Feature Archives

Hundreds of workers, clergy, and community supporters held a rally Thursday, October 4, in front of Adobe Systems in San Jose. The rally, which was organized by UNITE HERE! and SEIU, called on Silicon Valley technology companies to take responsibility for the conditions faced by cafeteria workers, janitors, and security workers on their corporate campuses.

On September 27th, the first day of UCSC's Fall quarter, service workers organized with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 initiated an informational picket in the Baytree Plaza demanding a fair labor contract. Workers, some with their families, were joined by student allies for a rally to send a strong message to UC administration that AFSCME, the Student Worker Coalition for Justice and graduate students organized with UAW Local 2865 are united in demanding that UC prioritize workers, students and their families.

United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2865, the Union representing over 12,000 Teaching Assistants, Tutors, and Readers throughout the University of California (UC) system, is in the process of filing dozens of unfair labor practice (ULPs) charges against the UC. The Union may call a strike over these ULPs if the charges are not resolved and agreement reached by the expiration of the current contract, September 30th. UAW 2865 recently released a public statement which had over 6,500 signatures from members.

San Francisco’s security workers took to the streets September 24th through September 28th for a week of direct action to demand that the city’s wealthiest property owners, including Shorenstein, Morgan Stanley and Hines, give them a living wage and decent health care benefits. San Francisco’s security workers, who are mostly people of color and recent immigrants, earn less than other staff in the city’s commercial property buildings, including window washers, parking attendants, and janitors.

Ike Solem writes, "Let me point out here that the University has proposed to set aside $70 million for a new "Biomedical Research Facility" [at UC Santa Cruz] for the year 2007-2008. This facility is unlikely to do much for undergraduate research, and represents a continuation of the ongoing corporatization of the University of California. The research done there will undoubtedly be done for the benefit of private pharmaceutical corporations, a theme that is already quite common in the Chemistry Department."

A spirited and festive crowd descended upon Emeryville's posh Woodfin Hotel Saturday morning, September 15th. The crowd gathered to announce and symbolically enforce the revocation of the hotel's permit, claiming that the hotel had failed to meet its conditional operating permit by refusing to pay $250,000 in back wages to workers, and a $50,000 fine to the City of Emeryville. This was the culmination of a lengthy and successful campaign waged by the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE).

Workers from Community Medical Centers in Fresno delivered their CEO a message. The message, delivered by about 100 healthcare workers and their allies, is that they want a fair election, free of threats and intimidation, so they can decide for themselves if Service Employees International Union - UHW will represent them.