University of Washington student workers go on strike

Thousands of academic student employees at the University of Washington (UW) went on strike on Tuesday, after union representatives and university officials failed to reach an agreement on wages Monday night.

The union, United Auto Workers Local 4121, has held bargaining sessions with university officials since February, and all but one provision in the contract — wages — has been resolved.

University officials have proposed pay increases of 12 percent, 8 percent and 8 percent, for each year of the contact, a spokesperson for the university said in an emailed statement. The union has proposed 12 percent increases for all three years.

Members of the union voted almost unanimously last month to authorize a strike, and, on Tuesday, academic student workers began walking the picket line, starting at 6 a.m., chanting and holding signs calling for a “fair contract” and a “living wage.” They held a rally to kick off the strike at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The union represents 6,000 academic student employees, among whom are teaching assistants, researchers, tutors and others.

UW spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement that negotiations are ongoing and that the school is “bargaining in good faith.”

“We value our academic student employees and we are committed to reaching a fair agreement. We have been working to ensure academic continuity, laying the groundwork to keep classes and degree completion going, and we are hopeful that any disruption to UW students as a result of this strike will be minimal,” he added.

The Hill has reached out to union representatives for a statement.