STATEMENT: UC’s Largest Union Responds to Release of Governor Brown’s 2015-2016 Budget Proposal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2015

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

Together with Coalition of higher education workers and students, AFSCME 3299 calls for additional state funding and reform of California’s public colleges and universities.

Oakland: California Governor Jerry Brown today released his proposed 2015-2016 State Budget. The proposal includes a $120 million increase in state funding for the University of California—$100 million less than the system requested in order to prevent a 25% tuition hike from beginning to take effect next year.

In response, Kathryn Lybarger, President of AFSCME 3299–the University of California’s largest employee union—has issued the following statement:

“The release of Governor Brown’s January budget is the beginning of a long overdue conversation about the future of California’s public colleges and universities. While this initial proposal does not provide the funding or institutional reforms needed to prevent tuition hikes, improve access or increase quality, we stand ready to work with the Governor, the Legislature and University Administrators in developing a final budget that can. This is not just a question of more money from the state or only more accountability from University Administrators. It is both. And we are committed to doing our part to help bridge that gap.”

Back in December, AFSCME 3299 joined with a coalition representing more than 2 million students, staff, and faculty of California’s higher education institutions that co-signed a letter to Governor Brown advocating a set of guidelines dealing with state funding and institutional reform for the University of California, California State University, and California Community College Systems.

Read the Higher Education Coalition’s State Budget Letter to Governor Brown Here