UAW 4121 strikers confront University of Washington board of regents
Seattle, WA – On June 8, at the University of Washington-Seattle, over 100 people confronted the UW board of regents and University President Ana Marie Cauce in the morning prior to their meeting regarding their targeting of international workers. Organized by the UAW 4121, the workers lined the entrances of Suzzallo Library, and the UW administration was forced to deal with the consequences of their union-busting actions.
On June 7, at the beginning of the strike, the university distributed a message to multiple departments containing a distortion of facts concerning international scholars and the strike, along with a request for managers to notify them if visa holders are involved in the strike, citing a purported reporting obligation.
By labeling the RSE and postdoc strikes as a “strike by visa holders,” UW is distorting the truth and trying to create fear in international scholars by singling out their individual participation in strike actions. The UAW 4121 is determined to hold the university responsible for this behavior, which exemplifies their blatant anti-union stance and their willingness to manipulate the law when it serves their interests.
Members of the board of regents would normally enter the library through an unmarked side entrance, but the UAW was present at this entrance. The board of regents had canceled its meeting on Wednesday night, the beginning of the strike, and their Thursday meeting would typically begin when the library is closed to the public. The UAW’s presence forced the board of regents to recognize them and give them time for public comment – increasing pressure as the administration is forced back to the bargaining table.
Katie Osterhage, a research scientist on the bargaining committee, said, “We wanted to meet the board of regents and the president as they were walking in to start their meeting to confront them about the misleading communications they distributed about reporting international employees on visas. This targeting of our most structurally vulnerable colleagues is appalling”.