74 UCSC Grad Students Didn't File Grades, Won't Work This Spring

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Seventy-four University of California, Santa Cruz graduate student teaching assistants will not work in the spring quarter because they continued to strike, the university said.

Some students who received spring quarter appointments were dismissed, while others would not be given work, said UC Santa Cruz Scott Hernandez-Jason in an email. The university continues to review a small number of cases.

Most graduate students are back to work, the university said in a statement.

"We care deeply about our graduate students, and value their contributions to the campus," UC Santa Cruz said in a statement. "It is extremely disappointing to us that we have to take such a drastic step, but we ultimately cannot retain graduate students as employees who will not fulfill their responsibilities."

Four percent of fall grades have not been submitted, the university said. UC Santa Cruz said it would not jeopardize undergraduate students' education in the spring quarter.

Grad students continue to strike.

"The whole world is watching us," said striking student Natalie Ng at a Monday morning press conference. "We are showing other universities what is possible ... when students and workers stand together."

Grad students first withheld fall grades late last year, then escalated the strike last month, saying they would not hold office hours, grade, teach or research.

UC Santa Cruz warned that it would check Thursday to see if students had complied with its demands to submit grades last week and dismiss students who continued to strike.

Students are striking and picketing to call for a wage increase to offset the cost of living. Grad students are paid $2,400 per month and want a $1,412 cost of living adjustment.

The current contract for student workers includes a 3 percent increase per year to reflect the cost of living, but the students say it's not enough.

In response to concerns raised by striking grad students, UC Santa Cruz announced plans to create a $2,500 housing stipend for full-time graduate students that will be given retroactively to non-striking students for the current school year.

The university said it is also working to build more student housing and create a working group to develop additional avenues of grad student support.

The strike was initiated without the authorization of the union that represents UC workers. UC Santa Cruz has said it can't negotiate with campus grad student workers, per the terms of its current contract with all UC workers.

Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) tweeted his support of the students. The Santa Cruz City Council declared its support, too.

UC Santa Cruz alumni have circulated a statement of solidarity, vowing to withhold donations to the university until students received a pay increase.

Students continued to picket at the campus Monday. The main entrance at Bay and High streets was blocked, the university said.