November 11, 2022
President Michael V. Drake
Office of the President
University of California
1111 Franklin St., 12th Floor
Oakland, CA 94607
Delivered via Email to: president@ucop.edu
Dear President Drake,
We are again writing to you as the leadership of the Council of UC Faculty Associations, CUCFA, the systemwide organization of Senate faculty. Last year we created a Pledge of Solidarity with our Lecturer Colleagues as they threatened a strike over UC’s unfair labor practices. Now that UAW 2865, UAW 5810, and SRU-UAW have signaled their intent to strike over UC’s unfair labor practices, we wanted to alert you that over 900 Senate faculty from across UC’s campuses (see the list here) have joined our call for the University of California to cease its unlawful behavior, resume good faith negotiations, and settle fair contracts with the unions.
We support fair wages and working conditions for all academic workers and hope a strike can be avoided. If not, we have pledged to support our fellow academic workers, including but not limited to respecting the picket line. This is a testament to the power of solidarity that Senate faculty have been building with our fellow academic workers in recognition that everyone’s working and living conditions must be improved to create the UC to which we all aspire.
We ask that you direct your staff to resume negotiations and engage in good faith bargaining. If you fail to settle this contract, you will be responsible for disrupting campus operations. We fight because our colleagues deserve better, and our students deserve a high-quality education at an institution that does not treat its workers as disposable.
Sincerely,
Constance Penley, CUCFA President, Professor of Film and Media Studies UC Santa Barbara
Wendy Matsumura, CUCFA Vice President, Associate Professor of History UC San Diego
For the CUCFA Executive Board