Capitol Report – Week of September 12, 2011
Legislators say pay the workers
SACRAMENTO — State lawmakers are calling on the University of California to comply with the 2011 State Budget Act which mandates the University of California pay scheduled raises to thousands of low-wage service workers who struggle to make ends. Since January 2011 UC has refused to honor our agreement and has also kept Patient Technical Care workers from receiving contractually obligated pay raises. All the while, since January, UC has paid out over $4.7 million dollars in Wall Street style bonuses to executives. “UC executives are lining their pockets with shrinking taxpayer funds and hospitals are raking in huge profits on the backs of workers,” said 3299 Executive Vice President Julian Posadas. “This is not the UC Californians deserve, and it’s not the UC workers have built.” Posadas met with Assembly Speaker and UC Regent John Perez to discuss support for greater public oversight of UC’s spending.
Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom Appoints 3299 President Lakesha Harrison
SAN FRANCISCO — Local 3299 members are expected to play a major role in crafting long-term funding for the University of California. Gavin Newsom appointed President Lakesha Harrison to California’s Working Group for the Future of Higher Education. Harrison is the only labor leader representing all UC workers on the panel. The panel of higher education, labor, business and student leaders is charged with finding funding solutions needed to strengthen California’s higher education system to meet the demands of our economy. “Working with Gov. Brown and the Legislator to fight for funding is a top priority. California needs funding stability to control rising student fees and protect student and patient care services,” said President Harrison. “We have to fight to keep public quality services at the UC, it’s about our jobs.”
UC Budget Lacks Transparency, State Auditor Says
SACRAMENTO — “While the UC Office of the President knows how to pay lip-service to the goals of accountability and transparency, the state auditor demonstrates how UC is falling down on the job in practice,” said State Senator Leland Yee. “It is clear that their remains many significant problems with the way UC operates, and this audit clearly illustrates both new and ongoing problems.” 3299 initiated the audit in 2009. Among the many shocking findings included in the report, it was unveiled that roughly $1 Billion per year was being used for “Miscellaneous Services.” UC workers and other stakeholders are demanding oversight hearings to ensure confidence that taxpayer dollars are not being misused and push for greater transparency with UC’s spending.
Senate Bill 857 — Protects Right to Strike
Bob Hardrick, Sr. Custodian, UCSD
Chair, Legislative and Political Committee
In 2008, Local 3299 went on strike to win one of the strongest contracts in UC’s history. UC saw a huge opportunity to cash in. UC bosses exploited a vehemently anti-labor Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) that was pushing to strip away fundamental rights of workers. The suit filed against low-wage workers is full of frivolous claims and seeks millions of dollars in compensation. Sen. Ted Lieu authored SB 857 Fair Strike Damages, the bill protects public workers from this type of abusive action that seeks to bankrupt unions. The Senate and the Assembly passed SB 857 and sent it to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for signing.
