Text / "The Strike at Cal" Strike Support Committee

Have a question about this item?

Item information.

Title: "The Strike at Cal" Strike Support Committee
Creator: Strike Support Committee
Date Created and/or Issued: 1969
Contributing Institution: UC Berkeley, Ethnic Studies Library
Collection: Third World Strike at University of California, Berkeley collection, 1968-1972
Rights Information: Copyright Unknown
Rights Notes: Copyright status unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Type: text
Identifier: CES ARC 2015/1 Carton 1 Folder 3
CES0052_img_0001
Subject: Student movements
Student strikes
Third World Liberation Front
Place: Berkeley, Calif.
Source
Location: UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Library
Transcription: THE STRIKE AT CAL Why the Strike? The strike at the University of California is a strike against the racist policies of the university and for the self-determination of Third World people. After almost a year's negotiations with the administration over its demands and getting nowhere, the Third World Liberation Front decided it was necessary to use the only really effective weapon students have -- a strike -- in order to win an education which will start to serve the Third World communities (98% of which are working class). To break the strike, the administration tried to sell the Third World students a "black studies department" which would be set up by the administration. The Third World students wouldn't buy this because they have learned that if a Third World College is to teach Third World students how to go back and help Third World people in the community, in the sweat shops and in the fields, what is taught and who teaches it must be determined by Third World students, faculty, and community people themselves. We believe Third World people have a right to this self-determination. If the university administration controls these things it will be the same education training Third World students into jobs designed to serve the needs of corporations rather than the needs of their communities. Law and Order? When this deal didn't stop the strike and the strike continued to grow, gaining support from other groups like A.F.T. local 1570 and threatening to really shut the university down, the Regents and university administration had to call on the police who tried to break up the growing picket lines, and initiated police violence against the students. But this hasn't worked either, students courageously defended and fought back. The Regents continue to use more and more police and now, the national guard. They say this necessary to maintain law and order; but this is the same kind of law and order that Richmond oil workers, Detroit auto workers, ship workers in Virginia and many other striking workers hear about when their boss gets a court injunction or uses police to break picket lines and protect scabs, law and order for the boss. Did you ever hear of police protecting pickets and stopping scabs? Racism at UC? The Third World students say the university is a racist institution. What do they mean? Although Third World people comprise over 28% of California's population, less than 3% of the students at the university are black or brown. Also, Third World people cannot learn at the university the history of their people, people who helped build California, from its railroads to its farms. They are demanding the establishment of a Third World College controlled by Third World people to teach these things. Racism Divides Working People Fighting racism is important not only to Third World people, but is important to all workers and students. Racism is the main tool which the big businessmen use to keep white and Third World workers divided rather than fighting together for better wages and job conditions. Corporations in this country make hundreds of billions of dollars in profit off the backs of all workers, but they make billions of dollars in extra profits from the especially low wages they pay Third World workers. Furthermore, the low wages and high unemployment of Third World workers gives them an excuse to keep the wages of all workers low. If you demand decent wages or working conditions, they can say "there are always plenty of people (Third World people usually) who want the job, so you'd better stay in line." This is how racism is used against workers by the bosses who run the shops and factories -- and these are the same big businessmen who run the university by being on the Board of Regents. For example, Sam Mosher is a director of Signal Oil, part of Standard Oil; Katherine Hearst is vice-president of the Hearst Newspapers (like the scab L.A. Herald-Examiner); Norton Simon owns Hunt Foods, Canada Dry and many others. It is big corporation owners like these, who perpetuate racism by running Boards of Education, owning the newspapers, magazines, radio and T.V., all to keep their super-profits rolling in. That is why they have called out their cops and the national guard to try to destroy the strike at Cal. The struggle of Third World people to control their own lives, their education, their communities is in the interest of all working people since the racism they are fighting is used to oppress us all. The fight against racism, and for the self-determination of Third World people, is a FIGHT FOR THE UNITY OF ALL PEOPLE who face a common oppressor -- the factory bosses and the Regents. Strike Support Committee

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.

Share your story

Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.