UC Commencements and Union Negotiations

From: Max Alper [mailto:malper@afscme3299.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 11:14 AM
To: Max Alper
Subject: UC Commencements

June 9, 2008

Dear UC Community,

As you may be aware, a number of commencement speakers, including former President Bill Clinton, Speaker Emeritus of the California Assembly Fabian Nunez, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, and Robert Kennedy, Jr., are standing with the 20,000 patient care and service workers at the University of California in their efforts to make improvements for patients, students and their families. They have committed that they will only deliver their speeches if UC Executives agree to a fair contract for UC workers.

The 20,000 patient care and service workers do everything from assisting in surgeries to cleaning dorm rooms in the University of California's ten campus/five hospital system. Workers have been negotiating for nearly a year. Last week, our strike was postponed by the California State Board, PERB, who ordered us back to negotiations since the University claimed that they had something new to offer workers. Unfortunately, mediation broke down last Tuesday without a resolution of the contract.

Workers take great pride in contributing to UC and are concerned that its world-renowned reputation may be at risk. Medical centers are losing experienced patient care staff to other hospitals where pay is dramatically higher, and thousands of UC service workers make poverty wages as low as $10 per hour. Other CA hospitals and community colleges pay average of 25% more than UC. 96% of UC service workers are income eligible for at least one of the following public assistance programs: food stamps, WIC, public housing subsidies, and reduced lunch.

A month ago, independent state appointed fact finder Carol Vendrillo agreed that UC executives could meet workers contract demands. State funds comprise only 8.6% of the funding for the 20,000 workers. The vast majority of funding comes from the UC hospitals which posted profits of $371 million last year. She declared that, "It is not the lack of state funding but the University's priorities that leaves the service workers' wages at the bottom of the list...U.C. has demonstrated the ability to increase compensation when it fits with certain priorities without any demonstrable link to a state funding source."

We know that graduation is a very special time for students and their families. UC students are standing with workers in an effort to reach a fair contract. The president of the University of California Student Association, Louise Hendrickson stated, "For years, students and workers have shouldered the burden of UC Executives misplaced priorities...We hope Executives shift course and do not force workers to strike for quality patient care and to support their families." UCLA students delivered more than 1,000 signatures to Chancellor Gene Block in support of Bill Clinton's decision to support workers. Additionally, roughly twenty students and workers are currently engaged in a three-day fast outside of the Chancellor's office supporting equal pay for equal work and a fair contract for the workers. Maricruz Cecena, a UCLA graduating senior, said, "It is important to me that former President Clinton has decided not to speak at UCLA's graduation if he has to cross a picket line. The commencement ceremony is important to me; but not at the expense of ignoring the plight of thousands of workers on campus."

Commencement speakers, workers, and students hope that UC executives will come back to the negotiation table and offer workers and their families what they deserve before graduations, so that commencement speakers will not have to cancel. Workers, students, and community allies will be present and picketing at all official UC commencements and informing graduating students and their parents about the current challenges that workers and their families are facing in our communities. However, we are not asking graduating students and their parents to not attend graduation.

To find out how you too can support UC workers during graduations, please contact Lead Organizer Max Bell Alper at (510) 529-5552. Together, we can take back UC for students, patients, and our families.

Sincerely,
Lakesha Harrison
Licensed Vocational Nurse at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital
AFSCME Local 3299 President