A Message from Bob Samuels on the November 28th General Strike and Regents Meeting

A year ago, I told the regents that they needed to investigate recent incidents of police pepper spraying, tasering, and beating students.   President Yudof and the Regents stood by their police, and they did nothing. The same day that I addressed the Regents and President Yudof, a police officer pulled gun on several students.  Once again, we urged the university to investigate and punish dangerous police actions, and still nothing was done.  It has taken a viral video of police violence at UC Davis for the university to take this issue seriously. 

In order to protect all of our rights for free speech and free assembly, we need to make a strong stand at the rescheduled Regents meeting on November 28th. There will be a one-hour public comment session at 9 a.m. at UC San Francisco’s Mission Bay campus, UCLA, UC Davis, and UC Merced. I plan to speak during public comment, and I ask all UC-AFT members on these campuses to join me at the teleconferenced Regents meetings to show your support.

Also, on this day, a general strike have been called at UC Davis. UC-AFT's Executive Board has endorsed this day of action and we are calling on all of our members to join your campus's actions to reject UC's suppression of free speech through police violence and intimidation.  See our endorsement of the Novmeber 28th General Strike here.

We have also posted this guide on your rights to participate in strike day activities as a UC-AFT represented employee.   Please review this information.

A movement is building that has the power to shift public policy toward progressive solutions for education and social service funding, to roll back privatization of the university, and to demand an end to excessive corporate influence over government.  UC protests are the current front line of this movement, and UC-AFT is an important part of the coalition organizing these activities.  All out on Monday! 

In solidarity, 

Bob Samuels

UC-AFT President

Lecturer, UCLA Writing Programs