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UCSC Workers Offer New Year Resolutions To Shape Up UC
Members of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Local 3299 (custodians, food service workers, gardeners, maintenance workers, shuttle drivers and medical center workers) as well as students, teachers, and community allies, rallied at UC Santa Cruz on January 31st, the same day AFSCME's contract with the University of California (UC) expired. The demonstration coincided with AFSCME Local 3299's statewide delegations to all five UC medical center CEOs and all ten campus Chancellors to present a list of seven new year resolutions that the UC System must adopt to ensure quality patient care and student services.
The demonstration, began with a rally in the Baytree Plaza at UC Santa Cruz and was followed by a march to Kerr Hall, where the chancellor's office is located, to demand justice for UC's lowest wage workers. AFSCME Local 3299 and their allies are calling on Chancellor Blumenthal to take leadership within the UC to support UCSC workers and strengthen the broader Santa Cruz community by granting AFSCME members a fair contract with market rate standards and benefits protections. AFSCME organizers assert that, "outrageous executive compensation continues to be a top priority at UC while frontline workers struggle to make ends meet.
The demonstration, began with a rally in the Baytree Plaza at UC Santa Cruz and was followed by a march to Kerr Hall, where the chancellor's office is located, to demand justice for UC's lowest wage workers. AFSCME Local 3299 and their allies are calling on Chancellor Blumenthal to take leadership within the UC to support UCSC workers and strengthen the broader Santa Cruz community by granting AFSCME members a fair contract with market rate standards and benefits protections. AFSCME organizers assert that, "outrageous executive compensation continues to be a top priority at UC while frontline workers struggle to make ends meet.
FOR MORE PHOTOS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
Rally in UCSC's Baytree Plaza Demands Justice for UC's Lowest Wage Workers
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/02/18476622.php
Rally in UCSC's Baytree Plaza Demands Justice for UC's Lowest Wage Workers
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/02/18476622.php
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I'm all for UC paying the workers more money, but I just gotta make an observation; Robert Chanacaca's hands haven't seen any 'labor' in a long time. No callouses, scars, burns, cuts or dirt under the nails. Just something I noticed, and felt I should point out...
um, looking at that photo, I would disagree. He looks like he has hands on the relatively used and stubby side, even if he had washed them recently. By the way, lots of blue collar people who do manual jobs are using equipment, and aren't necessarily picking lettuce or digging with a shovel. Janitors, prep cooks, truck drivers etc. these days aren't going to have calloused hands. Even trash collectors aren't lifting cans themselves like they used to in the 1980s.
I wold like to start out saying I agree everyone should be paid a fair salary for a fair days work. Now here comes the part I will get hated for. Define fair. The suggested salaries for the so called front line workers suggested by the unions are rapidly approaching those of people who have worked hard to get an education, learn a skill, and enter the work force in a technical field. I know UC technical employees who are barely making $32,000 a year or $15/hr. Why is it fair to raise the pay of employees who do work hard but basically are in a job that required nothing more than some on the job training. There was a time the reason these jobs paid so poorly is that they were entry level jobs that people took while in school or while looking for a job that better suited their technical and educational skills. Do I think employees of the UC system are under paid? Yes, all employees! Employees with many years experience and advanced tachincal education are paid almost 25% less than their non UC counterparts.
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