Alex Darocy Photography

On March 5, students at UC Santa Cruz occupied the Hahn building in an ongoing resistance to the appointment of Janet Napolitano as president of the University of California system. The occupation follows a march to Kerr Hall on February 26, when students attempted to enter the offices of UCSC's Chancellor. Support for UC workers is central to the demands of student demonstrators, and over the course of the recent protests, labor victories have been gained as the university has given into demands by Graduate Student Workers and AFSCME Workers in separate negotiations. Students arrived at the Hahn building shortly after 3pm After a short rally at Quarry Plaza on March 5, a large group of students eventually marched into the Hahn student services building at about 3pm, which prompted cashiers to close the Registrar's counter. At 7:30 pm about 35 students in the front area of the first floor of the building began a discussion about how long to occupy. At that time, two ...

Students and workers at UC Santa Cruz blocked both entrances and shut the campus down in support of a University of California-wide unfair labor practices strike on November 20, called for by AFSCME 3299. [Top video: compilation of clips from the blockade of the west entrance of UCSC and the march down to the main entrance of campus.] According to a statement released by AFSCME 3299, the Unfair Labor Practices strike was called in response to a, "coordinated campaign of illegal intimidation, coercion, and threats," against UC Patient Care and Service Workers who participated in a walk out in May over unsafe staffing levels at UC supported hospitals. Workers on all UC Campuses and Medical Centers statewide participated in the strike. Workers represented by AFSCME include custodians, food service workers, cooks, bus drivers, licensed vocational nurses, nursing assistants, medical assistants, and techs. Joining AFSCME on the picket line in Santa Cruz were members of UAW ...