I’m in IT and UPTE just reversed my layoff
One of my worst fears came true earlier this year. UC laid me off from my job as a systems administrator out of the blue, leaving my wife and me scrambling. It was a complete shock—I was going to lose my job of twenty-plus years in two months. What about our kids? Our mortgage? Food, healthcare, retirement?
Fortunately, that's not the end of my story. As soon as I got my layoff notice, I contacted my organizer. We began fighting my layoff immediately, and eventually, we won. After months of bracing for the worst, I was back to work just weeks after my "final" day. This is the power of being willing and able to stand up against unjust decisions in the workplace. This is the power of having and enforcing a strong contract with layoff protections. This is the power of our union.
I'm not alone in my victory. Throughout the state, our fellow members are fighting for and winning on issues in their own workplaces. Need help in your own fight? Contact your local UPTE leadership.
UC's reasoning for my layoff was budget concerns. The funding sources for our department were either being held up somewhere or had been cut at the federal level. Yet, in the months-long stretch between when I received my layoff notice and my last day, I found out that both funding sources were reinstated.
Crisis over, right? Wrong. UC was still planning to lay me off. Without UPTE, I would have lost my job without recourse, even though I knew there was no logic behind the decision.
It's never been more important to have strength in numbers, especially as an IT worker. In the face of UC's wayward priorities, trusting our union can make all the difference. Because when we fight, we win.
In solidarity,
Luis Baquera
System Administrator 3, UC Riverside
