UC strike, walkout begins

By Tomer Ovadia, Daily Californian/UWire

Published Sept. 25, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELY -- Despite the foggy weather, picket line demonstrations began at 7 a.m. today with about 40 union members and students chanting slogans like "Layoff Yudof" at Telegraph Ave. and Bancroft Way.

Today marks the systemwide strike of the University Professional and Technical Employees union as well as a walkout of hundreds of faculty, staff and students.

The drivers of several cars that passed the picket lines honked their horns in support of the strike.

By 7:45 a.m., several students who were heading to campus crossed the picket lines. Protesters chanted, "Don't cross the picket line, have you lost your mind?"

Two police officers were monitoring the protest from Sproul Plaza this morning.

As of 9 a.m., about 20 union members and students were picketing at Euclid Avenue and Fulton Street.

Elaine Sedlack, an UPTE union member who joined the picket line, said iron workers showed up at 6 a.m. to work on construction on the west side of campus. Although a university official was distributing fliers outlining university policy to them, some of them refused to cross the picket lines and went home, she said.

"They were taking a chance," she said. "It was really beautiful. They were being so supportive."

Sedlack, a gardener at the botanical gardens, added that she feared falling behind on work by joining the picket lines.

"I would rather have gone to work today," she said. "I'm a gardener. I want to go to work."

The herbaria in the Valley Life Sciences Building were closed today in support of the strike, she said.

"On the first floor they have a sign saying that the herbaria is closed today due to the 'Yudof flu,'" Sedlack said.

By 10 a.m. the picket line and protest at Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way had grown to about 90 protesters.

Sophomore Stefan Montouth, a political science major who joined the picket lines, said he would have to attend a class later in the day but that he would participate nonetheless as much as he could.

"We're just trying to get students to walk out out of classes if they don't have midterm or important classes," he said. "I know it's kind of tough, I'm just hoping we can get more people to come out at least for our rally."