A rally is planned on campus Thursday in opposition to potential tuition hikes at the University of California and in support of workers’ rights across the UC system.
AFSCME Local 3299, a union representing service and patient care workers at the university, along with the Student-Worker Coalition at Cal, which includes, among other student groups and unions, Students for a Democratic University and the student-worker union UAW Local 2865, will be holding a picket and rally at the intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way at noon.
After picketing for about an hour, protesters will head to the steps in front of Sproul Hall, where speakers are expected to voice support for the movement’s agenda. Among other demands, the protesters ask that the campus rehire five laid-off workers to work at other campus departments and that the university support a state Senate bill that would allow graduate student researchers to unionize, according to a statement released by Students for a Democratic University.
The university is taking cost-cutting measures that undermine the rights of workers, said Devonte Jackson, a campus junior and mobilizing director of CalSERVE.
Maricruz Manzanarez, senior custodian at Unit 2 and member of AFSCME Local 3299, said she hopes Thursday’s rally will be a chance for her and other campus workers’ voices to be heard.
“(The university) needs to value the hard work we put in,” she said. “It’s like they forgot.”
People attending the rally have been encouraged to wear black in order to show solidarity for the workers, according to a flier publicizing the event. UCPD Capt. Margo Bennett said campus police officers will monitor the event and “will react to any needs that come up.”
Contact Rachel Kang at [email protected].
Comment Policy
Comments should remain on topic, concerning the article or blog post to which they are connected. Brevity is encouraged. Posting under a pseudonym is discouraged, but permitted. The Daily Cal encourages readers to voice their opinions respectfully in regard to the readers, writers and contributors of The Daily Californian. Comments are not pre-moderated, but may be removed if deemed to be in violation of this policy. Click here to read the full comment policy.
“The university is taking cost-cutting measures that undermine the rights
of workers, said Devonte Jackson, a campus junior and mobilizing
director of CalSERVE.”
So now cost-cutting is a violation of rights? Are any of those rights mentioned in our Constitution or in the Geneva Convention articles? And if hiring of unnecessary workers using increased tuition cause students to do some cost-cutting of their own then the unions are undermining the rights of students.
Workers have a right to quit their government jobs and find one in the private sector if they think they can do better. Once again, we have an example of how those sucking on the public teat are spoiled, narcissistic, and completely removed from reality.
You’re truly deluded if you think that all workers, especially those in custodial services have the privilege to quit their jobs and go find work in the private sector. These workers are overwhelmingly minorities who have been historically marginalized, think it through. Most of these people don’t have the skills necessary to find “better” jobs, but these tasks must still be done and these people should be respected not replaced by the university’s attempts to privatize. Check you’re privileges please.
> You’re truly deluded if you think that all workers,
> especially those in
custodial services have the
> privilege to quit their jobs and go find
work in
> the private sector.
There hasn’t been slavery in this country for over 150 years. Every adult is free to look for a new employer if he or she thinks he/she can do better.
> These workers are overwhelmingly minorities who
> have been historically marginalized,
The old victimization song-and-dance, I see.
> Most of these people don’t have the skills
> necessary to find “better” jobs
Whose fault is that again, other than those who don’t value education?
> Check you’re privileges please.
I didn’t get where I am at based on “privilege”. I got there based on working my ass off and taking advantage of educational opportunities wherever possible. I also spent years living a rather spartan lifestyle so I could bootstrap a small business and build on it. Take your “privilege” nonsense and shove it up your ass, you freaking crybaby. I got where I am because I earned it.
i hope they aren’t that blunt this time. please come out and support the rally! :)
“will react to any needs that come up.”
Just in case we need some blunt force trauma or pepper spray in our faces.