Hundreds of academic workers participated in a “last chance picket” at University of California, Berkeley on Thursday to demonstrate their willingness to go on strike over unfair labor practices.
The UAW Local 4811 union organized a simultaneous picketing event at all 10 University of California campuses on behalf of 40,000 of the academic workers they represent.
The workers allege that the UC administration is committing unfair labor practices amid ongoing negotiations for a fair contract that includes increased pay, better job security, and more protections for international workers.
Eight months after contract negotiations began in July 2025, the union voted in February to authorize a strike.
At Thursday’s picket on the UC Berkeley campus, the workers marched and raised slogans near the Campanile clock tower, holding up signs that said, “UAW Prepared to Strike.”
Noelle Blose, a graduate student researcher with the physics department at the university, said that the academic workers “have had enough” and need more resources to continue their work effectively.
Last semester, when Blose was a graduate student instructor for an introductory physics class, half of the staff was let go, severely hampering her and her colleagues’ ability to teach the class.
“We’re trying to protect the future of our university,” Blose said at Thursday’s picket, “but UC has continued to break the law and commit unfair labor practices, and that is stalling us from getting a fair contract.”
In a statement issued last month, the UC administration said that it was disappointed that the union had voted to authorize a strike.
“Our focus remains on practical progress, continued collaboration, and outcomes that benefit our employees and the communities we serve,” the statement said.