Participate in E-Picket Against Regents’ Proposal to Start Pension Contribution

Contents
(1) Regents Demand Pay Cuts – Tell Them “NO, I Can’t Afford It”
(2) Voter Registration Deadline and Vote by Mail for November’s Elections    
(3) Single Payer (SB840): Tell the Governor to Sign this Bill for Real Health Care Reform    

(1) Regents Demand Pay Cuts – Tell Them “No! I Can’t Afford It”
The regents meeting last week made it official: if you are not represented by a union, you will probably not get a raise (unless you are one of the lucky UC execs), your 2% retirement savings will be cut to pay for the pension fund, and you will pay increased benefits costs. All of this combined adds up to a de facto pay cut. If you have a union, UC has to bargain but it doesn’t take much speculation what their proposal will be.

So tell the regents what you think. Send them an email from the UPTE e-picket site today. We have a suggested letter there, but you can also change it and send your own.

UC continues to insist that our wages remain contingent on state funding even though it admits that we are more than 90% not state-funded. Two key legislators have now written UC to stop this practice. Member actions at many campuses, including San Diego, Berkeley, Los Angeles and others, have been held to convince chancellors and other administrators to support our demand for a fair pay increase. The money is in our grants and the budgets for our raises, and we deserve it.

(2) Voter Registration Deadline and Vote by Mail for November’s Elections
The deadline for registering to vote in this year’s presidential election is October 20, 2008. Contact your UPTE office if you need a registration form (this can also be used to change your address) or find it directly at the California Secretary of State’s website.  If you are already registered, you can also apply to “vote by mail” online

UPTE-CWA encourages members to evaluate candidates on their positions on issues important to working people. For information about candidates and labor council endorsements, please see the State Labor Federation page or your local labor council webpage.

(3) Single Payer (SB840): Tell the Governor to Sign this Bill for Real Health Care Reform 
A health care bill that will provide affordable, quality care to all Californians has passed the legislature and sits on the governor’s desk. Please contact the governor and urge him to sign
SB 840.

Here is a summary of SB 840:

• Everyone is covered
• Equal and comprehensive coverage
• Choice of health provider
• Preventative and primary care
• Cost controls and reduction of administrative waste
• Everyone pays their fair share
• Public oversight of quality care

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