STATEMENT:  UC’S Largest Employee Union, AFSCME 3299, Reacts to Governor’s May Budget Revise

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2015

CONTACT: Todd Stenhouse, (916) 397-1131, [email protected]

Oakland:  In response to the release of Governor Brown’s May Budget Revise, which includes a a two year tuition freeze at the University of California, AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger has released the following statement: 

“We are encouraged by today’s May Budget revise, which includes a framework for preventing the planned UC tuition hikes that would have been devastating for students. The University’s commitment to contain the exorbitant executive pensions that divert resources away from UC’s core public mission is also an important step forward, provided it is not used as a tool to undermine the retirement security of its lower paid, frontline staff.

Ultimately, there remains much more to do to restore UC’s promise of offering ladders to the middle class for Californians, particularly on issues of in-state access and the rising number of UC workers who are living in poverty. That’s why we will continue to urge legislators to tie increased state funding to in-state enrollment targets, and to enact legislation that guarantees ‘equal pay’ for UC subcontractors who do the same jobs as career UC employees (SB 376, Lara).”