UAW locals 2865 and 5810 (who collectively represent over 20,000 teaching assistants, tutors, readers, and postdocs at the University of California) are demanding change to the UC’s ineffective sexual harassment and sexual assault policies.
Their most recent demand targets Janet Napolitano, the president of the UC, and comes in the wake of a scandal at UC Berkeley where even after university investigators found that Astronomy professor Geoff Marcy had repeatedly violated the University’s sexual harassment policies, the administration refused to fire him. Marcy has since resigned as the result of public outrage, however, the UC administration continues to defend their decision not to fire him and has not committed to sufficient changes to its procedure in addressing sexual harassment and assault claims.
UAW locals 2865 and 5810 have asked UAW 4121 members to stand with them in demanding that the University of California implement real and immediate changes to their sexual harassment and assault policies to protect students and workers by signing .