Welcome Back Update Fall 2010
Dear Local 2141 lecturers and librarians,
Welcome back to campus for fall quarter 2010!
This year will get off to a quick start with several important issues arising in the first few weeks of the quarter: First, October 7th has been designated as a national day in defense of public education. Second, the recommendations of the UC Commission on the Future and the Post Employment Benefits Task Force will soon be deliberated and decided on by the Regents. Finally, the November 2nd elections, particularly Proposition 25 and the Governor's race, deserve special attention from UC-AFT members.
October 7th
As a continuation of the historic events of September 24, 2009 and March 4th, 2010, October 7th has been designated as a nationwide day in defense of public education. Our members are helping to organize activities on all of the UC campuses. For details on plans for October 7th at UCSB, click here. Please help with outreach by distributing this "Rethink UC" flier to your students in the first two weeks of class: tinyurl.com/RethinkUCOct7 Local 2141 will provide copies of the flier upon request.
Pension Changes
UC-AFT is a leader in the fight against UCOP and President Yudof's effort to dismantle UC's pension and retiree health benefits. Over the last year, we have articulated alternative perspectives on pension reform that reject the crisis narrative encouraged by UC. The PEB Task Force released its proposals for retiree health and pension reform in August. Faculty and staff members of the task force submitted adissenting opinion which reflects many of UC-AFT's positions on the proposals. The Regents voted to increase pension contributions at their meeting in San Francisco last week. UC-AFT President, Bob Samuels, spoke against the PEB recommendations at the Regent's meeting. His comments can be heard at this link (Time marker 9:53). President Samuels was also recently interviewed about the pension on UCI librarian and UC-AFT member, Dan Tsang's, radio show, Subversity, on KUCI. Listen to the interview here.
Commission on the Future
Final recommendations of the UC Commission on the Future are now being considered by the Regents. In a move unexpected by the senate faculty, UCOP added several recommendations to the final Commission report that would undermine academic senate authority and centralize power at UCOP. The senate has responded with a dissenting report objecting to these last minute insertions and their implications for shared governance. For more on this, click here. UC-AFT has been a driving force behind the Alternative Commission on the Future, which has forwarded its own recommendations for the future of UC.
November Elections
The November 2nd elections present California's voters with an opportunity to ease our perennial budget stalemate by passing Prop. 25, and a choice in the gubernatorial race that will have major implications for low and middle income earners and public sector workers. UC-AFT V.P. for Legislation, Axel Borg, has written a message on the importance of political engagement by UC-AFT members leading up to this election. The republican candidate, Meg Whitman, has campaigned on a platform that would layoff 40,000 state workers, and eliminate public sector unions and pensions. Whitman has a radio ad that proposes the restoration of funding for CSU and UC by cutting welfare benefits for the state's poorest people.
New! Local 2141 Calendar
Local 2141 has posted a new calendar of meetings and events on our website. Please visit the calendar for time, date, and location information for new hire orientations, excellence review workshops, membership meetings, executive board meetings, and more.
