UPTE Statement Opposing UC Cuts

Date: July 14, 2009 10:48:12 AM PDT
Reply-To: info@upte-cwa.org

Communication from Professional and Technical Staff Union (UPTE) at University of California

UC or Yudof?

The cuts proposed by UC President Mark Yudof make no sense and will do irreparable harm to UC.

The cuts are unnecessary: While Yudof has been forced to back off his initial proposal of furloughing non-state funded employees, the proposal to be put before the Regents on Wednesday still includes possible cuts for medical center employees and those with mixed fund sources. Less than 15% of UC’s income comes from the state and the shortfall should be met through other measures than discriminatory cuts to state-funded employees.

There are alternatives:

UC could set up an aggressive job placement plan that would save jobs through the attrition of those leaving the University. Include re-training opportunities for those being laid off so they can meet the qualifications of open jobs.

UC has vast reserves and rainy day funds that can be used for one-time shortfalls until the economy recovers or attrition cuts enough.

Halt all current plans for expansion.

Implement a hiring freeze for all state-funded positions unless the hiring department can show there are no internal UC candidates eligible for the job.

The cuts will do irreparable harm: Before these proposed cuts 30% of research staff left UC annually, largely because salaries lag 20% - 30% behind market. UC will be unable to recruit and even less retain the quality staff required to do the work of the world’s premier academic institution.

This week, UC President Yudof will request the Regents for emergency powers to cut whenever and where he wants. We, the professional and technical staff at UC urge you to write UC President Yudof and Chair Regent Russell Gould today and tell them you do not support the emergency powers or the cuts.

We urge you to join the chorus of faculty, deans, and campus administrators and write Yudof and Gould from our website: Comment on Yudof Cuts.

You can see what other faculty have written at: Faculty Letters.

Research and technical staff have responded to Yudof by calling for a strike authorization vote which will be held July 20-24, 2009. Our members are outraged by Yudof refusing to bargain with our union and seeking to intimidate our members into accepting his cuts.

We greatly appreciate your support and welcome any dialogue with faculty. Feel free to contact our local offices or UPTE President Jelger Kalmijn (president@upte-cwa.org).