IN THE NEWS:
Gallery: Student-Workers Union demonstrates outside the Office of the Chancellor
By Amy Dixon
Aug. 8, 2018 2:41 p.m.
On Tuesday, members of the UC Student-Workers Union gathered in front of Murphy Hall to hold a rally regarding multiple issues about their contracts.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
UAW Local 2865 is the student-workers union that represents all academic student employees at the University of California. The union protects the rights of more than 17,000 teaching assistants, graduate student instructors, readers and tutors.
(Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)
Some of the issues the protesters wanted addressed were fair wages for student workers and better handling of sexual harassment in the work place.
(Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)
After congregating and rallying outside, the attendees marched inside to flood Murphy Hall.
(Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)
The protestors, comprised of many UCLA graduate students, marched into Murphy Hall to the Office of the Chancellor demanding that Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Scott Waugh hear their demands.
(Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)
Chants filled Murphy Hall as the demonstrators waited outside the Office of the Chancellor hoping to convince Waugh to meet them.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
The Office of the Chancellor remained closed and guarded by multiple UCPD officers as the organizers of the event were told that Waugh would not be available.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
After being told that Waugh would be unavailable, the protestors remained outside the office, filling the halls.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
A representative from Waugh's office (right) waited with security behind the locked doors of the Office of the Chancellor while the demonstrators remained outside.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
Meg Unden, the union campus chair for UC Santa Barbara, tried calling Waugh's office when they were told he wasn't available to meet with them.
(Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)
JoAnna Reyes Walton, a PhD candidate in art history, spoke on behalf of Mothers of Color in Academia de UCLA, emphasizing that the student employees didn't want more money, but just enough to live.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
After nearly 20 minutes of waiting outside the office, Waugh's representative spoke to Nick Geiser, a graduate student and teaching assistant for the physics department, to accept a document detailing the grievances with their current contracts. Attendees of the event then proceeded to march outside of Murphy Hall to continue the rally while chanting ''We'll be back.''
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
After leaving Murphy Hall, the demonstrators set up tents outside to represent the continuing inability for teaching assistants to afford their rent.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
Julian Ziegler-Hunts, a PhD candidate in mathematics, climbs along the branch of a tree outside of Murphy Hall to hang a sign demanding that UCLA hear their concerns.
(Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers loaned Scabby, a large inflatable rat, to the event to show their support. ''I think the administration is ratting on the grad students, trying to offer us a 2-percent raise when the rent is going up so much more in this city,'' said Jonathan Koch (pictured), a PhD candidate in music.
