Tuesday, August 12, 2003
By Kim-Mai Cutler
State Assemblymember Loni Hancock convened with UC union leaders Saturday to urge UC Berkeley to maintain an open and transparent process while implementing budget cuts.
Hancock is backing an assembly bill, called AB 1230, to allow a card-check for unions, which will allow unions to be recognized by the university.
The bill passed both the state Assembly and Senate last month.
"There needs to be an atmosphere of cooperation and respect," Hancock said. "Unfortunately, UC's relationship with the unions has not been good historically."
Recent contracts negotiated with two unions representing lecturers, researchers and technical employees took over a year of negotiations to finalize.
But with $25.5 million in cuts to the university, campus spokespersons said layoffs have become necessary. Last week, UC Berkeley officials announced 200 full-time positions would be eliminated.
Thus far, UC Berkeley has not released any detailed information regarding where the layoffs will be made, except to say that Business and Administrative Services will bear the bulk of layoffs because most positions in the unit are nonacademic.