U. of California TA Union Votes to Boycott Israel

United Automobile Workers 2865, which represents 13,000 teaching assistants and other graduate student workers across nine University of California campuses, has voted to back the academic boycott of Israel. The vote was 65 percent to 35 percent. The vote has been the subject of considerable debate, with proponents saying that they are taking a stand to help Palestinians, and critics saying that the union should focus on employment and academic issues facing its members.