Students and workers are organizing on the UCSC campus to dump Sodexho and secure a living wage for cafeteria workers. UCSC prides itself as being a world-class university and a leader in helping to solve the economic and social problems facing the communities of California. However, UCSC's sub-contracting practices are contributing to the very same economic and social problems that the University of California has been working to solve.

[ Article | Article and Photos: Dumping Sodexho for Valentine's Day | Cabrillo Dumped Sodexho! ]

Wednesday, February 26th, will be the first ever University of California Day of Labor Action. All the labor unions, at all of the UC campuses across the state, will be holding simultaneous actions. This is a huge sign of solidarity and will be the first time that such an event occurs. At UC Santa Cruz, Students for Labor Solidarity will be joining CUE Clericals, and UPTE Professional & Technical Employees, in a rally from 12:15 to 1:00pm in the Quarry Plaza.

[ More on Wednesday's Rally | Article on October 14-15 Labor Strike | Video from October 14-15 Labor Strike ]

A summarry of strike related activities and events Thursday, Oct 6, at the Metro station in downtown Santa Cruz.
8:45

Santa Cruz striking bus drivers today announced they would walk on Sunday October 9 from Watsonville to Santa Cruz. Marchers are calling on the Metro Transit Board to return to negotiations to end the transit strike.

On Thursday afternoon, the perimeter of the SC Metro
station teemed with protestors, and protestors protesting those protestors.

On the evening of October 6, a solidarity rally for sriking bus drivers was held at the downtown Metro Center. Members of a whole range of unions spoke about their support for the bus drivers. Tim Fitmaurice, a member of the city council, expressed support for the bus drivers. Javier from the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) at UCSC spoke about support from the students. Emily Riely was the only member of the Transit Board at the rally.

On Thursday, UCSC's College Republicans held a rally against the striking Metro bus drivers. While publicized all over campus, only a handful of students showed up to join them.

However, having heard of the anti-worker rally, students from the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) and the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), who have been very active supporting the bus drivers, were quick to react. They carpooled down to the rally and had far outnumbered the Republicans even before they arrived. While the mainstream media jumped at the opportunity to discredit the bus drivers' union (UTU Local 23), the pro-worker students showed that UCSC is overwhelmingly in solidarity with the bus drivers.

On Monday at UCSC, over 50 students and workers walked into Mike Rotkin's office, resulting in his acknowledgement that the Transit Board made a bad decision. On Friday, students and workers from UCSC will march at 4pm from the base of campus to the downtown Metro Center to show their solidarity.