Nor Cal Carpenters Union to Stage Protest Thursday Feb. 20 at UC Santa Cruz Over Free Speech

Northern California Carpenters Union to Stage Protest Thursday Feb. 20 at UC Santa Cruz Over Free Speech, Worker’s Death at Hands of Construction Company

Union, Others, Stands Against University’s Attempts to Stifle Free Speech, Assembly, at Campus

Santa Cruz, Calif. – – The Nor Cal Carpenters Union (NCCU), along with several partners in the labor movement, are staging a protest against the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), at Noon Thursday, Feb. 20 at Quarry Plaza on the UCSC campus to call attention to the University’s ongoing violations of free speech rights.

The demonstration and protest comes after campus police removed union members from Quarry Plaza in November 2024 under threat of arrest, citing the school’s “Time, Place, and Manner” restrictions.

Despite repeated requests, UCSC has failed to provide clear guidance on how non-student organizations can exercise their free speech rights on campus. The NCCU is demanding accountability and an immediate policy clarification to ensure public spaces on campus remain open to lawful speech and protest.

“The university cannot selectively enforce free speech policies to silence voices it doesn’t want to hear,” said Jacob Adiarte, Director of Organizing at the NCCU. “We have a constitutional right to be heard, and UCSC needs to stop hiding behind vague policies to suppress speech.”

This protest follows NCCU’s ongoing litigation against the University of California for awarding a $120 million contract to a construction company with a history of violations, including withholding information during the bid process related to a worker’s death on a previous jobsite. The original lawsuit has sparked widespread concern about transparency and accountability in public contracting.

The NCCU invites students, faculty, and community members to stand in solidarity and demand that UCSC uphold free speech rights for all.

NCCU will be joined by fellow labor unions, including United Auto Workers Local 4811, University Professional and Technical Employees Local 9119, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, the UC Santa Cruz Faculty Association, and University Council-American Federation of Teachers representing workers at UCSC.

Event Details
Who: Nor Cal Carpenters Union and Labor Affiliates
What: A protest against the University of Santa Cruz
Where: UC Santa Cruz, Quarry Plaza
When: Noon, Feb. 20, 2025
Why: To protest the university’s ongoing violations of free speech rights of non-student organizations

About the Nor Cal Carpenters Union
The Nor Cal Carpenters Union has an unwavering commitment to helping carpenters improve their lives, their futures, and their trade. It represents 22 local unions of more than 36,500 members and 6,395 apprentices. For more information, visit http://www.norcalcarpenters.org.

Contact: Sam Singer
singer [at] singersf.com


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