Teamsters Local 2010 has won a significant victory for workers’ rights, as the University of California has agreed to settle the Unfair Labor Practice charge we filed after the University interfered with our members’ right to picket during our 2016 strike.
“The right to join together in Union, including to strike and picket peacefully, is a fundamental human right,” said Jason Rabinowitz, Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer. “It’s how working people even the playing field to win fair contracts. Our Union will always stand strong against any employer that tries to interfere with our members’ rights.”
In 2016, Skilled Trades Teamsters at the UC San Diego campus voted to strike and took to the picket lines calling for respect and a fair contract. At several locations, UCSD management, including UCSD Police, prevented Teamsters members from speaking with the public about the strike and asking them to honor the picket line.
In one instance, a Teamsters Union Representative was even arrested while exercising their protected right to picket. At another location, a UCSD Police officer engaged in strikebreaking activity by personally moving a vendor’s goods across the Union picket line, interfering with the rights of our members and UC workers.
In the settlement agreement, UCSD acknowledges that Union members have the right under state law to engage in picketing free from University interference and while picketing we may engage in conversation with pedestrians and motorists to seek their support for a strike and request they not cross the picket line. UCSD also agreed that UCSD Police will not move goods across picket lines, escort individuals or vehicles across pickets, or direct vehicles to cross picket lines.
We want to thank all of our members and our legal team who worked countless hours to make this possible. Our victory has caused waves across the University and will help us and other UC workers exercise our rights free from University interference in the future. We will never stop protecting our members and fighting for the rights of workers.