As of October 2018, the UC system has 227,786 employees; the university relies on each and every one of these employees to function properly. Whether they are student workers, professors, lecturers, research assistants, administrators, groundskeepers or medical staff, these employees are vital to the university and its educational mission.

As the largest employer in the state of California and as a distinguished institution, the UC system plays a prominent role in many livelihoods. And as such, discussions between the university and its many workers are important and ongoing. These conversations highlight the needs of the UC workforce and the efforts being made to meet them.

The Daily Californian’s impact issue on UC labor strives to feature the university workforce and its importance to campus communities. Through articles on unions, work-study programs and wages, we hope to feature the employees and their hard work.