More graduation speakers boycott UC ceremonies

A labor union's call for graduation speakers to withdraw from the ceremonies at UC campuses is gaining traction. Among several others canceling their speeches, state Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) is dropping out of a commitment to address a graduation event for Latino students at UC Berkeley on May 15 and Robert Hertzberg, former Assembly speaker, will no longer give an address at UC Berkeley's ceremony for political science graduates on May 17.

Earlier this week, Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) withdrew from a June 12 speech at the UC Riverside commencement in response to a request from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents about 20,000 UC workers, including hospital technicians and campus custodians. The union plans to picket the graduations over what it says are UC's unfair layoffs and proposals for pay cuts as a result of state budget reductions.

UC leaders, while arranging substitute speakers, are criticizing the union's move as disrupting a special day for graduates and their families.

Romero, in a prepared statement Wednesday, noted what she described an irony at the graduation: "On one hand, students in robes celebrating the overcoming of obstacles and staking their claim in the American Dream; on the other hand, I would have seen Latino workers, perhaps their own uncles and aunts, holding picket signs asking this internationally acclaimed university to simply pay them a living wage."

A similar dispute two years ago led prominent Democrats, including former President Clinton, to withdraw from speeches at UC campuses. 

-- Larry Gordon

Comments

[Lemonic]

Way to teach those kids a thing or two. I bet after they graduate and go find jobs where there are very few, they'll take the time to think "gee, i should get raises for union workers so that gloria romero will speak at the graduation that already happened." Way to teach those kids a lesson.

[mac691]

Students at all UC Campus graduations, please take note. Democrats care more for the destructive job killing Unions than they care about you! You are hereby given notice that the Democrat Party cares more for a group whose motto "workers of the world unite" is also part and parcel of the communist slogans. Take note, that if you seek to have a 'real' job, it won't be with a govt operation, it will be from one of your hated corporations. Or, be good little marxist lemmings and refuse to work for a corporation, I know that will make me happier.

[John]

The negative impact of these unions is really unfortunate. Their workers already have the most competitive pay within the UC system, and yet they are always the ones that are out there marching. Do you see the staff physicians, whose pay is 18% below the competitive rate, walking out on their patient duties? No of course not. The unions are contributing to the problems within the UC, and it is unfortunate that the students once again have to feel the impact of their negative and inappropriately directed political pressure. Here's the link to the data:

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/compensation/comparisons.html

[Richard Long]

you've got to be kidding me.....we're broke and they have a job....but oh no they can't share the pain.

State workers unions have KILLED California.

[sdm]

Have these Public Unions not seen what is going on in Greece? How about the living wage of us private sector Aunts and uncles? After these unions demand more and more of our money through higher and higher taxes to continue the gluttony of thier increases in wages, benefits, and free healthcare; how do you expect us to live? In poverty, while you live off the fat of the land?

Unions have too much of our moeny! We are not your indentured servants. You work for us; not the other way around.

[GARY]

UNREAL LETS CONTINUE TO BOW DOWN TO OUR VOTER BASE! THIS IS WHY YOUR ALL GOING TO BE UNEMPLOYED POLITICIANS. OH AND BY THE WAY WILL GLORIA BE ASKING FOR THE LATINO SEPARTIST GROUP FOR THEIR DOCUMENTS WHEN SEE DOES GROW A SET AND SPEAKS TO THEM? BOY I WISH THERE WAS AND ALL WHITE COLLEGE OR AND ALL WHITE STUDENTS PROGRAM AT THE UC CAMPUS. TO THINK THESE ARE THE SAME GROUPS SCREAMING ABOUT RACIAL PROFILING IN ARIZONA WHAT A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES!

[Paul]

Simple solution: don't invite any elected officials to speak at graduation ceremonies. The graduations are simply PR for them anyway. Invite speakers who you can rely on, who value the purpose of day (celebrating hard work of students) and honor education over political statements.

There are numerous leaders in society that make monumental contributions who are not elected officials. Go with them!

[Kevin]

The state has no money. Students' fees have increased at an unprecedented rate. And the union is running a boycott? So some Democrat politicians will not speak, and the self-interested bullying employed by the union will teach the students to vote Republican. Hey, it's a win-win situation.

[Jennie]

How moronic are these speakers - to shun those that have worked so hard for so many years, sacrficied so much to actually get a degree instead of choosing to clean toilets for a living. I guess the elitist want to make sure that there are always those that will choose to clean toilets instead of going to college. The UC should lay off those professors instead of janitors what do we need professors for????

[Seth Chandler]

Seems a little unfair to punish the students for the actions of the university. Reminds me of Carter's stupid boycott of the Moscow Olympics.

[ddm97]

Sen Romero needs to check her facts before making comments about the University of California paying a living wage. While non-union employees are getting pay cuts and have had no pay increase since 2007 these employees with their current union contract are getting wage increases through Sept 2013 that are based not on merit but years of experience as well as across the board increases. As a state senator she needs to take some responsibility for the current budget situation at the University of California. If the state legistature would support higher education and not cut the budget so much these employees wouldn't be facing layoffs. I find it reprehensible that the state senators (Romero and Sanchez) are bowing out of a responsibility and putting the blame solely on the University. They should be ashamed.

[Dave Smith]

What irony. Gloria Romero cancelled her commencement speech at a "graduation event for Latino students" upon orders from a labor union. Romero, helped grow the state's budget deficit with program on top of costly program and astronomical state employee salaries and benefits, thus reducing UC funding, and necessitating the layoffs of a lot of staff and salary reductions for the remainder. UC was forced into layoffs by Romero et al.; she's boycotting herself! What an Einstein.

[abbey normal]

Guess we know whose pocket these politicians are in. Bums every one of them.

[Duped Tax Payer]

If all these so called speakers worked for the unions does that mean unions are shot callers? Just bankrupt the state end of story.

[CKW]

TO DDM97:
I work for the UC, in a unionized position but not under the AFSCME. I am barely making a living wage (yes I went to college- a UC, in fact!), have not had a raise in three years and took a paycut this year, like every other UC employee. I don't know where you are getting your facts from.

[Huh?]

I'm sorry, isn't Gloria Romero one of those responsible for the state budget disaster that has crippled UC's?

[Cal Bear]

Its really sad as a Latino student at Cal, I have seen how much the Latino student community has supported the workers at this university even planning an appreciation dinner for workers and this is how they pay us back. Its not fair that when its their turn to give a little, they don't want to.

[atilla]

more evidence that the democrats can't function without union support and that the unions wield undue influence.

...to say nothing of that fact that the union bosses seem to be living in cloud cuckoo land...

have they not noticed that the state is insolvent, if not bankrupt and that it cannot be business as usual ? or perhaps they just don't care and take an "as long as i'm all right jack" approach.

sing to the tune of "this land is your land, this land is my land"...

this land is hazy, this land is crazy...;)

[rs]

Looks like I know who NOT to vote for in the near future...

[Transparency]

UC Berkeley Chancellor Self Serving $3 Million Expenditure
The UC Berkley budget gap has grown to $150 million, and still the Chancellor is spending money that isn't there on $3,000,000 consultants. His reasons range from the need for impartiality to requiring the consultants "thinking, expertise, and new knowledge".
Does this mean that the faculty and senior management of the UCB world-class research & teaching institution lack the knowledge, integrity, impartiality, innovation, and professionalism to come up with solutions? Have they been fudging their research for years? The consultants will glean their recommendations from faculty interviews & the senior management that hired them; yet $ 150 million of inefficiencies and solutions could be found internally if the Chancellor and his Vice -Chancellors were doing the work of their jobs.
The victims of this folly are Faculty and Students. $ 3 million consultant fees would be far better spent on students & faculty.
There can be only one conclusion as to why creative savings & solutions have not been forthcoming from faculty & staff: Chancellor Birgeneau has lost credibility & the trust of the faculty & the Cal Academic Senate leadership. Even if the faculty agrees with the consultants' recommendations - disagreeing might put their jobs in jeopardy - the underlying problem of lost credibility and trust will remain.
Contact your representatives in Sacramento: tell them of the self serving $3 million being spent on consultants by University of California Berkeley Chancellor Birgeneau.