UAW Authorizes Potential Unfair Labor Practice Strike, Putting 40,000 UC Workers — Including at UC Santa Barbara — on Notice

More than 20,000 members of three United Auto Workers units across the University of California system voted this week to authorize a potential strike over what they allege are unfair labor practices by university administrators.

The vote does not immediately trigger a strike. But it gives union leadership the authority to call one if negotiations stall.

The three units — Academic Student Employees (ASEs), Student Services and Advising Professionals (SSAPs), and Research and Public Service Professionals (RPSPs) — together represent more than 40,000 workers across the UC system, including employees at UC Santa Barbara.

According to UAW Local 4811, 23,314 workers cast ballots. Of those, 21,751 — 93.3 percent — voted to authorize a strike.

“It’s not too late for UC to choose a different path,” said Rafael Jaime, president of UAW 4811, in a statement released Friday. “But with these vote results, 40,000 UC workers have made clear that they are willing to walk off the job if necessary to stop UC’s bad-faith tactics.”

At UCSB, the affected workers include graduate student instructors and teaching assistants, academic researchers, undergraduate academic advisors, admissions coordinators, and other professional staff.

Academic Student Employees conduct discussion sections, grade coursework, hold office hours, and in many cases teach courses outright. Research and Public Service Professionals include policy analysts, lab managers, and research associates. Student Services and Advising Professionals include undergraduate advisors and admissions staff.

If a strike were called across all three units, much of the university’s teaching support structure, advising infrastructure, and research operations would effectively pause.

The authorization vote comes amid ongoing contract negotiations. Contracts for Academic Student Employees remain in effect until March 1, while contracts for RPSPs and SSAPs are being negotiated for the first time.

This would not be the first time the union has organized in such a way. In June 2024, academic workers at UC Santa Barbara and five other campuses launched a strike over what the union described as unfair labor practices tied to the university’s response to pro-Palestinian protests. The walk-out was short-lived; an Orange County Superior Court judge ordered the strike paused, and workers returned to campus within a week. 

This time, union leaders say the most urgent unresolved issues include job security, healthcare costs, protections for international workers, and compensation that keeps pace with the rising cost of living.

The University of California disputes that characterization.

In a statement issued February 14, UC said it was “disappointed” by the vote and emphasized progress at the bargaining table.

“Since July, UC has met consistently with UAW, exchanged proposals, and reached nearly two dozen tentative agreements for academic student employees and 20 tentative agreements for the student services and research professionals unit,” the university said. “That progress reflects serious work at the table, thoughtful proposals designed to address employees’ specific needs, and a demonstrated ability to find common ground.”

UC said it will enter mediation next week, “to build on the progress we have already made at the table.”

The university also noted that it has worked alongside UAW in recent months to advocate for research funding and plans to support Senate Bill 895, which would provide $23 billion for scientific research across California.

“Our focus remains on practical progress, continued collaboration, and outcomes that benefit our employees and the communities we serve,” UC said.

As of February 17, no strike has been called. But union leaders have the authority to do so.