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Teamsters Local 2010 Rallies in Support of Funding Public Education

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the Trump administration's attacks on higher education institutions intensify, Teamsters Local 2010, a statewide union representing 24,000 public education workers, including 15,000 UC staff, took a stand on Wednesday, Oct. 22, by rallying across the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) campus. The protest, which drew roughly 300 union members, highlighted the importance of funding higher education and education workers. The rally came in response to the Trump administration's "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" and its threat of a $1.2 billion settlement against UCLA, which has threatened the university system's operations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The rally, organized by Teamsters Local 2010, aimed to "demand UCSD stop the layoffs and reinstate the workers who've already been let go" and to seek "fair contracts for UCSD workers."
  • The UCSD Guardian interviewed Peter Finn, Western Region vice president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who stated that participating in the rally was a way to "make sure that everyone knows how important public education is and the folks that make these campuses run."
  • As of July 2025, over 100 UC San Diego campus employees were laid off, according to Melinda Battenberg, UCSD's associate director of internal communications, following a campuswide hiring pause in February to prepare for significant budget cuts.
  • The rally follows a Sept. 16 lawsuit filed by Teamsters 2010 and 20 other UC labor groups against the Trump administration, claiming "the illegal and coercive use of frivolous lawsuits to attack the University of California system and threaten the jobs and rights of Teamsters members and other UC workers and students."
  • The Trump administration's proposed $1.2 billion settlement against UCLA could further jeopardize workers' livelihoods and students' educational resources across the UC system.

Statistics:

  • 300: The number of Teamsters Local 2010 union members who participated in the rally on Oct. 22.
  • 24,000: The number of public education workers represented by Teamsters Local 2010, including 15,000 UC staff.
  • 100: The number of UC San Diego campus employees laid off as of July 2025, according to Melinda Battenberg, UCSD's associate director of internal communications.
  • 15,000: The number of UC staff represented by Teamsters Local 2010.
  • 20: The number of UC labor groups that joined Teamsters 2010 in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Sept. 16.
  • $1.2 billion: The proposed settlement amount against UCLA by the Trump administration.

Sources:

  • Teamsters Local 2010
  • The UCSD Guardian
  • "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" (Trump administration document)
  • Sept. 16 lawsuit filed by Teamsters 2010 and 20 other UC labor groups against the Trump administration

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