Feature Archives

University of California patient care and service staff announced the results of a statewide strike vote that took place between May 17th and May 22nd. Results were tabulated at midnight on May 22nd, and an overwhelming majority of voters voted to authorize the strike. The workers gave UC Executives notice that a strike could begin as soon as June 4th for the 20,000 workers at the University's five hospital/ten campus system.

The campaign against science experiments on animals at the University of California continues to grow stronger, but not without opposition. Over the last several months, activists have been conducting frequent demonstrations outside the homes of UC animal researchers -- a handful of people with signs, a bullhorn and some literature to hand out to neighbors.

On May 22nd in Los Angeles, the California Court of Appeals ruled that the state limits on medical marijuana possession and cultivation that were established under state law SB 420 are unconstitutional. In the case People v. Patrick Kelly, the court overturned the defendant's conviction for possessing 12 ounces of dried marijuana, saying that the prosecutor had improperly argued that the defendant was guilty because he possessed more than the 8-ounce limit established in Health & Safety Code Section 11362.77 and did not have a doctor's recommendation that authorized more. The court wrote, ""The prosecutor's argument was improper... because the CUA [Compassionate Use Act] can only be amended with voters' approval."

On May 5th, Foster Gamble and the Economic Action Team of the California Alliance to Stop the Spray (C.A.S.S.), released a forty page report on the economic impact to the state of California in response to the CDFA/USDA plan to spray multiple California counties with a micronized concoction of synthetic “pheromone” and chemicals to "eradicate" the Light Brown Apple Moth – a moth with zero history of causing crop damage anywhere in the world.

On May 15th, the California State Supreme Court ruled that laws that have excluded same-gender couples from the right to marry were unconstitutional. Gatherings will be held around the state to celebrate the ruling. The California court cited the state's equal protection clause in striking down the discrimination. It also ruled that marriages performed outside of the state must be recognized as legal by the State of California.

Thursday, May 15th is Bike to Work Day. It will also be a Spare the Air Day, as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District predicts high levels of ozone in the air. Public transit in the Bay Area will not be free, as it has often been on past Spare the Air Days, so people all over the Bay Area will choose two-wheeled transportation on that day. Several cities will have "Energizer" Stations with giveaways of items such as snacks and mussette and tote bags in the morning.

On the heels of University of California's ongoing executive pay scandals, UC's Administration is once again being denounced for misplaced priorities. For ten months, 20,000 UC medical and service workers have been trying to protect quality patient care and CA communities, reporting that lack of competitive wages is impacting the University's ability to retain its best staff. After ten months of negotiating for equal pay for equal work, they have reached impasse, and the workers announced they will take a strike vote, running from May 17th-May 22nd.