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Prospective Students of Color Visit UCSC and Demand a Fair Contract for Workers

Published on April 11, 2008 in Education, Labor, Solidarity & Outreach

On April 11th, hundreds of prospective and current UC Santa Cruz students demonstrated their solidarity with UC workers by demanding that UC settles a fair contract for service and patient care workers. According to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, the labor union representing the workers, a fair contract means moving away from poverty wages, secure healthcare and pension benefits for families, and a $15 minimum wage just to survive. Read More and View Photos

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Students and Workers Block Road at UCSC to Protest Poverty Wages

Published on February 28, 2008 in Education, Labor

On February 28th, UC Santa Cruz workers represented by the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, and backed by students, demonstrated for justice, dignity and a fair working contract. Over 350 people took part in the largest demonstration of the school year in support of UCSC’s most underpaid workers. Instead of making demands outside the Chancellor’s office, workers and students got UCSC’s attention by lining McLaughlin Drive and twice shutting down Hagar Drive. Students and workers felt empowered by seeing how easily they can bring UCSC to a halt. Read More and View Photos

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UCSC Workers Offer New Year Resolutions To Shape Up UC

Published on January 31, 2008 in Education, Labor, Solidarity & Outreach

Members of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Local 3299 (custodians, food service workers, gardeners, maintenance workers, shuttle drivers and medical center workers) as well as students, teachers, and community allies, rallied at UC Santa Cruz on January 31st, the same day AFSCME’s contract with the University of California (UC) expired. The demonstration coincided with AFSCME Local 3299′s statewide delegations to all five UC medical center CEOs and all ten campus Chancellors to present a list of seven new year resolutions that the UC System must adopt to ensure quality patient care and student services.

The demonstration, began with a rally in the Baytree Plaza at UC Santa Cruz and was followed by a march to Kerr Hall, where the chancellor’s office is located, to demand justice for UC’s lowest wage workers. AFSCME Local 3299 and their allies are calling on Chancellor Blumenthal to take leadership within the UC to support UCSC workers and strengthen the broader Santa Cruz community by granting AFSCME members a fair contract with market rate standards and benefits protections. AFSCME organizers assert that, “outrageous executive compensation continues to be a top priority at UC while frontline workers struggle to make ends meet. Read More and View Photos | More Photos

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UC Workers and Students Picket in Support of AFSCME’s Contract Fight

Published on December 6, 2007 in Education, Labor

On December 6, University of California employees represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 held statewide pickets at all five UC medical centers and 10 campuses to express their concerns with current working conditions and their effect on patient care and student services. At UC Santa Cruz, approximately 200 students and workers from AFSCME and other Monterey Bay Area unions participated in a rain soaked picket and rally in the Bay Tree Plaza.

The contract for over 11,000 patient care workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 expired on September 30, 2007. The contract for the 9,000 additional UC workers represented by the AFSCME Local 3299 will expire on January 31, 2007. The members of Local 3299 are concerned with the ongoing direction of the University and how it is affecting their ability to provide the highest quality patient care and student services. AFSCME Local 3299 members include custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, groundskeepers, patient care providers and technicians. Read More and View Photos

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Teaching Assistants Fight for Workload Protections at UC Campuses

Published on June 12, 2007 in Education, Labor

On June 12th, teaching assistants and other members of UAW Local 2865 held a grade-in at the Baytree Plaza at UC Santa Cruz as part of a statewide action to highlight our demand for better protections against excessive workload. The action was successful and turned out over a thousand TAs, readers, and tutors across seven UC campuses. The willingness of Local 2865 to take action around important issues is a vital part of negotiations. In the bargaining session that took place June 18th and 19th, progress was made towards adding protections against discrimination on the basis of pregnancy or gender identity. Read More and View Photos

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