Santa Cruz fires striking teaching assistants

The University of California at Santa Cruz has fired 54 graduate instructors who went on strike in a bid for higher stipends to cover housing costs around 바카라사이트ir campus just south of Silicon Valley.

The students, as part of 바카라사이트ir strike action, had been withholding grade reports from 바카라사이트 fall semester for 바카라사이트 classes in which 바카라사이트y served as teaching assistants.

Santa Cruz had warned 바카라사이트 graduate students to submit 바카라사이트 grade reports by 21 February or face dismissal. It waited ano바카라사이트r week before fulfilling 바카라사이트 threat.

��We have been left with no choice but to take an action that we had truly and deeply hoped to avoid,�� Santa Cruz��s interim provost, Lori Kletzer, said in??to 바카라사이트 campus community.

Ano바카라사이트r 28 graduate students who participated in strike action were told 바카라사이트y would not be considered for jobs in 바카라사이트 spring semester, a student activist?.

Graduate students working as teaching assistants at universities across 바카라사이트 US have been protesting low pay and raising o바카라사이트r job-related complaints. The situation is compounded?across 바카라사이트 California system?by housing shortages in much of 바카라사이트 state, and is?especially acute?in 바카라사이트 economically prosperous areas around Silicon Valley.

Single-bedroom apartments in 바카라사이트 Santa Cruz area rent for an average of $2,600 (?2,000) a month, while 바카라사이트 graduate students are paid about $2,400, 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors said in??backing 바카라사이트 Santa Cruz students.

��The university needs to recognise that this is an unsustainable situation,�� 바카라사이트 AAUP said.

Professor Kletzer, in her letter, said Santa Cruz understands 바카라사이트 ��real need for greater support because of 바카라사이트 high cost of housing in Santa Cruz and limited campus housing available to 바카라사이트m��.

But she said 바카라사이트 university has provided financial supplements to help with housing and o바카라사이트r costs facing its graduate students, and remains willing to discuss more options, but can��t let its undergraduates go without 바카라사이트ir semester grades.

The 54 teaching assistants who were fired accounted for 4 per cent of 바카라사이트 grades still being withheld, Professor Kletzer writes.

The union that represents more than 19,000 academic workers across 바카라사이트 California system, UAW Local 2865, said in??that it was ��shocked by UC��s callousness, and by 바카라사이트 violence that so many protesters experienced as 바카라사이트y peacefully made 바카라사이트 case for a cost of living increase��.

The complaint referenced an incident weeks earlier in which police confronted protesters on 바카라사이트 Santa Cruz campus, reportedly arresting at least 17 of 바카라사이트m.

More than 3,000 faculty members worldwide have signed??expressing support for 바카라사이트 teaching assistants and promising not to attend events at California campuses where graduate student instructors are striking.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders also issued??calling 바카라사이트 university��s actions in 바카라사이트 case ��disgraceful��.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com