM. And so there are those kind 174 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: of like larger structural alignments as well. Yeah, and of 175 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: course it give people underway and even yeah, but like 176 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: you said, within the union as a whole, like yeah, 177 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: and within the whole like American unionization, right, we have 178 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: the a f l c I O, which includes unions 179 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: which are of police officers. And then we have I 180 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: know that the UCSD locals of you only so you 181 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,079 Speaker 1: see locals I should say of u AW have made 182 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: statements about that being an issue, but it's it's still 183 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: a thing that's happening. And yeah, it doesn't necessarily and 184 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: follow especially in this country, that labor organization is always 185 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: progressive in its in its other politics, right, absolutely, Yeah, 186 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: I thought it was really cool that a lot of 187 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: the demands that were made were progressive when when the 188 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: strike began, right like, there was a cops off campus demand, 189 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: there was access needs demand and things like that, like 190 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: access to child care for people. And some of them 191 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: some of them were economics, some of them were not 192 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: economics some of them which has always been a thing 193 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 1: with student organizing. Right, we can go back and I'm 194 00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: not really good at masks. We can get back to 195 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: and we can we can look at like students making 196 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: political demands and that changing the demands that unions made 197 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: in the nineties, And I think it's cool that that 198 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 1: you will have those going in. Where are we at 199 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: with the bargaining now? Like it it doesn't look like 200 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: comes a leaving campus from what I can see right now, Yeah, 201 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: I think. Um So, it's kind of complicated right now 202 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 1: because we've just recently entered voluntary pre impast mediation UM 203 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,239 Speaker 1: and so a lot of the big outstanding articles wages, childcare, 204 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: the remission of UH nonresident supplemental tuition, which disproportionately affects 205 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: international students, right makes some quota postre more costly to 206 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: the university. UM So, a lot of those open things 207 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: now are being discussed through this mediator UM. And I 208 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: think even within that process, UM, we see a lot 209 00:11:57,000 --> 00:11:59,719 Speaker 1: of the same issues emerging that have been present for 210 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: the entirety of the bargaining processes, which mainly is that UM. Again, 211 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: my position on this is that our bargaining team hasn't 212 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: been pushing enough UM. And you see that kind of 213 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: on two levels. One at the actual table, UM, there's 214 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: a lot of passivity and so when you know the 215 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: bargaining team is kind of explaining their decision to membership, 216 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 1: it's mainly UM. You know, they're saying things like, well, 217 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: we reduced the wages demand by eleven thousand dollars like 218 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: right away, because that's what would be more amenable to 219 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: the university. And of course that is not true, right 220 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: because the u C came back to us with like 221 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: a dollar offer or something like that, like PITIFULI low UM. 222 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: And so again there's a lot of you know, concessionary 223 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: I think moves UM, and there's the desire to to 224 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: kind of close the gap with the university essentially, and 225 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: again that kind of betrays UM. I think a fundamental 226 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: misunderstanding from our bargaining team that some how, if we 227 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: are respectable enough, if we present enough rational arguments that 228 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: you see will respect that right, they'll they'll sort of 229 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: like give in to our demands. UM. That will somehow 230 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: goad them to come in our direction. Whereas you know, 231 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: we should see that you see as like one of 232 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: the largest bosses, one of the largest landlords in the country. UM. 233 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: And so of course they're gonna try to scures us 234 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: out of as much as they can, because that's their function. UM. 235 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: And so on one end, I think we've seen a 236 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: lot of core demands get dropped. We've seen um uh 237 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 1: intense like weakening of our position, as well as the 238 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: really incredible lack of transparency. UM. And so I mentioned 239 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: before the fact that most bargaining meetings or most bargaining 240 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: sessions have been closed doors. UM, the fact that a 241 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: number of like private like sidebars have taken place, and 242 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: oftentimes membership gets like very vague emails or were or 243 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: we're you know told like oh, progress was made, you know, 244 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: we want certain things, but then the technicality of those 245 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 1: wins is completely left out of the picture. UM. Even 246 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: more recently, bargaining team members voted to uh make the 247 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: votes at the table private, and so after dropping the 248 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: coal to demand. You know, folks were upset and obviously 249 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: reaching out to the bargaining team, showing up to caucuses 250 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: and being upset, and so from there, the bargaining team 251 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 1: framed this as quote court harassment and essentially voted to 252 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: make all the votes private UM. And so you know, 253 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: we've seen a lot of moves like that that, you know, 254 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: make it clear that the union leadership is trying to 255 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: preserve the union rather than preserve its membership right in 256 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: prisoner of the well being of those folks. And so 257 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: I think at the table again we see this kind 258 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: of passive or concessionaire UM strategy. And on the ground, 259 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: when it comes to the strikes at all these campuses, 260 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: we see something similar where you know, the majority of 261 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: the action is that we took in the first two 262 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: to three weeks of the strike was just picketing, right, 263 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: And obviously, you know, the picket is a powerful tool. 264 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: The picket is a very symbolic tool. But in a 265 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: industry like the Academy, picketing doesn't serve the same purpose 266 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: as it might like at a factory, right, we're not 267 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: actually shutting down the workplace. It's a great show of 268 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: force in a way because you have thousands of people out. 269 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: But obviously, when we're being required to sign up for 270 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: twenty hours of picketing to get our strike pay, folks 271 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: get exhausted. We will have you know, like huge marches 272 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: through campus, go to a rally and it will be 273 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: two hours of people talking UM, and that exhaust people. 274 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: And even when it comes to you know, like ec 275 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: Davis they had the undergrads actually had like an amazing 276 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: direct action where they blockaded the campus every single day. UM, 277 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: and that of course led to a legal response from 278 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: the university and the union leadership, you know, rather than 279 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: challenge that or you know, take take measures to make 280 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: sure that those could organize autonomously of them UM started uh, 281 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: like harassing and discipline folks basically UM for taking taking 282 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: part in solidarity actions that may push up against the law. UM. 283 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: And so what we see as like a concessionary attitude 284 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: at the table, I think is translated as a very 285 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: or is translated into like respectability politics UM on the ground. UM. Yeah, yeah, No, 286 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: I think that's an extent way of phrasing it. And 287 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: that's that's sort of what what you're definitely suggesting and 288 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: what it seems that we've seen. So when does that 289 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: leave people? And I think some of the things that 290 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: have been suggested to be like in in the sort 291 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: of current proposals both from the Union the university would 292 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: leave people with a contract that they would find I'm 293 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: guessing unsatisfactory, right, especially after for four and a half 294 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: five weeks of being out of and and possible withholding 295 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: of pay right which we can get onto. But where 296 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: does that leave people? Like? What what sort of feeling 297 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: amongst your Obviously you can't speak for the rank of 298 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: five across the whole university, but what was the sort 299 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: of feeling amongst the rank and file with regards to 300 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: what do we do if we get this offer which 301 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: doesn't give us the things that we went out for 302 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 1: in the first place. Yeah, Um, I think that there 303 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: is a lot of just polarization around that question. Um. 304 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: I've heard from a number of folks. Unsurprisingly. I think 305 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 1: people who UM are material at least treated a little 306 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,640 Speaker 1: bit better. Right, we get higher pay already um from 307 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:42,719 Speaker 1: the university being all right with it, you know. But 308 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 1: that's that's the most that I hear. I haven't heard anyone, 309 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: even the most staunch supporter of the union establishment say 310 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: that this contractor at least what is bound to come 311 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: to the table at this point is going to be satisfactory, 312 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:57,959 Speaker 1: is going to actually be desirable. It's just seen as like, oh, 313 00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 1: this is the best we can get, and we might 314 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: as well settle in like every sense of the word. UM. 315 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 1: But that being said, there is a large contingent again 316 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 1: of folks that are totally fine with that, or they're 317 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: tired of striking, or they're seeing a lot of retaliation 318 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: from their supervisors, and the union I think has failed 319 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: to um not only respond to that retaliation and to 320 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: like reensure and empower members, but it's also failed to 321 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: you know, the technical term and organizing would be innoculate, right. UM. 322 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: There is a huge, in my opinion, organizational failure to 323 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: make clear exactly what could happen to folks when we 324 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: go on strike, or to prepare us to hear the 325 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,359 Speaker 1: talking points from the university UM and how to you know, 326 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: collectively organize against it, to build up a kind of 327 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: consciousness to resist internalizing that and to say like, oh, 328 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 1: I don't want to strike because my jobs at risk 329 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: or something, and it's like yeah, of course, right, that's 330 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: the point, you know, it's like where we're taking that 331 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,159 Speaker 1: action UM, and so on one end, right, I mean, 332 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: there's a number of reasons to why, and the kind 333 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: of hinted at that, but there is a large content 334 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: of of people who UM would just be okay and 335 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: they're going to vote yess UM. But I also think 336 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: right and as I'm sure you know you've you've seen 337 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: around social media or you've talked to other folks who 338 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: are on this side of voting no UM. You know, 339 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: I think a lot of the consternation there comes again 340 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:22,439 Speaker 1: from the fact that we've dropped so much UM and 341 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: kind of have left our most vulnerable members out to 342 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,679 Speaker 1: drive UM. So whether that comes from you know, reducing 343 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: the amount of childcare or dependent health care or UM 344 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: you know again dropping those like really core elements of 345 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: the disability and access needs UM articles. When it comes 346 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: to dropping COLA and dropping our wages down to a 347 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,880 Speaker 1: point where we would still be in not just rent burden, 348 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: but severe rent burden. UM, it's been leading a lot 349 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: of folks to uh, you know, promote the idea that 350 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 1: we're going to vote not UM regardless, because even if 351 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 1: the remaining articles you know, are better than we expected UM, 352 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,880 Speaker 1: and they get tentatively agreed to. There's already too much 353 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:05,719 Speaker 1: that's been lost to make this UH an adequate contract, right, 354 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: not even great, not even satisfactory, but just adequate. UM. 355 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 1: And so you know, of course that kind of UH division, 356 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: as you might say, UM, has brought up a lot 357 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: of tensions, especially in the last few days. UM. But 358 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: you know, I think now we're seeing a broader gap 359 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: between these two like sides UM, where there are folks 360 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: that are pretty much again set on voting yes because 361 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: it's good enough UM, and there are other folks who 362 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: are pretty staunching in voting now and trying to build 363 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,360 Speaker 1: up that movement UM. And I think the point we're 364 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: at now, at least speaking from that like vote no side, 365 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: is that UM, we really need to outline and be 366 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: transparent with membership where we can go from there, like 367 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 1: how do we demystify the process or the process the 368 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: possibility of impasse UM. You know, that's been a concept 369 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: that's around a lot by union leadership, and it's never 370 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 1: fully unpacked UM. And so it's like a fearmongering tool 371 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: that's that's been in my opinion at least like used 372 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: to subdue member militancy. Um, so that's one issue. Another 373 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 1: issue is like how do we reopen certain articles, how 374 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: do we build this quote unquote long haul strike to 375 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: gain more than we've already you know, um given up 376 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: at this point. And so I think a lot of 377 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: those technicalities that are up in the air are renewed, 378 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,479 Speaker 1: sort of like areas of organizing focus. Um. Yeah, so 379 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: you don't have to abandon some of those demands which 380 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: we're not economic link. Yeah, that can still be Yeah, 381 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess there's only point in really speculating 382 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: how many people will vote yes or no. We'll see 383 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 1: once we see the agreement. And yeah, but like can 384 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: you give us an update then on where striking get 385 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: some see progressively? How did it get longer? Right? People 386 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:57,959 Speaker 1: don't want to stand on a picket for five weeks, 387 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,040 Speaker 1: six weeks. They don't they want to go home in 388 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: the holidays. Um. They have this pressure that's been leveraged, 389 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 1: perhaps unfairly and sometimes like erroneously, that their students will 390 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: face immigration or graduation consequences, which is largely untrue. So like, 391 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 1: can you talk about there's there's a chance that people 392 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: won't be getting paid right in December? Has that happened 393 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 1: to anyone. What's the latest with that? UM. SO, A 394 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 1: lot of what's been going around UM in terms of 395 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: issues with pay. A lot of the news I've seen 396 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: concerns post docs, so folks from the local who actually 397 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: just signed an approse that tenant of agreement. UM. So 398 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: the university has put out some language implying that they'll 399 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: retroactively doc paid UM and so. UM. Yeah, I can't 400 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: like speak to the technicalities of that, UM, but that's 401 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: definitely a concern I've seen floating around UM. And I 402 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:01,680 Speaker 1: know that they're actively organizing around it. UM for a 403 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: s c S and UH student researchers. UM, we none 404 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: of us have been docked pay yet. UM. We all 405 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 1: got paid for December. UM, in part because I just 406 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: think the university has a really hard time keeping track 407 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: of who's on strike. On top of the fact that, 408 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know if anyone's already complained to 409 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 1: you about you see path, but the parallel system that 410 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 1: got rolled out yeah a few years ago. UM, it's terrible. 411 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: It's an absolutely fucking nightmare. Yeah. UM, and so I 412 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: think it would be a massive achievement for them to 413 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: even be able to withhold. Folks pay through that system. Yeah, 414 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: the struggled to pay people in the past, including myself. 415 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:42,199 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, um yeah absolutely, and so um, you know, 416 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: I think it is it is a real concern. But 417 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 1: at this point, um, at least to my knowledge, no 418 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: one in or s r U has been affected by 419 00:23:51,840 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: by pay with holding. And then let's talk about the 420 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,119 Speaker 1: grade withholding, which is now that today is today right? 421 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: That the grades should we do in Obviously many people 422 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:14,399 Speaker 1: are not filing those grades and which again it's another 423 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: example of the UC just being a bureaucratic disaster, but 424 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: we can skip past that. So the grades are not 425 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: being being filed. Can we talk about some of the 426 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: suggestions that have been made by the university. I know 427 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 1: one of them was that students on like F one 428 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:33,880 Speaker 1: visas might face consequences. That's not true, as best having 429 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: been on that form visas, best to understand it, and 430 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 1: that students on on a grant and scholarships might face consequences. 431 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: Can you explain sort of what they've said, and then 432 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: perhaps PREPS office some insight into too, why you think 433 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 1: that that might be misleading? Yeah? Absolutely, Um, so exactly 434 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: what you're saying. Um, you know, folks and vulnerable categories 435 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: such as people on academic probation or whose financial aid 436 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: is dependent on being in like you know, good standing 437 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: UM or yeah, like international students. UM. Yeah. There's been 438 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: a lot of uh fairmongering and misleading information out there 439 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: that these students might be you know, kicked out of school, 440 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 1: they might be reported, they might um face uh you 441 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: know again like financial consequences. UM. But it's important also 442 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: to recognize that, uh, having a grade remain blank, it 443 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: doesn't affect folks g p A. It doesn't have folks 444 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: affect folks academic standing. UM. And for international students, UM. 445 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 1: You know the best that we understand, and we've actually 446 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: communicated with universities international students offices, and what they say 447 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: is that, um, it's enrollment that matters, not necessarily having 448 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 1: the grade. And so UM, even if you know, let's 449 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: say like all of someone's grades are withheld, they've still 450 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: enrolled in the requisite number of credits UM, and so 451 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,680 Speaker 1: that that standing in terms of a visa wouldn't be affected. UM. 452 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: And the same goes for even something as simple as 453 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:03,159 Speaker 1: moving onto the next course in a sequence. UM, because uh, 454 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: you know, again, the withholding of a grade doesn't affect 455 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: UM that kind of like progress or academic standard. UM. 456 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 1: And as a technical note, a lot of folks are 457 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 1: again I'm concerned that like, well, wouldn't this blank grade 458 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,360 Speaker 1: lead to an incomplete or wouldn't it lead to an 459 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: F UM And in terms of the incomplete, there's a 460 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 1: reason why we're not filing everyone with an eye. We're 461 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: leaving the grades blink because an incomplete is costly, it's 462 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: more work for everyone, and so we're avoiding that. And UM, 463 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: blank grades don't default to an F until the following 464 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: semester or following term ends. And so for us at 465 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: UCSD UM, since many of us are withholding grades, they 466 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: those blank grades wouldn't turn into an F until the 467 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: end of winter, so around March. And I don't think 468 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 1: anyone expects to strike to go that one. Yeah, it 469 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: would be truly historic. And yes, so how has he 470 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 1: had to at your response being then yeah, that's UM, 471 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: it's difficult because I know at certain campuses, like I 472 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: mentioned you see Davis earlier, there's been huge undergrad involvement there. UM. 473 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: At San Diego, I think the response has been a 474 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 1: bit mixed. UM. I know many of my students. For example, 475 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 1: we're supportive of the strike UM, and within you know, 476 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 1: my department Ethnic Studies, we did try to get students 477 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: more involved, Like we held teachings UM to get students 478 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: to come out. And you know, the class that I'm 479 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: teeing for right now is called Land and Labor, and 480 00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: so we talked about you know, U C s D 481 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: right and the relationship to like colonialism, capitalism, landed labor UM. 482 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:48,639 Speaker 1: And so we've tried to integrate you know, not just UM, 483 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 1: you know, student and engagement and support, but also to 484 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: use this as another form of study, right, as a 485 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: form of study that's not that's outside the kind of 486 00:27:56,080 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: like bureacratic mess that is the university with its nonsense UM. 487 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: I think what's difficult at San Diego is that, UM, 488 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: you know, political engagement has historically come in waves. Obviously 489 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,160 Speaker 1: at all universities. Folks come and go, but it's particularly acute, 490 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,880 Speaker 1: I think at San Diego where there's massive moments of 491 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: like upheaval and like folks coming out in the thousands, 492 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 1: like we saw back in UM around the pandemic, around 493 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: the uprisings UM during the summer, around even the Cola 494 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 1: movement right, which was a little bit before that. We 495 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: saw huge numbers of undergrads come out, in part because 496 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: we were able back then at least to connect our 497 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: demands to their concerns. Right. The fact that psychological services 498 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: on campus are horribly underfunded, Right, people have to wait 499 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 1: a whole quarter to get even the intake of planet um. 500 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: The fact that again, like they're getting screwed over with 501 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,959 Speaker 1: housing just as much as we are UM paying you know, 502 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: over ten or fifteen thousand dollars a year in it 503 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: for a dorm um. And so you know, that connection 504 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: back then, I think, really drew out the undergrads, and 505 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: that's what's really lacking now. Again, I think because of 506 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: the way that the union has framed the struggle quite 507 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: narrowly as not just what affects workers, but what what 508 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 1: affects the majority of workers UM, that's left out a 509 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 1: lot of the broader concerns. That has foreclosed a lot 510 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: of broader critiques of the university. And so when it 511 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: comes to something like the cops off campus demand, the 512 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: fact that we have bargain team members at u c 513 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: l A for example, literally lie and say that it's 514 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: never been on the table. UM it's really indicative of 515 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: how the union is trying to frame this. And so 516 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: the fact that you know, again those broader conversations around 517 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: the UC being a landlord around the UM one way 518 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 1: that you know, profit and resources are um inequitably distributed 519 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: through the university infrastructure, right, those things drop out of 520 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: the conversation about our strike UM and if we do 521 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 1: bring it up, we're seen as dissidents or something like that, 522 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: or radical UM. And so the fact that those things 523 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: have dropped out, I think has led to us seeing 524 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 1: the situation like we see at UCSD where the undergrads 525 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: are almost ambivalent, if not hostile, because we haven't done 526 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 1: a good enough job engaging them. We haven't also organized 527 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: alongside and with them UM. Rather it's been like come 528 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 1: support your t A S and not like we're fighting together, right, 529 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 1: And so it's yeah, it betrayed. It gives the impression 530 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: that this is like a very one way UM or 531 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 1: you know, like an interdirectional form of support, where in reality, 532 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: you know, we should be building up those ties of 533 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 1: solidarity and that you know, we should be focusing not 534 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,560 Speaker 1: just on winning a contract, but then building and sustaining 535 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: this movement against the university in a much larger or 536 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: broader sense. Yeah, because it's speaking from experience. I know 537 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: a lot of those undergrads feel very disempowered in their 538 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: relations with the university and and some of the demands, 539 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: like the access needs demand, you know, the demand for 540 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: improved student counseling and psychological services, things like that that 541 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: would benefit directly everyone on campus. And then it's a 542 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: shame not to see that. It's a shame to see 543 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: that sort of left to the side when I think 544 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 1: it could build a more effective movement. So, yeah, it 545 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 1: does seem to go, like you said, campus by campus department. 546 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,000 Speaker 1: Your your department like has historically been a lot more 547 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: engaged than others. I think it's fair to say so. 548 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 1: And so we've reached the Christmas break now great have 549 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 1: been withheld. I think a lot of people thought was 550 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: like sort of a nuclear option or like a step up, 551 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:44,200 Speaker 1: which he doesn't seem to have been, Like, it really 552 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: hasn't done anything, and the UC has entered into the 553 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: university and the union have entered into a voluntary pre 554 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 1: impassed mediation. When do you, like, if you were just speculating, 555 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: and when do you think we'll see like a resolution 556 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 1: because it's already slipped out of coverage, right, like if 557 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: I look at our local newspaper, that they've stopped reporting 558 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: on it, which doesn't help absolutely. Yeah, um, I think 559 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's difficult to speculate in part because 560 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: as we've seen with past bargaining updates, they tend to 561 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: drop bombshells on us, um, Like with the whole coal 562 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: of demands being you know, severely cut down. We found 563 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: about We found out about that like two hours before 564 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: the bargaining ste which is aut like ten pm. And 565 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 1: so it's totally possible by like that by the end 566 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: of this week we'll have a tentative agreement, like you know, 567 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: folks have been speculating on that. It wouldn't surprise me. 568 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,719 Speaker 1: I would be disappointed, but I wouldn't be surprised. Um. 569 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 1: At the same time, though, I I do think that 570 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 1: we've been able to build up sufficient pressure on the 571 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 1: union establishment or the leadership um that I think there 572 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: it might be a bit more asitant right to take 573 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:02,959 Speaker 1: that sudden of a move or to kind of come 574 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:06,800 Speaker 1: out of left field or something like that. Um. And 575 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: so you know, there is a distinct possibility, especially with 576 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: the holidays coming up, that this might go into the 577 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 1: new year. UM, and obviously that would be like my 578 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 1: hope to go as long as possible, yea, UM. But yeah, 579 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: I think it's it's incredibly tough, and I think that's 580 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: causing a lot of anxiety UM. And that's kind of 581 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: a disorganizing energy, right to not know when something like 582 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: this might happen, because there is such an utter lack 583 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:38,440 Speaker 1: of communication or um, you know, democratic input UM. And 584 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 1: I think in terms of you know, the the coverage 585 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 1: or the great strike, UM, what's really unfortunate, I think 586 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 1: is the way that I've heard, you know, from the 587 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: horse's mouth, right certain barning team members saying that withholding 588 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 1: grades isn't an important form or isn't an impactful form 589 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: of of labor withholding because the university doesn't care. And 590 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 1: historically we've seen that they really do care, and within 591 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,880 Speaker 1: academic strikes, with holding finals is a massive thing, right. 592 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:11,359 Speaker 1: And I think that in order to really um realized 593 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: the impact that will have on the institution, we have 594 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: to go for a few more weeks into the winter 595 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 1: quarter um. And you know, right now even to try 596 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 1: to um build up some more UM. I guess, like 597 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: you know, pr around great withholding UM. There are folks 598 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 1: doing research and trying to calculate like quantify um what 599 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 1: like you know, each credit would mean in like real dollars. 600 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: And then the fact that you know, hundreds of students 601 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:39,839 Speaker 1: grades are being withheld for a three or four hour 602 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: like three or four credit UM class and what that 603 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:47,880 Speaker 1: translates to into money UM And so yeah, yeah, I 604 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 1: mean if we look at what the university does, right, 605 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:53,959 Speaker 1: it turns its capital into into into income essentially through 606 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 1: like leveraging its credibility for credential and charging people masses 607 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:00,960 Speaker 1: of rent for living there increasingly. And you can't take 608 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: away the housing, right, which is it's made you so 609 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 1: surviving you but you can't take away this this this product. 610 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,319 Speaker 1: Yeah and and and there have been um you know, 611 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: there are a number of petitions out there, for example, 612 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: um UH for undergrads to request like a reimbursement of 613 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,320 Speaker 1: their tuition for any classes that haven't been held or 614 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:23,879 Speaker 1: grades that have been withheld UM. And I think that's 615 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 1: a really fantastic way to engage them and to put 616 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 1: pressure on the university. There's also been UM attempts or 617 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 1: at least you know, um, some strategizing on on our 618 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: end on how to uh have the grade strike impact 619 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 1: the university's accreditation um, And so we are trying to 620 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: look for avenues to increase the pressure from this kind 621 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:50,480 Speaker 1: of like strategic move Yeah that's smart. Yeah, yeah, it 622 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: must be difficult. I'm sure, Like is you develop relationships 623 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:57,240 Speaker 1: with undergraduate and especially when you're teaing in your department 624 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:00,320 Speaker 1: of class you care about eight it's a shame to 625 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:02,800 Speaker 1: to lose that opportunity to talk to people about important 626 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: things like landed labor. And so I'm sure it's difficult 627 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 1: to not have that chance to even check in at 628 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 1: the end of the end of the term and just say, like, 629 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,799 Speaker 1: you know, this has been fun. What have we learned? Yeah? Absolutely, um, 630 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 1: And I think you know, for a lot of us 631 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:19,480 Speaker 1: who are a s c S, you know, we're doing 632 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: this not just for ourselves but for our students, right 633 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:26,400 Speaker 1: because we care about education. We recognize that the university 634 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:29,800 Speaker 1: as an institution is actually corrosive right to a quality education. 635 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 1: And so absolutely, I think like there is a sense 636 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 1: of loss. I think the fact that I can't, like 637 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:36,960 Speaker 1: you're saying, close out my class, the fact that I 638 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: can't um, you know, really invest in my students the 639 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 1: way I want and not trying to blame that on 640 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,000 Speaker 1: the strike, but trying to blame that on the conditions 641 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 1: that have brought us to strike in the first police right, Yeah, yeah, 642 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 1: I don't want to get like full Marxists on main 643 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 1: but like, yeah, the further alien a ted you are 644 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:57,800 Speaker 1: from your labor, then the the less that the experience 645 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 1: is for your undergraduate and and that is definitely a 646 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: thing that happens at the university. You become more and 647 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:09,719 Speaker 1: more inlalienated and oh yes, yes, the joy dies ye 648 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:12,880 Speaker 1: I say, with the PhD in doing the work in 649 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,880 Speaker 1: academia and Mohammed, is there anything else people should know 650 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: about the strike like that we haven't talked about mm 651 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:28,839 Speaker 1: hmm see Um I I would say, you know, one 652 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,120 Speaker 1: one important thing is that both for folks within the 653 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:35,680 Speaker 1: university system and from you know, the outside, is to 654 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:40,719 Speaker 1: kind of place this strike in historic context. Um. I 655 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: think when the union leadership has spoken about this at all, 656 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,759 Speaker 1: it's mainly around the size of the strike, the fact 657 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:49,600 Speaker 1: that it's it's historic because we have you know, forty 658 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,799 Speaker 1: eight thousand possible strikers from throughout the u c S. 659 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:56,680 Speaker 1: And that's kind of misleading because I think the real 660 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 1: kind of like historic potential within the struggle is UM. 661 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:05,479 Speaker 1: For example, establishing a precedent of what a researcher strike 662 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 1: looks like. Part of the reason it's so difficult for 663 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 1: us to not only you know, mobilize researchers, but also 664 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:16,000 Speaker 1: you know, UM push back at against retaliation is because 665 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: there is no set structure for what that kind of 666 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:21,399 Speaker 1: strip looks like, right, UM, there is no effective way 667 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 1: that we have to UM counter the possible impacts on 668 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 1: these people's futures UM. And so I think that you know, 669 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:32,240 Speaker 1: really emphasizing that to folks is UM is key. Another 670 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,359 Speaker 1: thing is UM the cola demand. Right the fact that 671 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: we are trying to or at least we've tried to 672 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: tack UM our wage increases not just to UM inflation 673 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:48,120 Speaker 1: or the consumer price index, but to the median increase 674 00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: in rental prices UM. That would be huge. And that's 675 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,920 Speaker 1: not just big for us as as workers within this 676 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: local but that does set the precedent for all workers 677 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 1: in the US. And I think that you know, we 678 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,800 Speaker 1: really by we, I mean like the union as a 679 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:08,279 Speaker 1: whole apparatus has not stressed the importance of that or 680 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 1: the kind of like monumental shift that I could um 681 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: kind of provoke in the landscape of American labor broadly, 682 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: just so if people aren't aware, like, like, rent in 683 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 1: California has gone up a way more than double, almost 684 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 1: almost triple the rate of inflation and working people people 685 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: who are members of unions by a large tend to 686 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:28,640 Speaker 1: be people who don't own property, but they tend to 687 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:31,399 Speaker 1: be people who rent property, right, And I can see 688 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: by your your unfinished concrete ceiling that you're you're renting 689 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:39,040 Speaker 1: from the UC, which is the biggest landlord in California. 690 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:41,640 Speaker 1: So like you're right that this is a very historic thing. 691 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: Is that rent increase for Cola. Is that tried to 692 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:48,280 Speaker 1: median rent in the state or is it median rent 693 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:55,640 Speaker 1: across you see rented like like apartments. So I think 694 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 1: the actual language so this is part of the problem 695 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 1: is that because it was dropped so quickly at the table, 696 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:04,600 Speaker 1: we weren't even even able to get into the vicissitudes 697 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: of the demand itself. UM And so from my understanding, 698 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:16,120 Speaker 1: the increase would be based on um the like least 699 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 1: affordable or essentially the largest increase that will see at 700 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,560 Speaker 1: any of the campuses, and everyone's wage would be increased 701 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: to that when we look at the base wage k 702 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:29,640 Speaker 1: UM that was tacked onto again a kind of like 703 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:32,759 Speaker 1: median income or a median rental price throughout the state 704 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 1: as well. And so actually fifty four k would be 705 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,160 Speaker 1: exactly enough to get me out of rent Burton. So 706 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,080 Speaker 1: anything less than that would actually still keep me in 707 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:45,799 Speaker 1: rent bourdon Um. And so yeah, that's kind of how Yeah, 708 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,359 Speaker 1: which rent bedon is is far too normal to think, 709 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 1: especially in California. Yeah. Yeah, and the connective bargaining is 710 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:55,719 Speaker 1: tenants as well as workers is fascinating, right, Like it's 711 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:57,840 Speaker 1: something we've seen, but not in a large scale like 712 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 1: and and like you on rent strike yet but yes, 713 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,920 Speaker 1: and as as a side note, yeah, um, we did 714 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:09,399 Speaker 1: have a couple of rent strikes in UH within ThEC 715 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: system in the past few years at Berkeley at u 716 00:41:11,160 --> 00:41:13,360 Speaker 1: C l A and here UM. And so I was 717 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:16,720 Speaker 1: actually part of organizing UM in the aftermath of COLA. 718 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:19,080 Speaker 1: At the beginning of the pandemic. UM I helped organize 719 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,840 Speaker 1: the first rent strike UM within h D h U 720 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 1: C S D grat House UM. And so we have 721 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: we have also seen that. But that's another way that 722 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,160 Speaker 1: the union has kind of limited the scope of this movement. 723 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,800 Speaker 1: Because there's been so much focus on us as only 724 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: workers and the bread and butter issues, we kind of 725 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:40,000 Speaker 1: lose sight of the way that withholding rent, as you're saying, 726 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:42,439 Speaker 1: is another way of like really getting at the heart 727 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:46,000 Speaker 1: of the u c S profit engine. Yeah, yeah, and yes, 728 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:48,680 Speaker 1: it is a shame that these like Yeah, if you 729 00:41:48,719 --> 00:41:52,440 Speaker 1: want to think the historical perspective, of course, like a Paris, 730 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:57,800 Speaker 1: it's like the monolith of student political organizing, I guess, 731 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:02,040 Speaker 1: and student political organizing changeing beast apply structures of the left, 732 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:05,799 Speaker 1: which which is it's some of what you had demanded 733 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:07,960 Speaker 1: was very similar to that in a sense, and that 734 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:12,279 Speaker 1: it was societal and political as much as it wasn't economic, right, 735 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 1: and American unions tend to phrase themselves in terms of 736 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:19,040 Speaker 1: respectable liberal politics, not that. So it's a shame to 737 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:21,920 Speaker 1: see that. Go. I guess absolutely, and I think you know, 738 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,240 Speaker 1: this actually came up in a in a meeting um, 739 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:28,160 Speaker 1: which kind of astounded me, but again didn't on one 740 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:30,920 Speaker 1: hand astounded me, another hand was completely sort of to 741 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 1: be expected, which is someone saying we need to make 742 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:38,840 Speaker 1: this movement UM as accessible as possible to workers without 743 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:42,239 Speaker 1: an activist bone in their body. UM. And so again 744 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:44,800 Speaker 1: there's always that appeal to the right, always the appeal 745 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 1: to the most conservative reactionary force, and always at the 746 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:52,040 Speaker 1: expense right of the folks who are the most vulnerable, 747 00:42:52,239 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: always at the expense of expanding this movement. And so 748 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:58,120 Speaker 1: as you're saying something that is more socio and socially 749 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:01,440 Speaker 1: and politically engaged. Yeah, I think most people come activist 750 00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:03,399 Speaker 1: when they have to live in their car because they 751 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:05,400 Speaker 1: can't afford to live in the UC housing when they 752 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:09,120 Speaker 1: work at the EUC. But that is not everyone, of course. 753 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 1: And all right Mohammed, where can people find you? Do 754 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:14,719 Speaker 1: you have social media? Do you, as I said, you 755 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:16,359 Speaker 1: want to share with you prefer to share like your 756 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:22,959 Speaker 1: unions or um something else I guess on on Twitter? Um, 757 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:28,239 Speaker 1: I am at a Slamo Marxist UM and so yeah, yeah, 758 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:31,680 Speaker 1: so folks can find me there. UM. Otherwise, I mean, 759 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 1: if there are folks within the u se um that 760 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:38,280 Speaker 1: are organizing UM, within any of the like vote no channels, 761 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:41,439 Speaker 1: I'm sure folks could find their way to meet UM. Yeah. 762 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:43,640 Speaker 1: I think just in general like following the Rank and 763 00:43:43,719 --> 00:43:48,240 Speaker 1: File and COLA associated accounts on on social media. Trying 764 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 1: to attend as many meanings as possible is is really 765 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:54,680 Speaker 1: how I think folks can get more in tune with 766 00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:58,319 Speaker 1: with the struggle. Yeah, that's great. Thank you so much 767 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:01,000 Speaker 1: for your time. I appreciate it. Yeah, best of luck 768 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:14,760 Speaker 1: with everything. Thanks so much. So. I'm joined today by 769 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:17,600 Speaker 1: Megan Lynch, who's the founder of and a volunteer for 770 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:20,439 Speaker 1: U See Access Now, which has been one of the 771 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: important bodies lobbying for increased access needs for people with 772 00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:27,440 Speaker 1: disabilities at that you see as part of this strike. 773 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: Hi Megan, how are you doing. Hi? I'm doing well. 774 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,200 Speaker 1: How about Thanks for having me great, Thanks Faith, Thanks 775 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,400 Speaker 1: for coming on. Megan. Can you explain and maybe explain 776 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:40,400 Speaker 1: a little bit about you see Access Now first and 777 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:42,440 Speaker 1: then we can get into sort of what the issues 778 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:45,359 Speaker 1: were and what the demands were. Well, let me start 779 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:49,160 Speaker 1: with clarifying what access needs are. Generally, I wouldn't want 780 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:51,160 Speaker 1: to I want to. I wouldn't want to have more 781 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:53,319 Speaker 1: access needs because it would mean that I need more 782 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:56,520 Speaker 1: things that I need to negotiate getting them met. So 783 00:44:56,640 --> 00:45:00,880 Speaker 1: an access need is, uh, I have some thing that 784 00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 1: I need somebody to to you know, the inaccessible environment 785 00:45:06,080 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 1: that we have often it's it's sort of default inaccessibility, 786 00:45:11,239 --> 00:45:13,799 Speaker 1: and so having an access needs means that you know, 787 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:17,640 Speaker 1: I need to work out how to be in that environment. 788 00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:19,959 Speaker 1: And sometimes you can even be in a really well 789 00:45:20,040 --> 00:45:24,680 Speaker 1: accessible environment, and uh, it would be hard for people 790 00:45:24,840 --> 00:45:27,279 Speaker 1: to meet your access needed without again trying to come 791 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:29,400 Speaker 1: to some kind of agreement. So there's a difference between 792 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:32,360 Speaker 1: accessibility and access needs. And I just wanted to clarify that. 793 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:36,879 Speaker 1: I thank you. I think that's very important. And so 794 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:40,320 Speaker 1: can you explain then what what sort of issues people 795 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:43,919 Speaker 1: were running into before the strike, like what what sort 796 00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:46,600 Speaker 1: of things where they're that limited people's access to university 797 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: spaces or education or work. Well, still very much going on, 798 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:54,080 Speaker 1: and in fact it's actually increased during the pandemic. Um 799 00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:56,680 Speaker 1: the only time where things got a little better for 800 00:45:56,760 --> 00:46:00,959 Speaker 1: some of us was, uh, you know in March when 801 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:03,600 Speaker 1: everybody you know, and this is what often happens, is 802 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:08,640 Speaker 1: that something when suddenly people who don't identify as disabled 803 00:46:08,719 --> 00:46:11,359 Speaker 1: needs something, and there's enough of that, then there's there's 804 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:14,640 Speaker 1: no problem. Nobody has to submit medical documentation, nobody has 805 00:46:14,640 --> 00:46:17,399 Speaker 1: to get special permission. It's really not a big rigmarole, right, 806 00:46:18,080 --> 00:46:21,399 Speaker 1: but uh, when you identify as disabled and you say 807 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 1: I have this as an access need, then suddenly, you know, 808 00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:27,719 Speaker 1: you get you get the Spanish inquisition in terms of 809 00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:31,600 Speaker 1: whether you you you deserve this thing that your tax 810 00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:37,240 Speaker 1: dollars have been paying for at your institution anyway. So, um, 811 00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:39,319 Speaker 1: it really runs the gamut for you know. I guess 812 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:42,600 Speaker 1: what I could best talk about is my own situation 813 00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:45,960 Speaker 1: and uh what led to the formation of e C 814 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:50,760 Speaker 1: Access Now. So, um, I arrived here before the start 815 00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:55,640 Speaker 1: of fall as a fifty year old disabled grad students. 816 00:46:55,680 --> 00:46:58,000 Speaker 1: So I'm already in a kind of unusual position by 817 00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:00,799 Speaker 1: being fifty or four years old here than disabled on 818 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:04,000 Speaker 1: top of it, And uh, I was set to t 819 00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:08,000 Speaker 1: a my first quarter here. And I could spot even 820 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:11,440 Speaker 1: before the quarters started that the kinds of cycle recks 821 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,759 Speaker 1: they have here at UC Davis, which is, you know, 822 00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:19,799 Speaker 1: usually lauded for being quote unquote bike friendly, Uh, we're 823 00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 1: not accessible to me, and that they would eventually you know, 824 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:25,280 Speaker 1: I could do it once or twice without hurting myself, 825 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:28,239 Speaker 1: but over time I was gonna be hurt and that 826 00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:30,160 Speaker 1: would get in the way of me being able to 827 00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:32,040 Speaker 1: do my duties as a t a not to mention 828 00:47:32,280 --> 00:47:37,320 Speaker 1: anything I need to do for myself, because I was writing, 829 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:40,319 Speaker 1: like a lot of disabled cyclists, I don't ride the 830 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:45,680 Speaker 1: standard upright bicycle. I ride a recumbent bicycle with underseat steering, 831 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:50,160 Speaker 1: and the recks are not usually a big deal. Places 832 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:54,120 Speaker 1: I've lived in a number of different cities in California, Berkeley, 833 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:56,560 Speaker 1: Los Angeles see a lot of places have what are 834 00:47:56,920 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 1: you know you racks? You know it, which is similar 835 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:02,680 Speaker 1: kind of is Sheffield rack for foes folks who know those, 836 00:48:02,760 --> 00:48:05,239 Speaker 1: except you know, not quite as big. So it's not 837 00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:06,920 Speaker 1: like it's this special you know you don't go to 838 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:10,160 Speaker 1: a special adaptive store for this rack. It is a 839 00:48:10,239 --> 00:48:13,359 Speaker 1: more accessible rack, and most cities are sensibly using them, 840 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:17,239 Speaker 1: but for here, because despite their bike friendly reputation, they 841 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:21,399 Speaker 1: actually want to prioritize space for cars. They have made 842 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:26,280 Speaker 1: these racks that are so close together and not supportive, etcetera, 843 00:48:26,480 --> 00:48:30,560 Speaker 1: that the only part I could ever lock my bike 844 00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:33,560 Speaker 1: too would be the ends, and that's what everybody else 845 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:36,040 Speaker 1: wants to take first um And it wouldn't even be 846 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:39,000 Speaker 1: easy to the ends because again, these are really very 847 00:48:39,040 --> 00:48:42,840 Speaker 1: specifically they have wheel wells, and the relationship between the 848 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:46,760 Speaker 1: locker thing and the wheel well is exactly the space 849 00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:48,520 Speaker 1: a part you would do if you had sort of 850 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:51,880 Speaker 1: a standard adult size upright bike. And honestly, they're not 851 00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:55,360 Speaker 1: even good for people who ride those. So, for instance, 852 00:48:55,360 --> 00:48:57,759 Speaker 1: if you go and you see Davis subreddit, you will 853 00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:02,480 Speaker 1: see sometimes threads where people are bullying people who want 854 00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:05,279 Speaker 1: to get a cruiser bike because they're like, those things 855 00:49:05,320 --> 00:49:07,319 Speaker 1: take up too much room. No, it's not that they 856 00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:09,440 Speaker 1: didn't take up too much room. It's that the racks 857 00:49:09,440 --> 00:49:15,040 Speaker 1: are very poorly designed. There are things CIEs, but they 858 00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:18,760 Speaker 1: are SUVs. Yeah. They rather they would rather bully somebody 859 00:49:18,760 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 1: about their choice of bike than to say, hey, these 860 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:23,719 Speaker 1: are really what a waste of taxpayer money to get 861 00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:26,880 Speaker 1: these these bike racks that not only don't work for 862 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:29,000 Speaker 1: a lot of disabled people, but don't even work for 863 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:32,280 Speaker 1: people who are riding cargo bikes or using a trailer 864 00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:34,440 Speaker 1: or you know other things you would want to do. 865 00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:38,200 Speaker 1: So so anyway, I went first to the Disabled Students 866 00:49:38,560 --> 00:49:41,279 Speaker 1: Center here, which is you know, the rationing and policing 867 00:49:41,440 --> 00:49:48,160 Speaker 1: agency for disabled people. And you know, it's amazing to 868 00:49:48,239 --> 00:49:50,240 Speaker 1: me like this, these are the people and they would 869 00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:55,120 Speaker 1: literally call themselves experts on disability and accessibility, and they 870 00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:58,320 Speaker 1: said to me, gosh, it never occurred to us that 871 00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:02,680 Speaker 1: that would need to be accessible. This is on a 872 00:50:02,719 --> 00:50:04,960 Speaker 1: campus where they're trying to encourage you to leave your 873 00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:09,239 Speaker 1: car at home at least some of us, right and uh, 874 00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:12,160 Speaker 1: and it's also how you get to school and to work, right, 875 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:15,399 Speaker 1: So why wouldn't I need that to be accessible? And 876 00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:18,640 Speaker 1: so they I asked for something as simple as can 877 00:50:18,719 --> 00:50:21,000 Speaker 1: you sign a letter? They wouldn't do it, you know, 878 00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:23,040 Speaker 1: can you said? They wouldn't. They wouldn't back me up 879 00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:25,640 Speaker 1: at all. So then I go directly to the Transportation 880 00:50:25,640 --> 00:50:28,560 Speaker 1: of Parking Services. They were like, it's not covered under 881 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:31,799 Speaker 1: a d A, which is not true, and you know, 882 00:50:31,960 --> 00:50:34,239 Speaker 1: and then they were like the solution they wanted to 883 00:50:34,239 --> 00:50:37,120 Speaker 1: pose with it. You know. Eventually, when I finally after months, 884 00:50:37,120 --> 00:50:39,960 Speaker 1: got a meeting, they were like, well, give us your 885 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:42,840 Speaker 1: schedule of classes and will install one of these racks 886 00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:44,879 Speaker 1: at each building you're at. As if my schedule isn't 887 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:49,279 Speaker 1: going to change each quarter, is that a better use 888 00:50:49,320 --> 00:50:51,600 Speaker 1: of Yeah? Is that a better use of tax money? 889 00:50:51,640 --> 00:50:54,160 Speaker 1: To send a crew around to like to to to 890 00:50:54,360 --> 00:50:57,800 Speaker 1: Jackhamber Concrete at a different location for each quarter. According 891 00:50:57,840 --> 00:51:01,480 Speaker 1: to each disabled cyclist class us changes just get the 892 00:51:01,600 --> 00:51:05,680 Speaker 1: right rack. So that that's when I went to the union, 893 00:51:05,800 --> 00:51:09,680 Speaker 1: and even in the Union at that time, you know, 894 00:51:09,719 --> 00:51:11,839 Speaker 1: it was really clear it wasn't just with that issue. 895 00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:15,400 Speaker 1: I had other issues, but this was definitely getting in 896 00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:17,719 Speaker 1: the way of my work as a t a because 897 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:21,040 Speaker 1: it was hurting my hands very badly, and in fact 898 00:51:21,040 --> 00:51:22,640 Speaker 1: I had fallen a couple of times and my bike 899 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:24,879 Speaker 1: had fallen on top of me, and like nobody helps you. 900 00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:27,200 Speaker 1: You just sit there watching you like a turtle, trying 901 00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:32,080 Speaker 1: to you don't get So there's things like that. There's 902 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:35,600 Speaker 1: things like um, even just the housing here in terms 903 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:39,279 Speaker 1: of for instance, if I had had the luck of 904 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:41,880 Speaker 1: having a romantic partner, if I'd had the wealth and 905 00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:44,719 Speaker 1: the ability to choose to have children, I would have 906 00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,400 Speaker 1: been able to get grad housing. But as a disabled 907 00:51:47,400 --> 00:51:50,440 Speaker 1: person who has an access need to be close to campus, 908 00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:55,200 Speaker 1: I was I had zero priority whatsoever, and so I 909 00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,920 Speaker 1: very nearly ended up starting that quarter having to live 910 00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:00,800 Speaker 1: out of my car because you know, and I would 911 00:52:00,800 --> 00:52:02,719 Speaker 1: think it would be pretty clear that a fifty four 912 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:08,480 Speaker 1: year old disabled grad student might actually have, uh maybe 913 00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:12,200 Speaker 1: have more have fewer options in housing than somebody who's 914 00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:16,319 Speaker 1: in their twenties and isn't disabled. But but you know, 915 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:18,880 Speaker 1: and I'm not saying that parents don't need family housing 916 00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:21,280 Speaker 1: or anything like that, but what I'm saying is very clearly, 917 00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:26,360 Speaker 1: I think some disabled people do have strong access needs 918 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:31,440 Speaker 1: to have accessible housing near campus. And that's very much 919 00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:34,640 Speaker 1: not something that they bothered themselves with here at UC Davis. 920 00:52:34,680 --> 00:52:37,640 Speaker 1: So you know, there's other things in terms of online 921 00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:40,560 Speaker 1: accessibility and other things, but that those are the things 922 00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:43,120 Speaker 1: that that affected me that I think are worth mentioning 923 00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:46,480 Speaker 1: simply because they they're both unusual things people don't tend 924 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:49,520 Speaker 1: to think of, right, yeah, yeah, And it is a 925 00:52:49,680 --> 00:52:52,799 Speaker 1: very uh, it's a very difficult system to navigate. Like 926 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:54,560 Speaker 1: like you said, I think one of the things that's 927 00:52:54,560 --> 00:52:58,880 Speaker 1: already stood out is this this demand for like documentation, freddy, 928 00:52:59,360 --> 00:53:01,680 Speaker 1: any sort of accommodation that you might need that they 929 00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:04,440 Speaker 1: can make it very hard to remember in um, I 930 00:53:04,480 --> 00:53:07,759 Speaker 1: was teaching at UCSD and I shattered my pelvis, uh 931 00:53:07,760 --> 00:53:12,000 Speaker 1: and like that made moving at all extremely difficult for me, 932 00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:16,440 Speaker 1: and they wouldn't give me a parking pass, and like 933 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:19,719 Speaker 1: then then proceeded to offer me once the diabetes, which 934 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:23,719 Speaker 1: is a whole like like interesting, like it's sort of 935 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:26,160 Speaker 1: calculation of which one of those things will definitely stop 936 00:53:26,160 --> 00:53:30,719 Speaker 1: you walking. So yeah, and it was extremely sort of humiliating, 937 00:53:30,719 --> 00:53:33,720 Speaker 1: I guess from a personal perspective, and degrading and time 938 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:39,719 Speaker 1: consuming and unnecessary. And so what were the demands then? 939 00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:41,880 Speaker 1: At the start of this strike, right, there was an 940 00:53:41,920 --> 00:53:45,240 Speaker 1: access needs element to the demands being made by the union. 941 00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:50,520 Speaker 1: So perhaps we can go through Maybe first we can 942 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:53,799 Speaker 1: go through how you went from uh like this bike 943 00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:57,160 Speaker 1: rrect which didn't accommodate, but pretty pretty basic need right 944 00:53:57,160 --> 00:53:59,000 Speaker 1: to transport yourself to campus? How do we get from 945 00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:03,239 Speaker 1: there to the union having access needs to minds as 946 00:54:03,280 --> 00:54:07,480 Speaker 1: part of the strike. So as far as you see 947 00:54:07,480 --> 00:54:12,320 Speaker 1: access now, it's involvement with it. Um. We went on 948 00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:16,719 Speaker 1: Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and published the demandifesto in 949 00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:22,040 Speaker 1: July of so, uh, the months between you know, the fall, 950 00:54:22,080 --> 00:54:24,160 Speaker 1: when I made you know, went through these processes and 951 00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:27,080 Speaker 1: when I finally decided, Okay, nobody's doing anything about this 952 00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:29,759 Speaker 1: and I don't see any other organizations, so let's you know, 953 00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:36,440 Speaker 1: jump into this um. By July, Uh, you see access 954 00:54:36,440 --> 00:54:41,000 Speaker 1: now was contacted by somebody who was an officer within 955 00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:44,319 Speaker 1: u a W fift ten and that's the post Doc 956 00:54:44,400 --> 00:54:50,600 Speaker 1: and and Academic Researcher Union, and they had seen our work, 957 00:54:51,120 --> 00:54:55,160 Speaker 1: you know, via social media and whatnot, and said, you know, 958 00:54:55,200 --> 00:54:58,320 Speaker 1: we're about to go into contract bargaining and we'd really 959 00:54:58,400 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 1: like to talk about disability shoes. So we had a 960 00:55:01,000 --> 00:55:04,279 Speaker 1: meeting with them, and we actually had we did a 961 00:55:04,280 --> 00:55:07,840 Speaker 1: presentation also to them, uh for their social justice and 962 00:55:07,920 --> 00:55:10,920 Speaker 1: in our series. But we also had a meeting with 963 00:55:11,040 --> 00:55:15,240 Speaker 1: a number of people from fifty ten in terms of let's, 964 00:55:15,360 --> 00:55:18,600 Speaker 1: you know, let's think creatively here. Let's let's be ambitious 965 00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:21,239 Speaker 1: about what it is, you know, because the thing is 966 00:55:21,239 --> 00:55:23,799 Speaker 1: is that a lot of what people tend to do, 967 00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:28,360 Speaker 1: particularly particularly when they're not disabled, but even some disabled 968 00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:30,360 Speaker 1: people can do this because internalized able is M is 969 00:55:30,480 --> 00:55:33,759 Speaker 1: really hard to throw off. We're sort of you know, 970 00:55:33,800 --> 00:55:35,600 Speaker 1: and this is true of other oppressions too. You know, 971 00:55:35,640 --> 00:55:38,320 Speaker 1: we're all sort of used to this system that has 972 00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:44,720 Speaker 1: this policing, austerity, etcetera. You know, we all get schooled 973 00:55:44,719 --> 00:55:48,000 Speaker 1: into not hoping for much anymore because we're just so used, 974 00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:50,240 Speaker 1: you know, in my life time I've lived through decades 975 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:53,839 Speaker 1: of this kind of regularite bologne, so so it takes 976 00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:56,520 Speaker 1: a while to think big about these things. But that's 977 00:55:56,520 --> 00:55:58,120 Speaker 1: what we were trying to do. And so we sort 978 00:55:58,120 --> 00:56:01,200 Speaker 1: of brainstormed with them a several see access Now members 979 00:56:01,719 --> 00:56:04,680 Speaker 1: and several fifty eight ten members in terms of the 980 00:56:04,719 --> 00:56:08,600 Speaker 1: sorts of things that could be uh asking for And 981 00:56:08,680 --> 00:56:11,200 Speaker 1: so if if there's time and you don't mind, I 982 00:56:11,239 --> 00:56:15,120 Speaker 1: can give you a view of that because the other 983 00:56:15,120 --> 00:56:20,000 Speaker 1: stuff is online. But this isn't. So again this is 984 00:56:20,040 --> 00:56:22,200 Speaker 1: sort of just a spitballing document, but we were like, 985 00:56:22,239 --> 00:56:25,279 Speaker 1: you know, all ads for post doc positions on all platforms, 986 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:29,160 Speaker 1: they have to be accessible. Now, some some of this 987 00:56:29,280 --> 00:56:31,799 Speaker 1: and some of what we're talking about is stuff that 988 00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:34,400 Speaker 1: you see is actually legally obligated to do and just 989 00:56:34,560 --> 00:56:37,680 Speaker 1: has not been doing. Um that would be one of them. 990 00:56:37,920 --> 00:56:41,080 Speaker 1: UM training. You know, most emergency access plans are not 991 00:56:41,200 --> 00:56:43,439 Speaker 1: made with the input of disabled people, and they don't 992 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:47,239 Speaker 1: even mention us. So you know, there are considerations for 993 00:56:47,280 --> 00:56:52,160 Speaker 1: accessibility for different types of disabilities, different people. Uh. We 994 00:56:52,239 --> 00:56:55,160 Speaker 1: have several buildings on UC Davis campus here that have 995 00:56:55,239 --> 00:57:00,399 Speaker 1: little placards right in the lobby. Let's say they say 996 00:57:00,440 --> 00:57:05,840 Speaker 1: something like, if you depend on uh, visual alarm systems 997 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:08,440 Speaker 1: in an emergency, please let somebody else know you're in 998 00:57:08,480 --> 00:57:10,920 Speaker 1: this building, blah blah blah. And it's like even the 999 00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:14,600 Speaker 1: way that's phrased because you know, quote unquote abled people, 1000 00:57:15,440 --> 00:57:17,920 Speaker 1: are you dependent on a sound alarm system to get 1001 00:57:17,920 --> 00:57:21,920 Speaker 1: out in a fire. But they but they don't phrase it, 1002 00:57:22,120 --> 00:57:24,400 Speaker 1: you know, as dependence when it's for them, right, They 1003 00:57:24,400 --> 00:57:27,080 Speaker 1: only phrase it as dependence when it's for somebody who's 1004 00:57:27,120 --> 00:57:29,960 Speaker 1: death or hard of hearing. So we've got several buildings 1005 00:57:29,960 --> 00:57:33,560 Speaker 1: on campus where they know that it's not up, it's 1006 00:57:33,560 --> 00:57:35,600 Speaker 1: not up to even not even just a d A. 1007 00:57:35,720 --> 00:57:38,600 Speaker 1: But just like basic human decency, people will die in 1008 00:57:38,640 --> 00:57:41,200 Speaker 1: that building. Deaf and hard of hearing people will not 1009 00:57:41,360 --> 00:57:44,680 Speaker 1: know that there's a fire or another emergency alarm system 1010 00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:47,400 Speaker 1: going off because we couldn't be bothered to pony up 1011 00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:51,160 Speaker 1: for some lights. Um. So that that kind of thing. 1012 00:57:51,200 --> 00:57:53,600 Speaker 1: In terms of an emergency action plan, these things have 1013 00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:55,880 Speaker 1: to be done. There has to be training, not only 1014 00:57:55,920 --> 00:57:58,560 Speaker 1: for the supervisors but really for you see itself, because 1015 00:57:58,560 --> 00:58:02,040 Speaker 1: the whole system it's just you know, cram full of 1016 00:58:02,120 --> 00:58:05,680 Speaker 1: able is um. You know, online working is key to accessibility. 1017 00:58:05,720 --> 00:58:07,640 Speaker 1: So it has to be a regular option, not just 1018 00:58:08,120 --> 00:58:10,640 Speaker 1: something for the pandemic. It should have been the whole time, 1019 00:58:10,920 --> 00:58:15,600 Speaker 1: and it also shouldn't you know, be a big burst 1020 00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:18,840 Speaker 1: up to it. There are some and you know, they're 1021 00:58:18,840 --> 00:58:20,919 Speaker 1: like quite kind of things you would think of as 1022 00:58:20,960 --> 00:58:24,320 Speaker 1: smaller that we put in here simply because again we're 1023 00:58:24,320 --> 00:58:28,120 Speaker 1: trying to think creatively, which is you know, reimbursements for instance. 1024 00:58:28,160 --> 00:58:31,320 Speaker 1: I mean that's a general problem with grad students and whatnot. 1025 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:33,920 Speaker 1: Is that the university, which has far more resources than 1026 00:58:33,960 --> 00:58:36,880 Speaker 1: we do, it's sort of you know, taking its time 1027 00:58:36,920 --> 00:58:40,280 Speaker 1: reimbursing us for things that we've had to get right. 1028 00:58:40,720 --> 00:58:44,040 Speaker 1: And so the debt is actually being heaped onto the 1029 00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:46,439 Speaker 1: people least able to support it. And when it comes 1030 00:58:46,480 --> 00:58:49,680 Speaker 1: to disabled people, that is going to be even more 1031 00:58:49,720 --> 00:58:52,320 Speaker 1: of a burden because most disabled people have a higher 1032 00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:55,200 Speaker 1: cost of living and often have a lower income to boot. 1033 00:58:56,040 --> 00:58:57,840 Speaker 1: So we put you know that in there, we put 1034 00:58:57,880 --> 00:59:02,280 Speaker 1: in reimbursed. It's for costs incurred working at home or 1035 00:59:02,400 --> 00:59:05,400 Speaker 1: or or you know, in other ways remotely for an employer. 1036 00:59:05,560 --> 00:59:08,240 Speaker 1: That's section to eight oh two of the California Labor Code. 1037 00:59:08,920 --> 00:59:12,880 Speaker 1: Um uh, you know, sick policy in terms of like 1038 00:59:14,080 --> 00:59:16,960 Speaker 1: commuter checks, which you know, or some other kind of 1039 00:59:16,960 --> 00:59:20,840 Speaker 1: thing for public transit. Make the child care spaces and 1040 00:59:20,920 --> 00:59:24,000 Speaker 1: lactation rooms are accessible because you know the union will 1041 00:59:24,000 --> 00:59:26,280 Speaker 1: like lobby for that right, but you need to be 1042 00:59:26,520 --> 00:59:30,280 Speaker 1: you need to be express about the idea that these 1043 00:59:30,280 --> 00:59:33,080 Speaker 1: things need to be accessible. Like people don't think of 1044 00:59:33,520 --> 00:59:37,880 Speaker 1: everything needed to be accessible, but really it does. Yeah, 1045 00:59:37,960 --> 00:59:40,480 Speaker 1: and that sends a very sort of condescending message about 1046 00:59:40,520 --> 00:59:44,080 Speaker 1: like what you know, different people with different diffabilities might 1047 00:59:44,160 --> 00:59:47,560 Speaker 1: or might not be doing at which obviously isn't great 1048 00:59:47,680 --> 00:59:51,200 Speaker 1: that the US doing that, And so like, I really 1049 00:59:51,440 --> 00:59:55,400 Speaker 1: I thought these demands were fascinating because it's not what 1050 00:59:55,480 --> 00:59:58,000 Speaker 1: we often talk about when we talk about strikes, Like 1051 00:59:58,200 --> 01:00:01,440 Speaker 1: we talk about strikes often purely in terms of economics, 1052 01:00:01,520 --> 01:00:05,320 Speaker 1: right like uh in in the US that can include 1053 01:00:05,320 --> 01:00:08,320 Speaker 1: things like non way to benefits right like healthcare. But 1054 01:00:08,800 --> 01:00:12,280 Speaker 1: it in sort of most instances we talk about strikeing 1055 01:00:12,560 --> 01:00:14,600 Speaker 1: bread and butter terms like they have gone out and 1056 01:00:14,600 --> 01:00:17,400 Speaker 1: they want this much money to come back. And I 1057 01:00:17,440 --> 01:00:20,640 Speaker 1: think that strikes have the potential to build much greater 1058 01:00:20,800 --> 01:00:26,440 Speaker 1: solidarity by doing things like this, by incorporating these I 1059 01:00:26,480 --> 01:00:29,320 Speaker 1: guess social justice demands is one way of phrasing it. 1060 01:00:30,280 --> 01:00:32,640 Speaker 1: The basic human decency to minds will be another way 1061 01:00:32,640 --> 01:00:37,280 Speaker 1: of saying it. And it really yeah, it really impressed 1062 01:00:37,320 --> 01:00:40,280 Speaker 1: me that that this this was part of the package 1063 01:00:40,320 --> 01:00:44,280 Speaker 1: of demands from the union. How have things gone? Are 1064 01:00:44,320 --> 01:00:46,840 Speaker 1: you comfortable talking about how things have gone since the 1065 01:00:46,880 --> 01:00:52,880 Speaker 1: strike began? Well, I certainly don't know everything backwards and forwards, 1066 01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:55,000 Speaker 1: because honestly, it would be hard for any one person 1067 01:00:55,040 --> 01:00:58,280 Speaker 1: to do it all. It's all extremely complex stuff in 1068 01:00:58,400 --> 01:01:01,000 Speaker 1: terms of not in terms of you know, things on 1069 01:01:01,040 --> 01:01:04,680 Speaker 1: the ground, but in terms of the language in contracts 1070 01:01:05,080 --> 01:01:08,600 Speaker 1: and the process and bargaining. Uh there's a difference between 1071 01:01:08,600 --> 01:01:11,480 Speaker 1: like things that are tradition traditional to do as opposed 1072 01:01:11,480 --> 01:01:13,400 Speaker 1: to things that are actually the law, and then of 1073 01:01:13,400 --> 01:01:15,640 Speaker 1: course the actual enforcement and law. So anyway, this has 1074 01:01:15,640 --> 01:01:16,880 Speaker 1: been going on for a whole year, and as you 1075 01:01:16,880 --> 01:01:20,040 Speaker 1: can imagine, like penetrating it as your average person, it 1076 01:01:20,120 --> 01:01:23,360 Speaker 1: can be very difficult. So I will certainly give you, you 1077 01:01:23,040 --> 01:01:25,480 Speaker 1: you know, my view of it as so far as 1078 01:01:25,520 --> 01:01:29,320 Speaker 1: I've seen it, but um, we do have uh. So 1079 01:01:29,320 --> 01:01:32,360 Speaker 1: so we helped with like sort of spitballing, and they 1080 01:01:32,400 --> 01:01:36,520 Speaker 1: took it from there and what they started out with 1081 01:01:36,960 --> 01:01:42,440 Speaker 1: was not as you know, ambitious as the spitball document. Um. 1082 01:01:42,480 --> 01:01:47,000 Speaker 1: I think it tends. I think that got replicated a 1083 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:49,920 Speaker 1: lot throughout the unions, which is, you know, my advice 1084 01:01:50,880 --> 01:01:54,920 Speaker 1: as somebody from the outside, just thinking about negotiations in general. Okay, 1085 01:01:55,280 --> 01:01:58,080 Speaker 1: you know they're going to cut you down, right, so 1086 01:01:58,280 --> 01:02:00,320 Speaker 1: why would you be the one to cut you down? 1087 01:02:00,800 --> 01:02:03,520 Speaker 1: You know they're gonna do it, right, you think big 1088 01:02:03,800 --> 01:02:08,400 Speaker 1: let them cut you down. And and unfortunately there were 1089 01:02:08,440 --> 01:02:13,240 Speaker 1: the majority voices in the bargaining teams tended often to 1090 01:02:13,400 --> 01:02:17,760 Speaker 1: be at least where the access needs articles were concerned, um, 1091 01:02:17,760 --> 01:02:21,880 Speaker 1: tended to be kind of let us cut ourselves down. Uh. 1092 01:02:21,880 --> 01:02:24,600 Speaker 1: So the starting doc for ten, although you know it's 1093 01:02:24,640 --> 01:02:26,880 Speaker 1: still had things in it that were very like if 1094 01:02:26,880 --> 01:02:30,800 Speaker 1: we have the original version of ten instead of what 1095 01:02:31,200 --> 01:02:39,480 Speaker 1: actually the folks you know, voted on voted yes on recently, Uh, 1096 01:02:39,520 --> 01:02:43,000 Speaker 1: it would still be a revolutionary document in in US 1097 01:02:43,080 --> 01:02:45,840 Speaker 1: labor history. I think. You know, I don't I've never 1098 01:02:45,880 --> 01:02:50,320 Speaker 1: heard in the news of anything any uh more ambitious 1099 01:02:50,360 --> 01:02:52,840 Speaker 1: than that. But but definitely it was down from what 1100 01:02:52,880 --> 01:02:59,200 Speaker 1: we were starting with, which you know, um so. But 1101 01:02:59,240 --> 01:03:01,880 Speaker 1: I think what happened was that you know, fifty ten 1102 01:03:01,920 --> 01:03:05,240 Speaker 1: came out and they were trying to coordinate and learn 1103 01:03:05,280 --> 01:03:09,800 Speaker 1: from each other to different units. Right, So then folks 1104 01:03:09,920 --> 01:03:17,280 Speaker 1: on s R, you and U A W also UH 1105 01:03:17,840 --> 01:03:20,720 Speaker 1: worked on the access needs articles and and the access 1106 01:03:20,760 --> 01:03:23,520 Speaker 1: needs articles even in themselves was a change because the 1107 01:03:23,560 --> 01:03:27,440 Speaker 1: previous versions of these things were phrases reasonable, accommodations who, 1108 01:03:27,800 --> 01:03:30,959 Speaker 1: which is language that stems from the Americans with Disabilities Act. 1109 01:03:31,600 --> 01:03:37,600 Speaker 1: And even that phrase is something that is really outdated 1110 01:03:37,680 --> 01:03:41,720 Speaker 1: because it is the idea, the ideas who is deciding 1111 01:03:41,720 --> 01:03:45,480 Speaker 1: what's reasonable? Right, the person who has no lived experience 1112 01:03:45,480 --> 01:03:50,320 Speaker 1: of disability or this gigantic public institution that is funded 1113 01:03:50,400 --> 01:03:54,560 Speaker 1: including by disabled people's tuitions and fed fees and whatnot 1114 01:03:54,560 --> 01:03:59,480 Speaker 1: in taxes. But you know where's my money go? It 1115 01:03:59,520 --> 01:04:02,040 Speaker 1: goes into bill in an accessible university? Right, So why 1116 01:04:02,120 --> 01:04:05,040 Speaker 1: am I supposed to let you judge what is reasonable? 1117 01:04:05,280 --> 01:04:08,880 Speaker 1: I think it's incredibly unreasonable that you use my money 1118 01:04:09,000 --> 01:04:13,080 Speaker 1: to build a university that not is not only hard 1119 01:04:13,160 --> 01:04:15,840 Speaker 1: for me to be at, but it is actively hostile 1120 01:04:15,880 --> 01:04:19,480 Speaker 1: to my health. Um. And so you know, and just 1121 01:04:19,520 --> 01:04:25,400 Speaker 1: the word accommodations centers and codifies that inaccessibility as being 1122 01:04:25,480 --> 01:04:28,840 Speaker 1: the norm and anything you do different from it is 1123 01:04:28,880 --> 01:04:31,360 Speaker 1: like you being accommodating. We'll get that, get the hell 1124 01:04:31,400 --> 01:04:35,720 Speaker 1: out over here with that stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it 1125 01:04:35,760 --> 01:04:37,960 Speaker 1: makes much more sense to phrase it in those ways. 1126 01:04:38,000 --> 01:04:41,960 Speaker 1: And like, yeah, it seems like it was, as you said, 1127 01:04:41,960 --> 01:04:46,240 Speaker 1: a very ambitious goal and one that not only those 1128 01:04:46,240 --> 01:04:50,320 Speaker 1: things got transferred, which is I mean that that can 1129 01:04:50,400 --> 01:04:54,520 Speaker 1: happen in strikes. But it's also like it's it's a 1130 01:04:54,560 --> 01:04:57,120 Speaker 1: non economic thing that the university could have given to 1131 01:04:57,120 --> 01:04:58,960 Speaker 1: you all that it wouldn't have had to have, you know, 1132 01:04:59,080 --> 01:05:00,760 Speaker 1: I mean, in the university has a lot of money, 1133 01:05:00,800 --> 01:05:02,760 Speaker 1: and it would it would be very possible for it 1134 01:05:02,800 --> 01:05:04,640 Speaker 1: to pay grad to its students the ways they asked 1135 01:05:04,640 --> 01:05:07,200 Speaker 1: for at the start and post grad post docs and 1136 01:05:08,360 --> 01:05:10,800 Speaker 1: could be paid the way to say asked for. Tierney 1137 01:05:10,840 --> 01:05:13,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't really had the university they could, they could, you know, 1138 01:05:13,800 --> 01:05:16,400 Speaker 1: there are a million ways they could fund that. But well, 1139 01:05:16,400 --> 01:05:18,000 Speaker 1: I think that gets to the crux of why they 1140 01:05:18,000 --> 01:05:20,400 Speaker 1: don't do this, because the thing is is that if 1141 01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:22,400 Speaker 1: if you really think about it this way, and it 1142 01:05:22,440 --> 01:05:24,800 Speaker 1: takes a little doing, because again we're sort of school 1143 01:05:24,840 --> 01:05:30,520 Speaker 1: dot to, but it is a form of misappropriation of 1144 01:05:30,520 --> 01:05:33,320 Speaker 1: public funds. If all of the public is funding this 1145 01:05:33,400 --> 01:05:35,640 Speaker 1: institution and we do that through our state and our 1146 01:05:35,640 --> 01:05:38,440 Speaker 1: federal taxes, we do and and then of course if 1147 01:05:38,440 --> 01:05:40,600 Speaker 1: we get in, we're doing it through tuition of feeds. 1148 01:05:41,120 --> 01:05:43,200 Speaker 1: And then of course the grants the university gets are 1149 01:05:43,200 --> 01:05:47,480 Speaker 1: also federal grants and this sort of thing. Um, then 1150 01:05:48,600 --> 01:05:50,960 Speaker 1: what you're doing is you're taking money that comes from 1151 01:05:51,040 --> 01:05:54,800 Speaker 1: all of the public and pre pandemic figures in terms 1152 01:05:54,880 --> 01:05:58,640 Speaker 1: of like this is before the mass disabling event that 1153 01:05:58,680 --> 01:06:04,320 Speaker 1: the pandemic is the of America. Adult Americans had at 1154 01:06:04,400 --> 01:06:08,760 Speaker 1: least one disability. So you're taking money from those folks, 1155 01:06:09,400 --> 01:06:11,280 Speaker 1: and you're saying, but we're not going to build this 1156 01:06:11,400 --> 01:06:15,080 Speaker 1: public university in a way that is not only like 1157 01:06:15,360 --> 01:06:18,360 Speaker 1: tolerable by you, but like a place where you could thrive. 1158 01:06:18,760 --> 01:06:21,600 Speaker 1: It doesn't even reach tolerable. It actually drives a lot 1159 01:06:21,640 --> 01:06:23,640 Speaker 1: of us out of here. It worse in health, and 1160 01:06:23,680 --> 01:06:27,840 Speaker 1: I have no doubt that it has killed people. So 1161 01:06:28,720 --> 01:06:31,040 Speaker 1: we so what happens. The reason I mentioned this is 1162 01:06:31,080 --> 01:06:35,040 Speaker 1: because that misappropriation to funds, you know, that's the incentive, right, 1163 01:06:35,920 --> 01:06:39,280 Speaker 1: What can if if if you're going off this austerity 1164 01:06:39,360 --> 01:06:43,040 Speaker 1: mindset that you shut off like people from things they need, right, 1165 01:06:43,560 --> 01:06:47,200 Speaker 1: what happens to that money? Well, we have an ADMIN 1166 01:06:47,240 --> 01:06:50,520 Speaker 1: that is completely bloated in size. We have every single 1167 01:06:50,640 --> 01:06:53,800 Speaker 1: chancellor getting a raise during a pandemic that they completely 1168 01:06:54,280 --> 01:06:57,640 Speaker 1: blew in terms of public health protections, in terms of 1169 01:06:57,680 --> 01:07:01,680 Speaker 1: accessibility even to people when they needed it ring the pandemic, Like, 1170 01:07:01,800 --> 01:07:05,200 Speaker 1: if they hadn't been fighting accessibility that long, we would 1171 01:07:05,240 --> 01:07:07,160 Speaker 1: have handled the pandemic better because we would have had 1172 01:07:07,200 --> 01:07:13,040 Speaker 1: better online pedagogy already available and developed. So it is 1173 01:07:13,520 --> 01:07:16,360 Speaker 1: that's a kind of jump that people don't make. But 1174 01:07:16,440 --> 01:07:19,800 Speaker 1: that's exactly what's going on. That's why they have the 1175 01:07:19,880 --> 01:07:25,840 Speaker 1: interest in putting this rationing and policing bureaucracy together to like, 1176 01:07:25,920 --> 01:07:28,920 Speaker 1: not many disabled people even get here because this is 1177 01:07:28,920 --> 01:07:32,520 Speaker 1: of course not the only ablest institution. It's hard to 1178 01:07:32,560 --> 01:07:35,720 Speaker 1: even get here. But then when you get here, they 1179 01:07:35,720 --> 01:07:39,280 Speaker 1: want to reduce who can get their access needs met. 1180 01:07:39,440 --> 01:07:43,000 Speaker 1: And then the access needs being met is such a 1181 01:07:43,120 --> 01:07:48,480 Speaker 1: gauntlet and only the most privileged of disabled people can 1182 01:07:48,520 --> 01:07:50,960 Speaker 1: get that. And so you know, as far as disabled 1183 01:07:50,960 --> 01:07:56,520 Speaker 1: people at at you see who are in the system 1184 01:07:56,600 --> 01:07:59,360 Speaker 1: so to speak, you know, are registered or whatever, that's 1185 01:07:59,760 --> 01:08:03,000 Speaker 1: going to not at all be representative of the public 1186 01:08:03,040 --> 01:08:06,160 Speaker 1: that's going to be mostly white folks with some access 1187 01:08:06,200 --> 01:08:10,320 Speaker 1: to privilege, you know, yeah, of course. And I think 1188 01:08:10,320 --> 01:08:14,080 Speaker 1: you've given a good sort of elucidation of why this 1189 01:08:14,160 --> 01:08:16,240 Speaker 1: is a struggle that obviously everyone should be part of, 1190 01:08:16,360 --> 01:08:19,479 Speaker 1: everyone should be getting behind, because it's like it's it's 1191 01:08:19,520 --> 01:08:21,040 Speaker 1: all of us whore invested in this in order of 1192 01:08:21,120 --> 01:08:24,240 Speaker 1: us are paying for this university which isn't accessible right now. 1193 01:08:25,600 --> 01:08:29,439 Speaker 1: So I wonder, like, what's your advice because there are 1194 01:08:29,920 --> 01:08:34,360 Speaker 1: unprecedented numbers of people forming unions right like Starbucks being 1195 01:08:34,439 --> 01:08:36,519 Speaker 1: one example that we see a lot of coverage of, 1196 01:08:36,640 --> 01:08:38,920 Speaker 1: but all across the country there are more people forming 1197 01:08:38,960 --> 01:08:41,960 Speaker 1: unions there and more people going on to strike. How 1198 01:08:43,080 --> 01:08:47,439 Speaker 1: should they organize around similar things? Like how should they 1199 01:08:47,520 --> 01:08:51,800 Speaker 1: organize around getting these access needs met? Well, I think 1200 01:08:52,000 --> 01:08:54,360 Speaker 1: I think you have to start by sweeping your old 1201 01:08:54,360 --> 01:08:56,200 Speaker 1: side of the street, which is that you have to 1202 01:08:56,240 --> 01:09:02,519 Speaker 1: make sure that your union communications, you're meetings, uh, everything 1203 01:09:02,520 --> 01:09:04,920 Speaker 1: about your union is accessible. And if you don't know 1204 01:09:04,960 --> 01:09:06,800 Speaker 1: how to do that, then that's where you start. You 1205 01:09:06,840 --> 01:09:09,559 Speaker 1: start with learning what accessibility is and how to make 1206 01:09:09,640 --> 01:09:14,759 Speaker 1: things accessible. Because what we found when we started, uh, 1207 01:09:14,800 --> 01:09:17,599 Speaker 1: when we came out kind of UC access, now did 1208 01:09:18,280 --> 01:09:21,920 Speaker 1: was you know, as you can imagine in a society 1209 01:09:22,120 --> 01:09:29,719 Speaker 1: where there are quite strong financial punishments for even to say, 1210 01:09:29,920 --> 01:09:33,360 Speaker 1: you know, even identifying as disabled. And what I mean 1211 01:09:33,400 --> 01:09:35,839 Speaker 1: by that is like say, again here on UC Davis, 1212 01:09:37,040 --> 01:09:38,640 Speaker 1: you were talking about how hard it was for you 1213 01:09:38,680 --> 01:09:40,760 Speaker 1: to get parking right, you know, when you had s 1214 01:09:40,840 --> 01:09:44,000 Speaker 1: chatter Pelvis, how it was to go every single day 1215 01:09:44,040 --> 01:09:46,880 Speaker 1: here on campus. There are able to employees driving trucks 1216 01:09:46,880 --> 01:09:48,960 Speaker 1: and vans that they drive straight up to the door 1217 01:09:49,000 --> 01:09:52,040 Speaker 1: of the building on the sidewalk, blocking egress for actual 1218 01:09:52,080 --> 01:09:55,600 Speaker 1: disabled people and actually blocking fire regress out of the 1219 01:09:55,600 --> 01:09:59,160 Speaker 1: building because that's what's you know, because they can't be 1220 01:09:59,200 --> 01:10:02,720 Speaker 1: bothered to twenty ft from the legal space that they 1221 01:10:03,000 --> 01:10:05,799 Speaker 1: have already have the privilege of being on campus compared 1222 01:10:05,840 --> 01:10:08,320 Speaker 1: to everybody else, right, but they but they had to 1223 01:10:08,320 --> 01:10:10,400 Speaker 1: have an even more convenient to that and then they 1224 01:10:10,479 --> 01:10:14,120 Speaker 1: drive straight up to the door, right. Nobody gives them. 1225 01:10:14,280 --> 01:10:17,040 Speaker 1: Nobody says boo about that. Nobody says you need to 1226 01:10:17,040 --> 01:10:21,760 Speaker 1: get a medical documentation, Nobody says you're getting fined and 1227 01:10:21,800 --> 01:10:24,519 Speaker 1: you're and you you don't get to drive this campus 1228 01:10:24,600 --> 01:10:27,240 Speaker 1: truck again or whatever, none of that goes on. What 1229 01:10:27,600 --> 01:10:31,160 Speaker 1: would happen. I guarantee you if that employee identified as 1230 01:10:31,200 --> 01:10:33,880 Speaker 1: disabled all of a sudden, then they would come down 1231 01:10:33,920 --> 01:10:37,800 Speaker 1: on that person for what they're doing. It's it's a 1232 01:10:37,840 --> 01:10:40,160 Speaker 1: real So because of these things, there's a lot of 1233 01:10:40,200 --> 01:10:45,320 Speaker 1: incentive for people to hide their disability because you get 1234 01:10:45,600 --> 01:10:47,280 Speaker 1: there's a lot of stigma, but there's also a real, 1235 01:10:47,800 --> 01:10:51,880 Speaker 1: quite real financial hit to it. And uh and so 1236 01:10:51,960 --> 01:10:55,479 Speaker 1: what happens once you sort of create a safer space 1237 01:10:55,600 --> 01:11:00,240 Speaker 1: to talk about it, people will start damning you, you know, 1238 01:11:00,439 --> 01:11:02,479 Speaker 1: and they will let you know that they're starting to 1239 01:11:02,520 --> 01:11:04,760 Speaker 1: have problems on the job or whatever. They may not 1240 01:11:04,920 --> 01:11:07,639 Speaker 1: be ready to come out for those like some people, 1241 01:11:07,680 --> 01:11:09,960 Speaker 1: it's obvious they're disabled, right, It's not even like they 1242 01:11:10,000 --> 01:11:13,080 Speaker 1: have a choice about quote unquote coming out right. But 1243 01:11:13,240 --> 01:11:15,720 Speaker 1: for other people, it's not obvious unless they tell you, 1244 01:11:15,800 --> 01:11:18,800 Speaker 1: and they have a lot of incentive to not you know, 1245 01:11:19,040 --> 01:11:22,840 Speaker 1: identify that way. Um, but when you make your union 1246 01:11:23,600 --> 01:11:27,280 Speaker 1: a safe and inclusive and accessible place, you will find 1247 01:11:27,760 --> 01:11:30,599 Speaker 1: that you have already been making assumptions about what your 1248 01:11:30,680 --> 01:11:35,200 Speaker 1: union membership is, so you already have members who are disabled. 1249 01:11:35,600 --> 01:11:38,720 Speaker 1: It's just that they're not telling you about it. But furthermore, 1250 01:11:39,200 --> 01:11:46,160 Speaker 1: if your union starts really um becoming an accessible inclusive place, 1251 01:11:46,560 --> 01:11:49,280 Speaker 1: you know, not performative really being there, like your your 1252 01:11:49,320 --> 01:11:54,679 Speaker 1: communications are accessible, you you're clearly UM educating yourselves around 1253 01:11:54,720 --> 01:11:58,240 Speaker 1: able is um educating yourselves around accessibility. So like when 1254 01:11:58,320 --> 01:12:00,960 Speaker 1: you have your meeting, it's not in uh a room 1255 01:12:01,040 --> 01:12:04,760 Speaker 1: that isn't wheelchair accessible, that doesn't have a working elevator 1256 01:12:04,800 --> 01:12:06,960 Speaker 1: on that floor. When you know all these things that 1257 01:12:07,000 --> 01:12:10,040 Speaker 1: people kind of don't think about until uh they're the 1258 01:12:10,040 --> 01:12:15,160 Speaker 1: one with the broken leg um, then that really goes 1259 01:12:15,200 --> 01:12:17,559 Speaker 1: some way to helping you organize things. And you will 1260 01:12:17,600 --> 01:12:21,320 Speaker 1: find you already have members that you can tap, you know, 1261 01:12:21,560 --> 01:12:24,960 Speaker 1: because they'll start to feel more for more involved once 1262 01:12:24,960 --> 01:12:26,479 Speaker 1: they see you're willing to go to bad from them. 1263 01:12:26,560 --> 01:12:30,719 Speaker 1: And what I would say that peaks folks should learn 1264 01:12:30,840 --> 01:12:34,200 Speaker 1: from the U see you a w experience right now. 1265 01:12:35,160 --> 01:12:38,240 Speaker 1: And this doesn't just refer to disabled work as it's 1266 01:12:38,240 --> 01:12:44,840 Speaker 1: really other marginalized workers, which is, you know, if you're 1267 01:12:44,840 --> 01:12:47,920 Speaker 1: in a contract bargaining situation and it's clear that like 1268 01:12:48,520 --> 01:12:52,719 Speaker 1: you're the bargaining chip, Like why would that why would 1269 01:12:52,720 --> 01:12:55,080 Speaker 1: that group want to hang with you. You're you're saying, 1270 01:12:55,360 --> 01:12:58,479 Speaker 1: support us and what we want, but we're gonna desert 1271 01:12:58,520 --> 01:13:01,840 Speaker 1: you when it's your time. You weren't gonna depend on 1272 01:13:01,880 --> 01:13:04,600 Speaker 1: the fact that everybody likes more pay, and we're just 1273 01:13:04,640 --> 01:13:08,160 Speaker 1: gonna say, Okay, you're gonna stick with us and and work, 1274 01:13:08,200 --> 01:13:10,280 Speaker 1: you know, with the union, no matter what it's like. 1275 01:13:10,320 --> 01:13:14,160 Speaker 1: Now a lot of people are gonna go, well, I'm 1276 01:13:14,200 --> 01:13:16,800 Speaker 1: sticking you know. You clearly don't support me, So I 1277 01:13:16,840 --> 01:13:19,479 Speaker 1: don't see why I need to go with you and 1278 01:13:19,520 --> 01:13:22,080 Speaker 1: put myself at risk because if you win, I'm gonna 1279 01:13:22,080 --> 01:13:25,760 Speaker 1: get the raise anyway. And uh and if you don't win, 1280 01:13:25,920 --> 01:13:28,720 Speaker 1: well then that's good for you because now you know 1281 01:13:28,760 --> 01:13:32,480 Speaker 1: how it feels like to be tossed aside, you know. So, 1282 01:13:32,479 --> 01:13:35,280 Speaker 1: so you have to really be there for your marginalized workers. 1283 01:13:35,280 --> 01:13:37,639 Speaker 1: You know. It has to be this non performative thing. 1284 01:13:38,320 --> 01:13:41,000 Speaker 1: But the but the thing is is that if you 1285 01:13:41,120 --> 01:13:46,880 Speaker 1: are non performative about it, you are you're making the 1286 01:13:46,920 --> 01:13:50,000 Speaker 1: workplace not only better from disabled workers you already have, 1287 01:13:50,200 --> 01:13:54,320 Speaker 1: but you are making it better for yourself because every 1288 01:13:54,360 --> 01:13:56,919 Speaker 1: single one of us pretty much is going to be disabled, 1289 01:13:56,920 --> 01:14:00,400 Speaker 1: either temporarily or permanently at some point. In our lives. 1290 01:14:00,400 --> 01:14:05,840 Speaker 1: It is the easiest club to join. And you know, 1291 01:14:06,280 --> 01:14:08,680 Speaker 1: I think, as we found during the pandemic. You know, 1292 01:14:08,760 --> 01:14:11,720 Speaker 1: people a lot of people they make this they say, oh, 1293 01:14:11,760 --> 01:14:16,320 Speaker 1: online sucks, online school sucks. Why does it suck because 1294 01:14:16,360 --> 01:14:20,080 Speaker 1: you never invested in it. It's like several several decades 1295 01:14:20,080 --> 01:14:23,040 Speaker 1: and old, you never invested in it. You never put 1296 01:14:23,080 --> 01:14:26,720 Speaker 1: any effort or money into it. Like that's you know, 1297 01:14:27,000 --> 01:14:30,439 Speaker 1: So if you want your workplace to be a good 1298 01:14:30,560 --> 01:14:33,320 Speaker 1: quality workplace for you, that is not only just like 1299 01:14:33,439 --> 01:14:36,519 Speaker 1: a place you barely you know, feel okay going to, 1300 01:14:36,640 --> 01:14:40,240 Speaker 1: but like someplace you really we spend most of our 1301 01:14:40,280 --> 01:14:45,360 Speaker 1: lives in the workplace, you know, right, so it should 1302 01:14:45,360 --> 01:14:49,679 Speaker 1: be someplace that really makes us feel better and fulfilled. 1303 01:14:49,720 --> 01:14:53,360 Speaker 1: Because nobody works well when they're stressed out. Nobody, you know, 1304 01:14:53,400 --> 01:14:57,280 Speaker 1: you're not productive when you're constantly stressed. So this really 1305 01:14:57,320 --> 01:14:59,599 Speaker 1: should be a win win all around. And and you're 1306 01:15:00,479 --> 01:15:02,439 Speaker 1: think about it this way also, which is that you know, 1307 01:15:02,479 --> 01:15:04,960 Speaker 1: and this is particularly applicable when it comes to you 1308 01:15:05,000 --> 01:15:09,639 Speaker 1: see and you know, the pandemic is another great example 1309 01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:11,080 Speaker 1: of this is this has gotten a little bit of 1310 01:15:11,080 --> 01:15:12,760 Speaker 1: focus on the press. But I don't think as much 1311 01:15:12,800 --> 01:15:15,600 Speaker 1: as it deserves, which is that you have this not 1312 01:15:15,680 --> 01:15:18,719 Speaker 1: only an event where millions of people died globally, right 1313 01:15:18,840 --> 01:15:22,559 Speaker 1: which you have. You have quite a few people, they 1314 01:15:22,600 --> 01:15:25,840 Speaker 1: have long COVID, they have other things. People who arrive 1315 01:15:25,880 --> 01:15:27,760 Speaker 1: at you see and particularly who go you know, get 1316 01:15:27,800 --> 01:15:29,360 Speaker 1: to the point they've got their degree or whatever. You know, 1317 01:15:29,400 --> 01:15:36,040 Speaker 1: these are people who are trained, highly educated, trained in 1318 01:15:36,200 --> 01:15:38,880 Speaker 1: a certain thing. They're making contributions to their field. Do 1319 01:15:38,920 --> 01:15:42,040 Speaker 1: you really want it to be that we lose all 1320 01:15:42,120 --> 01:15:46,480 Speaker 1: the knowledge that these people have, all the the institutional 1321 01:15:47,320 --> 01:15:51,640 Speaker 1: memory and experience that these people have, just at a 1322 01:15:51,680 --> 01:15:55,360 Speaker 1: time when we're facing an incredible crises as a planet, 1323 01:15:55,400 --> 01:15:57,840 Speaker 1: you know, in terms of climate change and in terms 1324 01:15:57,880 --> 01:16:00,559 Speaker 1: of you know, the attacks on democracies and things, or 1325 01:16:00,600 --> 01:16:03,080 Speaker 1: just even what the people mean to their community, right 1326 01:16:03,120 --> 01:16:05,240 Speaker 1: you know, you're talking about the fabric of your community. 1327 01:16:05,600 --> 01:16:09,880 Speaker 1: If you make it. If you have an inaccessible workplace, 1328 01:16:09,880 --> 01:16:13,920 Speaker 1: if you have an inaccessible school, if you have places 1329 01:16:14,400 --> 01:16:19,560 Speaker 1: you know in the public square that are not accessible, 1330 01:16:20,040 --> 01:16:23,320 Speaker 1: you're making it so that when somebody becomes disabled, and 1331 01:16:23,400 --> 01:16:26,719 Speaker 1: that person could be you, you may never be able 1332 01:16:26,760 --> 01:16:28,960 Speaker 1: to practice the thing that you love and you've trained 1333 01:16:28,960 --> 01:16:32,519 Speaker 1: for your whole life and the community loses what you 1334 01:16:32,600 --> 01:16:36,679 Speaker 1: could bring to this at a time when we need 1335 01:16:36,760 --> 01:16:40,599 Speaker 1: more than ever every all hands on deck to be 1336 01:16:40,680 --> 01:16:46,800 Speaker 1: like solving climate change and other problems that face us. Yeah, yeah, 1337 01:16:46,840 --> 01:16:50,639 Speaker 1: that is it's very well said. Actually that yeah, sat 1338 01:16:50,760 --> 01:16:54,200 Speaker 1: he made a very good case. So I wonder, I 1339 01:16:54,240 --> 01:16:57,240 Speaker 1: mean obviously that the negotiations are still ongoing, at least 1340 01:16:57,240 --> 01:17:03,840 Speaker 1: for the SIU and for a I think as well, Um, 1341 01:17:03,960 --> 01:17:09,400 Speaker 1: so what can people do to support the demands that 1342 01:17:09,439 --> 01:17:12,240 Speaker 1: have been made? How can people maybe who are not 1343 01:17:12,320 --> 01:17:14,160 Speaker 1: part of the union, who are not part of the 1344 01:17:14,280 --> 01:17:16,400 Speaker 1: u C even or perhaps undergrad to are part of 1345 01:17:16,400 --> 01:17:18,040 Speaker 1: the u S but not part of the union, how 1346 01:17:18,080 --> 01:17:22,120 Speaker 1: how can they show solidarity and support here? Well, I 1347 01:17:22,160 --> 01:17:24,400 Speaker 1: think part of this is, you know, not giving up 1348 01:17:24,479 --> 01:17:27,280 Speaker 1: on the idea that we can press for the original 1349 01:17:27,280 --> 01:17:30,400 Speaker 1: access to needs article. I know there's all sorts of 1350 01:17:30,439 --> 01:17:35,479 Speaker 1: like you know, technical rules about regressive bargaining, but honestly, 1351 01:17:35,520 --> 01:17:37,200 Speaker 1: I think you see has broken a lot of the 1352 01:17:37,280 --> 01:17:39,559 Speaker 1: rules of bargaining. So I don't see why that doesn't 1353 01:17:39,600 --> 01:17:42,000 Speaker 1: you know what It's like, what's good for the goose 1354 01:17:42,080 --> 01:17:44,000 Speaker 1: is good for the gander. As far as I'm concerned, 1355 01:17:44,040 --> 01:17:48,120 Speaker 1: but there's also even outside of bargaining. You know, as 1356 01:17:48,160 --> 01:17:49,800 Speaker 1: I said, a lot of these things are things that 1357 01:17:50,040 --> 01:17:54,280 Speaker 1: you see routinely breaks a d A you see routinely 1358 01:17:54,320 --> 01:17:57,000 Speaker 1: breaks There's other parts of disability law in terms of 1359 01:17:57,240 --> 01:18:00,080 Speaker 1: Section five oh for the Rehabilitation Act, and there's some 1360 01:18:00,160 --> 01:18:03,200 Speaker 1: California law as well as my understanding of it. So 1361 01:18:03,360 --> 01:18:06,679 Speaker 1: you know, you see, just as they have this rationing 1362 01:18:06,680 --> 01:18:10,720 Speaker 1: and Policing agency bureaucracy, and it's two separate silos, one 1363 01:18:10,760 --> 01:18:12,800 Speaker 1: for students and one for workers, and they do that. 1364 01:18:13,400 --> 01:18:15,760 Speaker 1: Like even the fact that they do that communicates that 1365 01:18:15,800 --> 01:18:19,360 Speaker 1: it's not about offering accessibility as a default, because why 1366 01:18:19,400 --> 01:18:21,760 Speaker 1: would you have two silos for that. Well, you have 1367 01:18:21,800 --> 01:18:24,479 Speaker 1: two silos for that because the law that affects students 1368 01:18:24,479 --> 01:18:27,599 Speaker 1: and affects workers are slightly different. So what you're coming 1369 01:18:27,680 --> 01:18:33,040 Speaker 1: from is this aspect of we are dedicated to only 1370 01:18:33,120 --> 01:18:37,800 Speaker 1: doing the barest minimum of the minimum required by law, 1371 01:18:37,960 --> 01:18:40,320 Speaker 1: so we don't even want to meet that minimum required 1372 01:18:40,360 --> 01:18:42,880 Speaker 1: by law. It's like it's like, you know, you want 1373 01:18:42,920 --> 01:18:45,120 Speaker 1: to offer minimum wage, but if you can get away 1374 01:18:45,120 --> 01:18:46,840 Speaker 1: with it, you're not even going to meet minimum wage. 1375 01:18:46,880 --> 01:18:48,640 Speaker 1: And you have a lot of lawyers in a bureaucracy 1376 01:18:48,680 --> 01:18:50,880 Speaker 1: to make it possible for you to do that. That's 1377 01:18:50,920 --> 01:18:55,879 Speaker 1: what you see does um So that kind of stuff 1378 01:18:56,000 --> 01:18:59,320 Speaker 1: is stuff that outside of even a labor contract, you 1379 01:18:59,320 --> 01:19:03,160 Speaker 1: should be a to write the governor, right, the lieutenant governor, 1380 01:19:03,160 --> 01:19:05,160 Speaker 1: who's actually got a seat on the board of regents. 1381 01:19:05,760 --> 01:19:09,040 Speaker 1: Rights here, California legislators, you know when there was a 1382 01:19:09,200 --> 01:19:12,280 Speaker 1: there was a nimby who sued cal This was in 1383 01:19:12,320 --> 01:19:14,519 Speaker 1: the news this year. There was a nimby who sued 1384 01:19:14,600 --> 01:19:18,400 Speaker 1: Cow to make it so the cal Con make housing 1385 01:19:18,680 --> 01:19:21,240 Speaker 1: and and or to Cow to make it so the 1386 01:19:21,400 --> 01:19:24,040 Speaker 1: Cow was gonna have to limit how many it was 1387 01:19:24,479 --> 01:19:27,920 Speaker 1: admitting because in the opinion of that group, like they 1388 01:19:27,960 --> 01:19:30,160 Speaker 1: weren't building enough housing to take care of their students, 1389 01:19:30,160 --> 01:19:32,720 Speaker 1: and they were crowding at Berkeley and blah blah blah. 1390 01:19:33,040 --> 01:19:36,240 Speaker 1: The outrage about that from parents who wanted to send 1391 01:19:36,280 --> 01:19:38,800 Speaker 1: their kids to Cow was so great that like within 1392 01:19:38,840 --> 01:19:41,639 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks, the governor and the legislators had 1393 01:19:41,680 --> 01:19:45,240 Speaker 1: passed something to address that. If you put that kind 1394 01:19:45,240 --> 01:19:48,400 Speaker 1: of pressure on the governor of the lieutenant governor and 1395 01:19:49,200 --> 01:19:53,160 Speaker 1: the you know, your state legisslators, they will make sure 1396 01:19:53,240 --> 01:19:56,360 Speaker 1: that the UC Office of the president feels that pressure 1397 01:19:56,920 --> 01:19:59,200 Speaker 1: because these are things. These are laws. You know, at 1398 01:19:59,240 --> 01:20:03,680 Speaker 1: the we had more ambitious things beyond law. But some 1399 01:20:03,800 --> 01:20:06,600 Speaker 1: of the things that we were that are trying to 1400 01:20:06,640 --> 01:20:09,760 Speaker 1: do in this contract are really just things that they're 1401 01:20:09,800 --> 01:20:11,720 Speaker 1: already required by a lot of do but aren't doing. 1402 01:20:12,600 --> 01:20:13,840 Speaker 1: We were trying to give it and make it so 1403 01:20:13,880 --> 01:20:17,600 Speaker 1: there was more teeth there, because clearly the federal and 1404 01:20:17,680 --> 01:20:23,599 Speaker 1: state teeth weren't good enough. So we um we have 1405 01:20:23,600 --> 01:20:25,760 Speaker 1: a resist spot petition out there, but you know, to 1406 01:20:25,800 --> 01:20:28,720 Speaker 1: make it a little easier to contact your If you're 1407 01:20:28,720 --> 01:20:33,040 Speaker 1: a California resident, the resist pot petition would work that way. 1408 01:20:33,200 --> 01:20:35,840 Speaker 1: But if but if not, you know, like I said, 1409 01:20:35,840 --> 01:20:38,360 Speaker 1: if you if you, if you're a parent of a 1410 01:20:38,400 --> 01:20:41,360 Speaker 1: student here, you can write. If you're an alumni, you 1411 01:20:41,400 --> 01:20:48,080 Speaker 1: know you can write, just really hammer them about it. Okay, Yeah, yeah, definitely. 1412 01:20:48,120 --> 01:20:49,960 Speaker 1: I think I think writing does make a difference. And 1413 01:20:50,000 --> 01:20:52,880 Speaker 1: I think especially for an institution that I don't quite 1414 01:20:52,920 --> 01:20:55,160 Speaker 1: know how financially dependent they are in donations, but they 1415 01:20:55,320 --> 01:20:59,960 Speaker 1: certainly do like to solicit them, especially if you're an alum. 1416 01:21:00,040 --> 01:21:03,360 Speaker 1: This because they solicit them for me a lot, I 1417 01:21:03,400 --> 01:21:05,840 Speaker 1: do not have that much money so yeah, thank you 1418 01:21:05,960 --> 01:21:08,519 Speaker 1: very much for sharing all of that with us. And 1419 01:21:08,560 --> 01:21:11,240 Speaker 1: I thought that's really really instructive. How can people find 1420 01:21:11,320 --> 01:21:13,200 Speaker 1: you and how can people find you? See access now 1421 01:21:13,240 --> 01:21:17,240 Speaker 1: if they want to find you online? Uh, we are 1422 01:21:17,400 --> 01:21:22,240 Speaker 1: on Twitter as access you see at access you see um. 1423 01:21:22,320 --> 01:21:25,600 Speaker 1: We are on Facebook and Instagram as well. Actually is 1424 01:21:25,640 --> 01:21:29,320 Speaker 1: also linked in for the more business people. Uh you 1425 01:21:29,400 --> 01:21:32,599 Speaker 1: see access now um. And you can also reach us 1426 01:21:32,600 --> 01:21:34,680 Speaker 1: at you see access now at gmail dot com if 1427 01:21:34,680 --> 01:21:38,200 Speaker 1: you wanted to email us. Wonderful. Yeah, thank you very much, 1428 01:21:38,280 --> 01:21:41,439 Speaker 1: And just to Finnish that briefly, we are going to 1429 01:21:41,479 --> 01:21:43,479 Speaker 1: try and make a transcript. It's available at the same 1430 01:21:43,520 --> 01:21:47,240 Speaker 1: time the episode goes out, and so folks would like 1431 01:21:47,320 --> 01:21:49,400 Speaker 1: to read it that way if that's easier for them 1432 01:21:49,400 --> 01:21:51,080 Speaker 1: than We're going to make sure that we have that 1433 01:21:51,160 --> 01:21:54,000 Speaker 1: for this one. So yeah, if you're if you're listening, 1434 01:21:54,040 --> 01:21:56,080 Speaker 1: or if you think someone else that you know would 1435 01:21:56,120 --> 01:21:58,559 Speaker 1: like this and listening doesn't work for them, that we're 1436 01:21:58,560 --> 01:22:01,480 Speaker 1: going to do that. Thank you so much, Megan for 1437 01:22:01,520 --> 01:22:03,720 Speaker 1: giving us some of your afternoon. And yeah, I hope 1438 01:22:03,720 --> 01:22:05,519 Speaker 1: you see some support and I wish you the best 1439 01:22:05,520 --> 01:22:12,720 Speaker 1: of luck with everything. Well, thank you so much. It 1440 01:22:12,720 --> 01:22:15,000 Speaker 1: Could Happen Here as a production of cool Zone Media. 1441 01:22:15,240 --> 01:22:17,920 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 1442 01:22:17,920 --> 01:22:20,040 Speaker 1: cool zone media dot com or check us out on 1443 01:22:20,080 --> 01:22:22,640 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 1444 01:22:22,680 --> 01:22:25,479 Speaker 1: listen to podcasts. You can find sources for It could 1445 01:22:25,479 --> 01:22:28,479 Speaker 1: Happen Here, updated monthly at cool zone Media dot com 1446 01:22:28,520 --> 01:22:30,439 Speaker 1: slash sources. Thanks for listening.