UC, Stop Attacking UC Frontline Workers!
The University of California is a $40 billion enterprise; it’s the 3rd largest employer in California in the fifth largest economy in the world. So the decisions the University makes will have an impact on our economy, and with $10 billion in unrestricted cash reserves, it is well position to lead the economic recovery for California.
Yet, despite strong hospital revenues, receipts of hundreds of millions of dollars in Federal Coronavirus Relief funds, and more than $10 billion in unrestricted cash reserves, UC has decided to lay off frontline heroes, most of whom are low wage workers of color.
- At UC Riverside, 63 Food Service Workers, Cooks, Custodians, Bakers, and Storekeepers through September 6, and 6 Parking/Transportation workers through Nov 13.
- At UCSD, 163 Food Service Workers, Cooks, and Storekeepers have been laid off through September 6.
- At UCSD Health System, 16 Medical Assistants, Licensed Vocational Nurses, Hospital Unit Service Coordinators, and Hospital Assistants, and 1 Storekeeper have been laid off.
The layoffs are expected to save the UC system a total of $2 million—or 0.00005%. Meanwhile, the CEO’s and Chancellors of the aforementioned UC’s continue to make an average salary of $660,724 based on their 2018 income.
Not to mention, the Administration at UCLA has chosen to abandon its previous commitment to insource about 20 contract workers.
UC is using the pandemic to attack workers by laying off frontline union members and refusing to insource contract workers. These workers have put their life and their safety on the line when our community needed them the most. Many of these workers have cared for COVID-19 patients and are now being tossed away by UC! UC workers are not disposable.
Stand with workers and call UC CEO’s and Chancellors and say: “Don’t turn your back on frontline workers. Stop the layoffs!”
Join the movement and help us spread the message:
Essential Not Disposable: Regina Deserves Security!
UC San Diego Medical Center has permanently laid off 16 Licensed Vocational Nurses, Medical Assistants, Hospital Unit Service Coordinators, Hospital Assistants, and 1 Storekeeper during a global pandemic. Regina Starks, a Licensed Vocational Nurse at UC San Diego Medical Clinic, was one of the affected workers. “It just doesn’t make sense to be laid off when my community needs us the most. There’s work to be done. We’re fighting a deadly virus.”
[button text=”Read more of Regina’s story” href=”https://afscme3299.org/media/essential-not-disposable-regina-deserves-security/” target=””]
#3299EssentialNotDisposable! #NoUCLayoffs #3299Heroes
Essential Not Disposable: UC Workers Pay Rent, UC Chancellors Do Not!
Just weeks later, after the public learned that UC was sitting on $10 billion of unrestricted reserves and $750 million in Federal COVID relief funds, UC Administrators hypocritically changed their tune and starting imposing layoffs on its lowest paid workers. In early June, UC announced that thousands of UC workers could expect to be laid off. Raul Hernandez, Sr. Cook, is one of the 77 laid off workers at UC Riverside, and one of the 282 laid off AFSCME 3299 members system wide.
[button text=”Read more of Raul’s Story” href=”https://afscme3299.org/blog/essential-not-disposable-uc-workers-pay-rent-uc-chancellors-do-not/” target=”_blank”]
