From our President Dan Russell: "We can't let this climate of solidarity and worker organizing pass us by."
Last Wednesday, we hosted a town hall titled "UC Has the Money," where we took a dive into the finances of the University of California and evaluated one of their favorite excuses for not addressing workplace issues—that they simply don't have the money. This couldn't be farther from the truth. You can click here to see a recording of the town hall.
UC possesses incredible financial resources, including $28 billion dollars in cash reserves. They generate billions more in revenue annually from investments and endowments while receiving state and federal grants and contracts, private donations, income from patient care services in the medical centers, and other revenue sources. The bottom line is that UC has the money to invest in the dedicated healthcare, research, and technical employees who tirelessly carry out its mission.
The communities we serve up and down the state will benefit tremendously from that investment. The bargaining survey we are asking all members to fill out now is how we will identify priorities for how we think UC should allocate those resources to support our work in the coming year—and how we will demonstrate how many of us care about these issues.
As a public institution and the third largest employer in California after the state and federal government, UC also has a responsibility to set high standards that benefit not only its own workers but also working folks in every community across our state.
We're in a consequential moment for working people. Workers at UPS just won a historic contract, autoworkers are preparing to strike the big three, writers and actors continue a joint strike, and organizing continues across the country at non-union employers like Starbucks. New polling released by the AFL-CIO this month shows that 71% of Americans support unions, 88% of those under 30 view unions favorably, and 75% support striking workers. A new ruling from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal and private-sector equivalent of California's Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), makes it more challenging than ever for employers to illegally delay and derail unionization efforts.
This sort of pro-worker movement hasn't been seen in generations and we can't afford to let it pass us by. By continuing to build on the great organizing work our members are engaged in across the state and by making sure you share your priorities with us through our bargaining survey, we can seize this moment and win a transformative next contract. We have the power to influence UC's policies and decisions, but only if we stand together, organize, and demand what we deserve. The winds of change are blowing in our favor—but only if we're prepared to rise to the occasion.