Nearly 2000 UC Lecturers are being denied the most basic form of retirement security afforded to other American workers: social security. UC denies social security (SS) coverage to any employee with an appointment of less than 50% of full time. Casual and temporary employees are also denied SS coverage, whether they are part time or full time. In lieu of social security, and pursuant to federal law, UC requires these employees to participate in a defined contribution plan (DCP), and a 7.5% contribution is deducted from their paychecks.
On February 25, adjunct faculty across the nation are holding actions to raise awareness about the inherent inequality of the two tier faculty system that relies on up to 75% of faculty working off the tenure track. At many institutions, faculty in these positions receive a fraction of the wages of full time and tenure track faculty, and often have no benefits and no job security. Adjunct faculty are hired term-by-term with very high teaching loads, and often have to have appointments on multiple campuses to earn a living wage. Adjunct faculty rise to the many challenges they face in providing the high quality education our students deserve, but the system is broken.
UC-AFT stands in solidarity with contingent, adjunct, part-time, non-tenure track, and visiting faculty who are organizing for a more equitable faculty system. Please see below for details on all the events we have planned for National Adjunct Walkout Day on February 25.
Dr. Ruth Charloff is a lecturer in the Department of Music at UCR, where she conducts the UCR Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and UCR Chamber Singers. She teaches instrumental and choral conducting, instrumentation, 20th-century music history, and Introduction to Western Music. Dr.
At the UC-AFT Council meeting in January, leaders from Local 2226 at UCI were presented an award for exceptional member outreach and education. During Fall Quarter 2014, Local 2226 members talked with over 100 colleagues about the union and recruited 82 new members. Congratulations on your awesome achievement!
The Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), which represents workers at the Student Health Centers on every UC campus, has announced a one-day strike for Tuesday, January 27, 2015. The strike is scheduled from 7AM on the 27th until 7AM on the 28th. We encourage you to support our brothers and sisters who are engaged in this strike; however, we also need to let you know the limits that our Contracts (MOUs) place on how we can support the UAPD strike.
Dear President Napolitano
We, faculty and staff throughout the UC System, wish to express our concern about the termination of Blue Shield of California’s contract with Sutter Health of Northern California. After the end of June, access to Sutter’s medical centers, especially those of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, at contractual rates will no longer be available for thousands of UC staff and faculty signed up with UC Care.
California has been a leader in providing students with a high-quality education that is affordable and accessible, but the funding structure of this system is showing signs of breaking down. The following plan describes how this great system can be saved by decreasing the cost of attendance for many students who are now forced to go into debt in order to afford their education.
The UC-AFT strongly condemns the decision of the grand jury in New York in declining to indict New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo for homicide in using a chokehold resulting in the death of Eric Garner. We expresses our solidarity with the thousands of protestors throughout the United States and elsewhere who are peacefully expressing their outrage and frustration at the deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police officers in America. Like millions of others, we acknowledge profoundly that black lives matter.
UC-AFT has taken a position against raising tuition, and we stand in solidarity with students and faculty protesting the proposed increases. President Napolitano’s plan will not stabilize tuition, but it will drive students further into debt.
Dr. Ruth Charloff is a lecturer in the Department of Music at UCR, where she conducts the UCR Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and UCR Chamber Singers. She teaches instrumental and choral conducting, instrumentation, 20th-century music history, and Introduction to Western Music. Dr.
