The PBS faculty acknowledge the pressures on our graduate students due to the rising gap between the cost of living and student pay. Our graduate students are critical to the research, teaching, and mentoring missions of the department and UCSB and alleviating these pressures is vital to the mission of the department and UCSB.

As such, we affirm the right of our student workers to engage in lawful strike activity, which may include picketing, cancellation of sections, or stopping grading. We will not retaliate against our graduate students for their participation or non-participation in lawful strike activities, nor will we inquire about the strike status of any graduate student under our direct supervision. We equally support our graduate students who choose not to participate in strike activities. 

We remain committed to supporting our student community through teaching, advising, and mentoring. We are hopeful that the university administration and the unions representing our graduate students are successful in good faith negotiations and work urgently and diligently towards an agreement.