Coalition-building for labor actions in life sciences departments: lessons from the largest academic strike in history
Abstract In life sciences graduate programs in the United States, efforts are underway to address barriers to academic success—namely, using interventions targeted at addressing inclusivity and diversity concerns. However, graduate students are typically simultaneously workers for their institutions, where they face workplace challenges such as low wages, inadequate benefits, and vulnerability to harassment and abuse. These challenges may disproportionately affect workers with excluded identities and are thereby barriers to diversity and equity. In recent years, graduate student unionization has expanded. The outcomes of these movements may improve pay, benefits, and working conditions for graduate workers; however, labor organizing presents numerous challenges in academic environments. We reflect on our experiences in a life sciences department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2022 during the largest graduate labor strike to date. We summarize the challenges and discuss successful interventions, including communication strategies for cross-stage coalition building at the departmental level.
Authors
- Van Wishingrad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6256-4018)
- Florencia O. Vilches (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8582-5532)
- Iris Flores (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0062-1988)
- Mallarie E. Yeager (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5513-2583)
- Louise M. Alissa
- Donald A. Croll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3211-1667)
- Madeline G. McNelis
- Kelly M. Zilliacus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9166-5611)
- Milagros De Jesus Rivera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8121-717X)
- Francis D. Gerraty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9989-4953)
- Kristy J. Kroeker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5766-1999)
- Carolyn M. Kurle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1121-9924)
- Bernie R. Tershy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9913-1902)
- Ando Rabearisoa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5371-7695)
- Aspen A. Ellis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9006-2365)
- Cara M. O. Munro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6971-8509)
- Allison R. Payne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6107-4252)
- Elizabeth Howard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2856-0338)
- Teddy G. Goetz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1138-6602)
- Roxanne S. Beltran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8520-1105)
- Giacomo Bernardi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8249-4678)
- Emily Nazario (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2372-8742)
- Marco Molinari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9808-9688)
- Melissa R. Cronin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5315-8619)
- Julia G. Harenčár (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6944-4337)
- Julia Beck
- Sushmita Poudel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2261-8835)
- John Young
- Nildris Cruz
- Sheila Mason
- Bernard Walker
- Edith Y Lai
- Razi Lederman-Beach
- Nikka J V Malakooti
- Maya M McElfish
- Madeline Slimp
- Nikita M Sridhar
- Georgia M Third
- Kate A Uckele
- Eric C Witte
- Serena Barasi
- Kathryn Bernier
Institutions
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (US)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)
- Duke University (US)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
- Marine Conservation Institute (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BioScience
- Published
- 2024-12-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biae123
- Primary Topic
- Diversity and Career in Medicine
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Marine Fisheries Service