Last year we counted down the 10 Biggest Stories in Davis.
This year we countdown the 10 biggest stories that we followed on the People’s Vanguard of Davis.
We continue with the 4th biggest story: Sodexho Foodworkers Organize to Become UC Employees.
On May 1, 2007 protesters seeking university pay and benefits for food service workers held the first of a number of well-organized events. The main issues are ability over over 550 food service workers, custodians, and cooks to get university jobs which would entitle them to higher pay. An outsourced worker gets around $10.35 an hour versus a starting minimum over over $12 hour and a max of up to $15.50 for a university employee. However, even more important are health care benefits. One of the workers told me she was paying over $100 for her health care package where a UC Davis employed worker would only pay about 5% of that.
Police placed the number of protesters at 150, but the number appeared to be at least 400, and possibly more.
They held a rally at the MU for about half an hour. Then marched around the quad, down to Freeborn and held a brief rally there before heading down Howard to Russell and then down Russell to the corner of Russell and Anderson.
“The event was well organized. The police did a good job of blocking traffic, diverting it away from the protest and also did not engage with the protesters.
It was only when the larger group left the street to stand on the sidewalks, then a group of perhaps 24 to 30 people sat down in the middle of the intersection.”
“At this point, Lt. Dorothy Pearson gave the order to disperse. When they did not disperse, officers read the protesters their rights and arrested them, one-by-one leading them into a bus.
When this was done, the protesters peacefully dispersed and there appeared to be no incidents. It was well handled by both the police and the organizers to make a point. Although you can see from one of the photos above, the police were ready with riot gear (or two of them were) if the crowd got out of hand.”
Three weeks later, there was another large protest this one going directly to Mrak Hallthe main issues are ability over over 550 food service workers, custodians, and cooks to get university jobs which would entitle them to higher pay. An outsourced worker gets around $10.35 an hour versus a starting minimum over over $12 hour and a max of up to $15.50 for a university employee. However, even more important are health care benefits. One of the workers told me she was paying over $100 for her health care package where a UC Davis employed worker would only pay about 5% of that..
“A small contingent of 15 protesters had gotten inside the building prior to the protest and spoke to the crowd from second story windows. According to later reports, 15 of these people were arrested when they refused to leave the building.
The building was eventually locked down out of concern for public safety and the safety of the employees working in the building, although the crowd was largely well organized and did not seem to present a tremendous danger. The doors locked and protesters outside demanding action.”
The lockdown of the building appeared to be an overreaction by the police and the university administration. The small but vocal crowd was of no threat to the safety of anyone.
We spoke with labor organizer Bill Camp who is the director of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. He described in detail the organizing efforts, some of the complaints about treatment by the police, and some other interesting details of protesting and being arrested at UC Davis and in Yolo County.
“Last Wednesday Bill Camp, 63, was one of several protesters who entered Mrak Hall, sat down on the first floor and was arrested for failure to disperse. And in fact, the protesters including Camp, were charged with not only failure to disperse but also trespassing.
The protesters went into the building in advance to see how to enter the building. They tried to see Chancellor Vanderhoef, but access to his office was blocked, and he was not there. Camp, wearing a tie and slacks, appeared as though he was some “old professor,” to use his words. The protesters went up to the second floor because they couldn’t get up to the fifth floor where the chancellor’s office is located. So, they went to the fourth floor and were going to walk up to the fifth floor.”
The university began to receive pressure from a number of elected officials most notably however, Assemblywoman Lois Wolk.
The response by the university was disappointing. First they attempted to pit the Sodexho workers against the students, by suggesting to the students that they would raise student rates if the workers were granted university status and paid commensurate with what a university employee would get rather than an outsourced contract laborer.
“In an article in Dateline UC Davis, the university said that it wanted to hear from the students “who pay the bills” regarding the demands of food workers efforts to become university employees.
On the one hand, according to the article,
“Sodexho already announced that it has established an independent third-party grievance system, introduced the UC Davis Principles of Community to employees and boosted wages consistent with UC’s recent pay increases for its lowest-paid workers.”
Furthermore:
In a Sodexho letter dated May 18 and posted online with [Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Janet] Gong’s, the company’s senior vice president, Bill Lacey, pointed out that the company in 2003 voluntarily elected to follow the Sacramento Living Wage policy, and that the company believes “our compensation is competitive within our industry.”
On the other hand,
“The university estimates the cost of providing improved wages and more affordable benefits to Sodexho workers at $2.1 million annually.”
Janet Gong, the interim head of Student Affairs suggests the following:
“This is a significant recurring cost that cannot readily be absorbed within the existing university budget.”
She added that the burden of paying the extra cost would likely fall on students who rely on Sodexho service in the dining halls and elsewhere on campus. “Being mindful of the additional costs our students would face and consistent with the chancellor’s commitment to address these issues, we are exploring a variety of strategies to improve wages and benefits.””
The students and workers decided to use Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef’s annual event as a means to protest, particularly since food service workers were being used to serve the guests their meal.
A large number of prominent public officials entered the Chancellor’s university residence and ignored the protesters outside.
“More interesting was perhaps the reaction of leaders in this community–some of whom have expressed open support for the food service workers. For instance, Assemblywoman Lois Wolk had sent a letter to the chancellor in March urging him to negotiate with the students in good faith. She was also supposed to be meeting with the Chancellor in hopes of pressuring him to resolve the meeting. Given that, it was surprising to see the Assemblywoman walk right past the protesters, along with her husband Bruce Wolk, and say nary a word.
Davis City Councilmember Don Saylor exchanged pleasantries with me, however, he did not attempt to talk to the students despite his earlier letter of support. Nor did Councilmember Ruth Asmundson. Nor did former Mayor and current Judge Dave Rosenberg. Nor did Congressman Mike Thompson’s representative Eli Faircloth.”
All but one public official, that would be County Supervisor Mariko Yamada:
“There was but one exception to that list–County Supervisor Mariko Yamada. Ms. Yamada walked up to the protesters, offered words of support and hugs, and made the determination that she should not go in, in light of the protest. The students talked her into going inside, however, it was clear from the student’s reaction that her support was very meaningful to them. Nor was the fact that several other leaders in the community had walked right past them without a word lost upon them.”
Chancellor Dennis Shimek, whose hardball tactics have at times angered the organizers and workers intentionally showed his disdain for the group.
“Vice Chancellor Dennis Shimek at one point intentionally and deliberately walked right through the marching picketers–and for really no apparent reason as he walked through some grass in some open space and then returned to the Chancellor’s residence. I caught up to him at the park, and told him that my mother had taught me never to walk through a picket line.
He asked me, “why is that?”
I responded, “it is the ultimate sign of disrespect.”
He said, “they were in the path, I had the right to walk there, so I did.”
He could have easily walked around them. He was attempting to intimidate them and bully them, just as he had up in his office during negotiations. This is a university employee’s disdain for students who were exercising their lawful right to assembly.
Finally, what perhaps disturbed me the most was the treatment of the protesters by the UC Davis police. There were at least six police officers there for a pretty small protest. But that’s understandable given the size of previous protests. What concerned me was that the police were taking pictures of the protesters.”
Meanwhile the university has continued with their attempts to break the will of the protesters. In August, announcing that a deal had been made with the workers. In fact, it was a deal deal that was cut with the company itself.
“According to UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef in the release:
“We have listened to a wide range of sometimes-conflicting concerns, and I believe we are responding in a principled way to balance the cost of improved benefits and wages for our food service workers with the need to maintain access and affordability for our students… And, very important to me because I believe a contract is one’s word, we are doing so without breaking our contract with Sodexho. Sodexho is being responsive to our requests and is committed to strengthening its overall compensation competitiveness and workplace environment.”
The release further claims:
“According to the agreement, Sodexho will augment its existing medical benefits plan by increasing the employer contribution level, effective January 1. The specific employer contribution will be determined by Sodexho prior to its employee health plan open-enrollment period in October.
The changes to the Sodexho contract are expected to add additional annual costs of approximately $2 million — an estimated $1.5 million per year in additional costs to Student Housing and $500,000 per year to the Student Union operating services.”
However, the news was met with caution and suspicion by the workers themselves.
“Dan Cole is the lead cook at Segundo and in charge of the station at the Segundo Dining Commons. He has been an employee there for five years. He makes a marginal income and feels he pays a lot for his health care benefits even though they are not great benefits.
According to him, this agreement is a good start.
“Everyone’s initial reaction was kind of to get excited, but they doing it for the wrong reasons, why now? They are doing this to get around the union. I don’t see why if they can get us the two-thirds, why can’t they go the whole way.”
That is a point that he kept emphasizing, the University was willing to go two-thirds of the way there in terms of wages and benefits, but that’s not the end of the story. There is no reason that they cannot go all the way and give them university employee status.
He views the University’s tactic however as a “tactic to get around the union issue. They want to keep us as minimally happy as possible to keep things the way they are.”
He described many of the workers now as being more resolved.
“Absolutely, everyone’s reaction is quite excited.”
If anything this has made them in even stronger support for the union and their goals of becoming university employees.
“Without the union, this would not happen at all. A lot of people recognize what the union brings us—whether you agree or disagree with the union here, it is clear that this would not have happened if the union weren’t here.””
As the year comes to a close, the student protesters from the May 1 event have charges pending before them and their case will work through the court system. Meanwhile, the organizers are planning more actions in an attempt to gain university status and a livable wage with good and affordable benefits for these workers.
For all this, the Sodexho Food Service organizing is the fourth biggest Vanguard story for 2007.
—Doug Paul Davis reporting
Let’s hope that 2008 is a better year for the Sodexho workers.
Ann
Let’s hope that 2008 is a better year for the Sodexho workers.
Ann
Let’s hope that 2008 is a better year for the Sodexho workers.
Ann
Let’s hope that 2008 is a better year for the Sodexho workers.
Ann
This will probably not be a popular opinion on a progressive blog, but here goes. Hope readers can keep an open mind. Many students at UC were not necessarily behind the movement to unionize. Why? Because so many need their jobs to pay expenses, and cannot go out on strike whenever a union might make a decision to do so for this or that reason. Students were not concerned about health benefits by the way – they are already covered by the UC Student Health program (can’t recall the name of it).
Additionally, so many of the protesters were outside agitators, not UC students. This is a very troubling aspect of unions. Nor did things go quite as smoothly during the protests as described. According to my son, who attended UCD at the time, some students missed their bus during midterms, which caused quite a bit of angst among the student population. Some were late to exams, which was very upsetting.
I am not a big fan of unions. As a former teacher, I was one of 7 teachers who refused to strike (because I believed in honoring my contract in which I agreed not to strike), while 53 others staged a walkout. You would not believe some of the intimidation tactics that were used against us. I was screamed at, my car was slammed hard with closed fists, verbal abuse was hurled at me, the air was let out of my tires. Striking teachers directed their students to give substitute teachers a hard time, causing many otherwise good students to be suspended.
After the strike, reprisals were taken. The seven of us were ostracized, ignored, no one would eat lunch with us or speak to us. The students became so enraged at this miserable behavior on the part of the former striking teachers, one girl stood up in the middle of class and gave her nasty teacher a “talking to” on how to behave towards a fellow colleague.
If everyone practiced “civil disobedience” every time they didn’t like what was going on, there would be absolute chaos. I think there are more constructive ways to protest than to block traffic, sit in the middle of the floor to prevent business being carried on, and the like.
Unions can also spell trouble in other ways. Think of the teacher’s union – that somehow bargained for health benefits at a $1000 per month. Some bargain!!! And even if a teacher does not want to belong to the union, they cannot opt out (its a closed shop I believe) and must pay union dues.
Don’t get me wrong, unions have done some good things, and at times can be a necessary evil. However, too often they use tactics that I just cannot condone, and do more damage than good.
I do not agree that the Sodexho protest was a wonderful thing. It did not achieve its purpose as far as I can see. All it resulted in was causing students to have to pay more for their food, because Sodexho will pass along its added costs for employees to its customers. Be careful what you wish for…you just might get it!
This will probably not be a popular opinion on a progressive blog, but here goes. Hope readers can keep an open mind. Many students at UC were not necessarily behind the movement to unionize. Why? Because so many need their jobs to pay expenses, and cannot go out on strike whenever a union might make a decision to do so for this or that reason. Students were not concerned about health benefits by the way – they are already covered by the UC Student Health program (can’t recall the name of it).
Additionally, so many of the protesters were outside agitators, not UC students. This is a very troubling aspect of unions. Nor did things go quite as smoothly during the protests as described. According to my son, who attended UCD at the time, some students missed their bus during midterms, which caused quite a bit of angst among the student population. Some were late to exams, which was very upsetting.
I am not a big fan of unions. As a former teacher, I was one of 7 teachers who refused to strike (because I believed in honoring my contract in which I agreed not to strike), while 53 others staged a walkout. You would not believe some of the intimidation tactics that were used against us. I was screamed at, my car was slammed hard with closed fists, verbal abuse was hurled at me, the air was let out of my tires. Striking teachers directed their students to give substitute teachers a hard time, causing many otherwise good students to be suspended.
After the strike, reprisals were taken. The seven of us were ostracized, ignored, no one would eat lunch with us or speak to us. The students became so enraged at this miserable behavior on the part of the former striking teachers, one girl stood up in the middle of class and gave her nasty teacher a “talking to” on how to behave towards a fellow colleague.
If everyone practiced “civil disobedience” every time they didn’t like what was going on, there would be absolute chaos. I think there are more constructive ways to protest than to block traffic, sit in the middle of the floor to prevent business being carried on, and the like.
Unions can also spell trouble in other ways. Think of the teacher’s union – that somehow bargained for health benefits at a $1000 per month. Some bargain!!! And even if a teacher does not want to belong to the union, they cannot opt out (its a closed shop I believe) and must pay union dues.
Don’t get me wrong, unions have done some good things, and at times can be a necessary evil. However, too often they use tactics that I just cannot condone, and do more damage than good.
I do not agree that the Sodexho protest was a wonderful thing. It did not achieve its purpose as far as I can see. All it resulted in was causing students to have to pay more for their food, because Sodexho will pass along its added costs for employees to its customers. Be careful what you wish for…you just might get it!
This will probably not be a popular opinion on a progressive blog, but here goes. Hope readers can keep an open mind. Many students at UC were not necessarily behind the movement to unionize. Why? Because so many need their jobs to pay expenses, and cannot go out on strike whenever a union might make a decision to do so for this or that reason. Students were not concerned about health benefits by the way – they are already covered by the UC Student Health program (can’t recall the name of it).
Additionally, so many of the protesters were outside agitators, not UC students. This is a very troubling aspect of unions. Nor did things go quite as smoothly during the protests as described. According to my son, who attended UCD at the time, some students missed their bus during midterms, which caused quite a bit of angst among the student population. Some were late to exams, which was very upsetting.
I am not a big fan of unions. As a former teacher, I was one of 7 teachers who refused to strike (because I believed in honoring my contract in which I agreed not to strike), while 53 others staged a walkout. You would not believe some of the intimidation tactics that were used against us. I was screamed at, my car was slammed hard with closed fists, verbal abuse was hurled at me, the air was let out of my tires. Striking teachers directed their students to give substitute teachers a hard time, causing many otherwise good students to be suspended.
After the strike, reprisals were taken. The seven of us were ostracized, ignored, no one would eat lunch with us or speak to us. The students became so enraged at this miserable behavior on the part of the former striking teachers, one girl stood up in the middle of class and gave her nasty teacher a “talking to” on how to behave towards a fellow colleague.
If everyone practiced “civil disobedience” every time they didn’t like what was going on, there would be absolute chaos. I think there are more constructive ways to protest than to block traffic, sit in the middle of the floor to prevent business being carried on, and the like.
Unions can also spell trouble in other ways. Think of the teacher’s union – that somehow bargained for health benefits at a $1000 per month. Some bargain!!! And even if a teacher does not want to belong to the union, they cannot opt out (its a closed shop I believe) and must pay union dues.
Don’t get me wrong, unions have done some good things, and at times can be a necessary evil. However, too often they use tactics that I just cannot condone, and do more damage than good.
I do not agree that the Sodexho protest was a wonderful thing. It did not achieve its purpose as far as I can see. All it resulted in was causing students to have to pay more for their food, because Sodexho will pass along its added costs for employees to its customers. Be careful what you wish for…you just might get it!
This will probably not be a popular opinion on a progressive blog, but here goes. Hope readers can keep an open mind. Many students at UC were not necessarily behind the movement to unionize. Why? Because so many need their jobs to pay expenses, and cannot go out on strike whenever a union might make a decision to do so for this or that reason. Students were not concerned about health benefits by the way – they are already covered by the UC Student Health program (can’t recall the name of it).
Additionally, so many of the protesters were outside agitators, not UC students. This is a very troubling aspect of unions. Nor did things go quite as smoothly during the protests as described. According to my son, who attended UCD at the time, some students missed their bus during midterms, which caused quite a bit of angst among the student population. Some were late to exams, which was very upsetting.
I am not a big fan of unions. As a former teacher, I was one of 7 teachers who refused to strike (because I believed in honoring my contract in which I agreed not to strike), while 53 others staged a walkout. You would not believe some of the intimidation tactics that were used against us. I was screamed at, my car was slammed hard with closed fists, verbal abuse was hurled at me, the air was let out of my tires. Striking teachers directed their students to give substitute teachers a hard time, causing many otherwise good students to be suspended.
After the strike, reprisals were taken. The seven of us were ostracized, ignored, no one would eat lunch with us or speak to us. The students became so enraged at this miserable behavior on the part of the former striking teachers, one girl stood up in the middle of class and gave her nasty teacher a “talking to” on how to behave towards a fellow colleague.
If everyone practiced “civil disobedience” every time they didn’t like what was going on, there would be absolute chaos. I think there are more constructive ways to protest than to block traffic, sit in the middle of the floor to prevent business being carried on, and the like.
Unions can also spell trouble in other ways. Think of the teacher’s union – that somehow bargained for health benefits at a $1000 per month. Some bargain!!! And even if a teacher does not want to belong to the union, they cannot opt out (its a closed shop I believe) and must pay union dues.
Don’t get me wrong, unions have done some good things, and at times can be a necessary evil. However, too often they use tactics that I just cannot condone, and do more damage than good.
I do not agree that the Sodexho protest was a wonderful thing. It did not achieve its purpose as far as I can see. All it resulted in was causing students to have to pay more for their food, because Sodexho will pass along its added costs for employees to its customers. Be careful what you wish for…you just might get it!
Anonymous 2:16 PM –
I’m sorry to hear that those things happened, if they in fact did.
I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university. I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests. This is especially true when we have the privilege and opportunity to attend a university and earn an education and know that there are those for whom this job, as a sodexho worker (or those holding a similar job) is the only job that they will have.
In other words, when people have an opportunity to step up and improve the lives of others, I applaud those who have the courage to do so.
Missing an exam or missing a bus is a very small inconvenience that can be handled with a professor. Putting food on the table, having access to affordable health care and earning a decent wage, is something that is a serious “inconvenience.”
When big business or the University in this case, refuses to fairly negotiate, then the people must exercise their power and do what they can to get a fair contract or achieve getting a union.
As for teachers. They deserve more and are never paid enough. I support them striking when necessary.
Teachers earning $38,000 to $70,000 putting in endless hours educating students. Administrators earning $120,000 + or more not educating students, but sometimes making bad decisions. What is wrong with this picture.
Anonymous 2:16 PM –
I’m sorry to hear that those things happened, if they in fact did.
I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university. I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests. This is especially true when we have the privilege and opportunity to attend a university and earn an education and know that there are those for whom this job, as a sodexho worker (or those holding a similar job) is the only job that they will have.
In other words, when people have an opportunity to step up and improve the lives of others, I applaud those who have the courage to do so.
Missing an exam or missing a bus is a very small inconvenience that can be handled with a professor. Putting food on the table, having access to affordable health care and earning a decent wage, is something that is a serious “inconvenience.”
When big business or the University in this case, refuses to fairly negotiate, then the people must exercise their power and do what they can to get a fair contract or achieve getting a union.
As for teachers. They deserve more and are never paid enough. I support them striking when necessary.
Teachers earning $38,000 to $70,000 putting in endless hours educating students. Administrators earning $120,000 + or more not educating students, but sometimes making bad decisions. What is wrong with this picture.
Anonymous 2:16 PM –
I’m sorry to hear that those things happened, if they in fact did.
I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university. I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests. This is especially true when we have the privilege and opportunity to attend a university and earn an education and know that there are those for whom this job, as a sodexho worker (or those holding a similar job) is the only job that they will have.
In other words, when people have an opportunity to step up and improve the lives of others, I applaud those who have the courage to do so.
Missing an exam or missing a bus is a very small inconvenience that can be handled with a professor. Putting food on the table, having access to affordable health care and earning a decent wage, is something that is a serious “inconvenience.”
When big business or the University in this case, refuses to fairly negotiate, then the people must exercise their power and do what they can to get a fair contract or achieve getting a union.
As for teachers. They deserve more and are never paid enough. I support them striking when necessary.
Teachers earning $38,000 to $70,000 putting in endless hours educating students. Administrators earning $120,000 + or more not educating students, but sometimes making bad decisions. What is wrong with this picture.
Anonymous 2:16 PM –
I’m sorry to hear that those things happened, if they in fact did.
I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university. I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests. This is especially true when we have the privilege and opportunity to attend a university and earn an education and know that there are those for whom this job, as a sodexho worker (or those holding a similar job) is the only job that they will have.
In other words, when people have an opportunity to step up and improve the lives of others, I applaud those who have the courage to do so.
Missing an exam or missing a bus is a very small inconvenience that can be handled with a professor. Putting food on the table, having access to affordable health care and earning a decent wage, is something that is a serious “inconvenience.”
When big business or the University in this case, refuses to fairly negotiate, then the people must exercise their power and do what they can to get a fair contract or achieve getting a union.
As for teachers. They deserve more and are never paid enough. I support them striking when necessary.
Teachers earning $38,000 to $70,000 putting in endless hours educating students. Administrators earning $120,000 + or more not educating students, but sometimes making bad decisions. What is wrong with this picture.
“I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university.”
The more the Sodexho workers make in salaries and benefits, the more it will cost the students. The students as a class having nothing to gain and everything to lose by a union victory.
Any student who supports the union is acting against his own interests. That might not matter much to the richest kids whose parents are paying for their educations. That matters a whole lot to the vast majority who are barely getting by and cannot endlessly pay for increased costs.
The people who work in food service work in a competitive industry. It is not as if the university is a monopsonistic employer. There are hundreds of nearby restaurants and catering services and other outlets which employ food service workers. If the university is not offering competitive wages and benefits, then the Sodexho workers should search out a better job with an employer who will offer more.
“I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests.”
Wait. Whom are you speaking for? Are you speaking for the kids who will have to pay the bill for your “generous” attitude? Are you speaking for the workers, advising them that they need to “look beyond their best interests?”
And if you are speaking for other people, then please give us your name…. I’m certainly not afraid to put my name to the fact that everyone who, for the last 25 years, has been making a UC education unaffordable to too many kids, is not acting for the best interests of our state and people.
“I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university.”
The more the Sodexho workers make in salaries and benefits, the more it will cost the students. The students as a class having nothing to gain and everything to lose by a union victory.
Any student who supports the union is acting against his own interests. That might not matter much to the richest kids whose parents are paying for their educations. That matters a whole lot to the vast majority who are barely getting by and cannot endlessly pay for increased costs.
The people who work in food service work in a competitive industry. It is not as if the university is a monopsonistic employer. There are hundreds of nearby restaurants and catering services and other outlets which employ food service workers. If the university is not offering competitive wages and benefits, then the Sodexho workers should search out a better job with an employer who will offer more.
“I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests.”
Wait. Whom are you speaking for? Are you speaking for the kids who will have to pay the bill for your “generous” attitude? Are you speaking for the workers, advising them that they need to “look beyond their best interests?”
And if you are speaking for other people, then please give us your name…. I’m certainly not afraid to put my name to the fact that everyone who, for the last 25 years, has been making a UC education unaffordable to too many kids, is not acting for the best interests of our state and people.
“I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university.”
The more the Sodexho workers make in salaries and benefits, the more it will cost the students. The students as a class having nothing to gain and everything to lose by a union victory.
Any student who supports the union is acting against his own interests. That might not matter much to the richest kids whose parents are paying for their educations. That matters a whole lot to the vast majority who are barely getting by and cannot endlessly pay for increased costs.
The people who work in food service work in a competitive industry. It is not as if the university is a monopsonistic employer. There are hundreds of nearby restaurants and catering services and other outlets which employ food service workers. If the university is not offering competitive wages and benefits, then the Sodexho workers should search out a better job with an employer who will offer more.
“I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests.”
Wait. Whom are you speaking for? Are you speaking for the kids who will have to pay the bill for your “generous” attitude? Are you speaking for the workers, advising them that they need to “look beyond their best interests?”
And if you are speaking for other people, then please give us your name…. I’m certainly not afraid to put my name to the fact that everyone who, for the last 25 years, has been making a UC education unaffordable to too many kids, is not acting for the best interests of our state and people.
“I have spoken with students who have been very supportive of the Sodexho workers and hope that they prevail in 2008 becoming employees of the university.”
The more the Sodexho workers make in salaries and benefits, the more it will cost the students. The students as a class having nothing to gain and everything to lose by a union victory.
Any student who supports the union is acting against his own interests. That might not matter much to the richest kids whose parents are paying for their educations. That matters a whole lot to the vast majority who are barely getting by and cannot endlessly pay for increased costs.
The people who work in food service work in a competitive industry. It is not as if the university is a monopsonistic employer. There are hundreds of nearby restaurants and catering services and other outlets which employ food service workers. If the university is not offering competitive wages and benefits, then the Sodexho workers should search out a better job with an employer who will offer more.
“I and others believe that we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate best interests.”
Wait. Whom are you speaking for? Are you speaking for the kids who will have to pay the bill for your “generous” attitude? Are you speaking for the workers, advising them that they need to “look beyond their best interests?”
And if you are speaking for other people, then please give us your name…. I’m certainly not afraid to put my name to the fact that everyone who, for the last 25 years, has been making a UC education unaffordable to too many kids, is not acting for the best interests of our state and people.
I signed in incorrectly. Rich Rifkin wrote the above post.
I signed in incorrectly. Rich Rifkin wrote the above post.
I signed in incorrectly. Rich Rifkin wrote the above post.
I signed in incorrectly. Rich Rifkin wrote the above post.
Rich –
I am also hesitant about the Sodexho worker issues, but you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.
Rich –
I am also hesitant about the Sodexho worker issues, but you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.
Rich –
I am also hesitant about the Sodexho worker issues, but you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.
Rich –
I am also hesitant about the Sodexho worker issues, but you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.
Anyone who wishes to can do some research on Sodexho and see that they have a history of not treating employees well. I attend UCD and wish to do something about it. I have a conscious.
Anyone who wishes to can do some research on Sodexho and see that they have a history of not treating employees well. I attend UCD and wish to do something about it. I have a conscious.
Anyone who wishes to can do some research on Sodexho and see that they have a history of not treating employees well. I attend UCD and wish to do something about it. I have a conscious.
Anyone who wishes to can do some research on Sodexho and see that they have a history of not treating employees well. I attend UCD and wish to do something about it. I have a conscious.
“…you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.”
I think that is a good point. Perhaps the best solution for the general interest would be to allow more competition on the provider side, as opposed to turning labor into a monopoly.
When I was a UC student in the ’80s (and later a grad student), all food service and cafeteria work on campus was done by lower income undergrads as part time jobs. (Even the cooks and bakers were students.) That system makes more sense to me than people trying to make their full-time living in those jobs….
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays. The result of all that greed has been to make a UC education much too expensive for too many people…. I know I sound old when I say, “In my day, it only cost about $2,000/year for food, housing and reg fees.” Times have changed, alas.
“…you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.”
I think that is a good point. Perhaps the best solution for the general interest would be to allow more competition on the provider side, as opposed to turning labor into a monopoly.
When I was a UC student in the ’80s (and later a grad student), all food service and cafeteria work on campus was done by lower income undergrads as part time jobs. (Even the cooks and bakers were students.) That system makes more sense to me than people trying to make their full-time living in those jobs….
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays. The result of all that greed has been to make a UC education much too expensive for too many people…. I know I sound old when I say, “In my day, it only cost about $2,000/year for food, housing and reg fees.” Times have changed, alas.
“…you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.”
I think that is a good point. Perhaps the best solution for the general interest would be to allow more competition on the provider side, as opposed to turning labor into a monopoly.
When I was a UC student in the ’80s (and later a grad student), all food service and cafeteria work on campus was done by lower income undergrads as part time jobs. (Even the cooks and bakers were students.) That system makes more sense to me than people trying to make their full-time living in those jobs….
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays. The result of all that greed has been to make a UC education much too expensive for too many people…. I know I sound old when I say, “In my day, it only cost about $2,000/year for food, housing and reg fees.” Times have changed, alas.
“…you should check the monopoly Sodexho has the UCD campus. It’s very detailed and exclusive.
People are able to leave campus for off-campus food, but off-campus food can’t come to the people on campus.”
I think that is a good point. Perhaps the best solution for the general interest would be to allow more competition on the provider side, as opposed to turning labor into a monopoly.
When I was a UC student in the ’80s (and later a grad student), all food service and cafeteria work on campus was done by lower income undergrads as part time jobs. (Even the cooks and bakers were students.) That system makes more sense to me than people trying to make their full-time living in those jobs….
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays. The result of all that greed has been to make a UC education much too expensive for too many people…. I know I sound old when I say, “In my day, it only cost about $2,000/year for food, housing and reg fees.” Times have changed, alas.
Rich-
While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined. Which means higher fees.
Also, I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well. This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.
I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.
Rich-
While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined. Which means higher fees.
Also, I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well. This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.
I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.
Rich-
While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined. Which means higher fees.
Also, I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well. This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.
I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.
Rich-
While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined. Which means higher fees.
Also, I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well. This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.
I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.
Rich wrote:
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays.
Yeah, that’s disappointing. Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects. With the result that multi-million dollar projects get built without necessarily contributing to the essential educational mission of UC Davis, which is awash in, in my opinion, misallocated funds.
Rich wrote:
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays.
Yeah, that’s disappointing. Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects. With the result that multi-million dollar projects get built without necessarily contributing to the essential educational mission of UC Davis, which is awash in, in my opinion, misallocated funds.
Rich wrote:
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays.
Yeah, that’s disappointing. Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects. With the result that multi-million dollar projects get built without necessarily contributing to the essential educational mission of UC Davis, which is awash in, in my opinion, misallocated funds.
Rich wrote:
It disappoints me how much money everyone associated with the university system (from grad students demanding big wages and benefits to staff to faculty to administrators) is asking for nowadays.
Yeah, that’s disappointing. Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects. With the result that multi-million dollar projects get built without necessarily contributing to the essential educational mission of UC Davis, which is awash in, in my opinion, misallocated funds.
“While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined.”
I’m not sure what this means. I know that in inflation adjusted dollars, the public support for the University of California has never been higher. (I read that last summer in a Dan Walters column.)
“I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well.”
This is true. However, I think part of the reason — especially in Davis (where I did not attend) — the cost of housing is so much more is because of the great inflation in public sector salaries over the last 20 years. With almost everyone working for the city, county, state and the university making so much more now (in inflation adjusted dollars) than they were 20-25 years ago, the demand side of the housing equation has gone up a whole lot.
A few years ago I studied this question for my Enterprise column and found that most public salaries are double what they were in the mid-1980s. At the higher levels (such as with the chancellor and the school board superintendent and the city manager and all of their immediate subalterns) salaries have tripled (and benefits have gone up a minimum of 4 times).
The result is that taxes are now much higher and students are paying much more for their educations.
I actually think it is fine that students who go on to make great salaries pay higher fees (down the road). However, by charging so much up front to all, it makes it not worth the effort for many to study anything but a few subjects (which promise high paying jobs).
Another area I studied (for a different column) is the enormous price UC is charging for a veterinary education. Because DVMs are earning “professional” degrees, they have to pay a huge surcharge (about $12,000/year), same as lawyers and MDs. The problem with that is that most DVMs, while making decent money, will make nowhere near an MD or a UC educated attorney.
Also, doctors and lawyers who choose to go into areas of medicine or the law which don’t pay well are still stuck paying this extra fee.
“This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.”
No doubt. It is a vicious circle, which I believe was brought on by greed. I think many people in “public service” occupations no longer have a “public spirit.” This was not always the case. But in the “greed is good” decade of the 1980s, the public service ethos was lost.
I also think the decline of industrial unions played a small role in this. Because of their failings to get private sector workers better deals, many in the union movement turned to organizing the public sector workers, as we see with Sodexho, now. But for AFSCME, big labor would be just about completely dead in the U.S. Labor has been terribly successful at this endeavor, for the profit of public employees and the loss of everyone else.
“I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.”
I don’t know anyone who did when I was an undergrad. I was as poor as could be, yet got away with summer jobs and some part-time jobs during school.
Today, if you don’t get killed or badly wounded, the military is a good option for poorer kids to get money for college. But that doesn’t (as far as I know) pay for living expenses. I guess one would have to take on big loans for that and then pray there was a high-paying job available to repay those loans.
“While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined.”
I’m not sure what this means. I know that in inflation adjusted dollars, the public support for the University of California has never been higher. (I read that last summer in a Dan Walters column.)
“I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well.”
This is true. However, I think part of the reason — especially in Davis (where I did not attend) — the cost of housing is so much more is because of the great inflation in public sector salaries over the last 20 years. With almost everyone working for the city, county, state and the university making so much more now (in inflation adjusted dollars) than they were 20-25 years ago, the demand side of the housing equation has gone up a whole lot.
A few years ago I studied this question for my Enterprise column and found that most public salaries are double what they were in the mid-1980s. At the higher levels (such as with the chancellor and the school board superintendent and the city manager and all of their immediate subalterns) salaries have tripled (and benefits have gone up a minimum of 4 times).
The result is that taxes are now much higher and students are paying much more for their educations.
I actually think it is fine that students who go on to make great salaries pay higher fees (down the road). However, by charging so much up front to all, it makes it not worth the effort for many to study anything but a few subjects (which promise high paying jobs).
Another area I studied (for a different column) is the enormous price UC is charging for a veterinary education. Because DVMs are earning “professional” degrees, they have to pay a huge surcharge (about $12,000/year), same as lawyers and MDs. The problem with that is that most DVMs, while making decent money, will make nowhere near an MD or a UC educated attorney.
Also, doctors and lawyers who choose to go into areas of medicine or the law which don’t pay well are still stuck paying this extra fee.
“This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.”
No doubt. It is a vicious circle, which I believe was brought on by greed. I think many people in “public service” occupations no longer have a “public spirit.” This was not always the case. But in the “greed is good” decade of the 1980s, the public service ethos was lost.
I also think the decline of industrial unions played a small role in this. Because of their failings to get private sector workers better deals, many in the union movement turned to organizing the public sector workers, as we see with Sodexho, now. But for AFSCME, big labor would be just about completely dead in the U.S. Labor has been terribly successful at this endeavor, for the profit of public employees and the loss of everyone else.
“I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.”
I don’t know anyone who did when I was an undergrad. I was as poor as could be, yet got away with summer jobs and some part-time jobs during school.
Today, if you don’t get killed or badly wounded, the military is a good option for poorer kids to get money for college. But that doesn’t (as far as I know) pay for living expenses. I guess one would have to take on big loans for that and then pray there was a high-paying job available to repay those loans.
“While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined.”
I’m not sure what this means. I know that in inflation adjusted dollars, the public support for the University of California has never been higher. (I read that last summer in a Dan Walters column.)
“I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well.”
This is true. However, I think part of the reason — especially in Davis (where I did not attend) — the cost of housing is so much more is because of the great inflation in public sector salaries over the last 20 years. With almost everyone working for the city, county, state and the university making so much more now (in inflation adjusted dollars) than they were 20-25 years ago, the demand side of the housing equation has gone up a whole lot.
A few years ago I studied this question for my Enterprise column and found that most public salaries are double what they were in the mid-1980s. At the higher levels (such as with the chancellor and the school board superintendent and the city manager and all of their immediate subalterns) salaries have tripled (and benefits have gone up a minimum of 4 times).
The result is that taxes are now much higher and students are paying much more for their educations.
I actually think it is fine that students who go on to make great salaries pay higher fees (down the road). However, by charging so much up front to all, it makes it not worth the effort for many to study anything but a few subjects (which promise high paying jobs).
Another area I studied (for a different column) is the enormous price UC is charging for a veterinary education. Because DVMs are earning “professional” degrees, they have to pay a huge surcharge (about $12,000/year), same as lawyers and MDs. The problem with that is that most DVMs, while making decent money, will make nowhere near an MD or a UC educated attorney.
Also, doctors and lawyers who choose to go into areas of medicine or the law which don’t pay well are still stuck paying this extra fee.
“This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.”
No doubt. It is a vicious circle, which I believe was brought on by greed. I think many people in “public service” occupations no longer have a “public spirit.” This was not always the case. But in the “greed is good” decade of the 1980s, the public service ethos was lost.
I also think the decline of industrial unions played a small role in this. Because of their failings to get private sector workers better deals, many in the union movement turned to organizing the public sector workers, as we see with Sodexho, now. But for AFSCME, big labor would be just about completely dead in the U.S. Labor has been terribly successful at this endeavor, for the profit of public employees and the loss of everyone else.
“I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.”
I don’t know anyone who did when I was an undergrad. I was as poor as could be, yet got away with summer jobs and some part-time jobs during school.
Today, if you don’t get killed or badly wounded, the military is a good option for poorer kids to get money for college. But that doesn’t (as far as I know) pay for living expenses. I guess one would have to take on big loans for that and then pray there was a high-paying job available to repay those loans.
“While it’s not the source of the problem, the relative amount of money higher education receives from the state has steadily declined.”
I’m not sure what this means. I know that in inflation adjusted dollars, the public support for the University of California has never been higher. (I read that last summer in a Dan Walters column.)
“I am going to assume that the cost of living and educating yourself at a UC has increased dramatically as well.”
This is true. However, I think part of the reason — especially in Davis (where I did not attend) — the cost of housing is so much more is because of the great inflation in public sector salaries over the last 20 years. With almost everyone working for the city, county, state and the university making so much more now (in inflation adjusted dollars) than they were 20-25 years ago, the demand side of the housing equation has gone up a whole lot.
A few years ago I studied this question for my Enterprise column and found that most public salaries are double what they were in the mid-1980s. At the higher levels (such as with the chancellor and the school board superintendent and the city manager and all of their immediate subalterns) salaries have tripled (and benefits have gone up a minimum of 4 times).
The result is that taxes are now much higher and students are paying much more for their educations.
I actually think it is fine that students who go on to make great salaries pay higher fees (down the road). However, by charging so much up front to all, it makes it not worth the effort for many to study anything but a few subjects (which promise high paying jobs).
Another area I studied (for a different column) is the enormous price UC is charging for a veterinary education. Because DVMs are earning “professional” degrees, they have to pay a huge surcharge (about $12,000/year), same as lawyers and MDs. The problem with that is that most DVMs, while making decent money, will make nowhere near an MD or a UC educated attorney.
Also, doctors and lawyers who choose to go into areas of medicine or the law which don’t pay well are still stuck paying this extra fee.
“This drastic increase could be a reason for the increase in requests for more pay, benefits, etc, from the groups you named.”
No doubt. It is a vicious circle, which I believe was brought on by greed. I think many people in “public service” occupations no longer have a “public spirit.” This was not always the case. But in the “greed is good” decade of the 1980s, the public service ethos was lost.
I also think the decline of industrial unions played a small role in this. Because of their failings to get private sector workers better deals, many in the union movement turned to organizing the public sector workers, as we see with Sodexho, now. But for AFSCME, big labor would be just about completely dead in the U.S. Labor has been terribly successful at this endeavor, for the profit of public employees and the loss of everyone else.
“I’m sure 20 years ago a student did not have to work a full time job to afford a UC education.”
I don’t know anyone who did when I was an undergrad. I was as poor as could be, yet got away with summer jobs and some part-time jobs during school.
Today, if you don’t get killed or badly wounded, the military is a good option for poorer kids to get money for college. But that doesn’t (as far as I know) pay for living expenses. I guess one would have to take on big loans for that and then pray there was a high-paying job available to repay those loans.
“Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects.”
I agree with this, too. Norm Rogers (of Z-World fame) made a big point of this often when he was in Davis.
I suspect a lot of this goes back to our corrupt system of campaign finance. The building industry (writ large) gives big money to elected officials running for office, and in turn, they approve or push for construction projects which line the pockets of those who financed their campaigns. This is reason number 12,347,291 to have publicly financed campaigns, and outlaw all private expenditures on the same (which would take a constitutional amendment, and that is probably impossible, as almost all politicians are bought and paid for by those who would opposed this amendment).
“Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects.”
I agree with this, too. Norm Rogers (of Z-World fame) made a big point of this often when he was in Davis.
I suspect a lot of this goes back to our corrupt system of campaign finance. The building industry (writ large) gives big money to elected officials running for office, and in turn, they approve or push for construction projects which line the pockets of those who financed their campaigns. This is reason number 12,347,291 to have publicly financed campaigns, and outlaw all private expenditures on the same (which would take a constitutional amendment, and that is probably impossible, as almost all politicians are bought and paid for by those who would opposed this amendment).
“Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects.”
I agree with this, too. Norm Rogers (of Z-World fame) made a big point of this often when he was in Davis.
I suspect a lot of this goes back to our corrupt system of campaign finance. The building industry (writ large) gives big money to elected officials running for office, and in turn, they approve or push for construction projects which line the pockets of those who financed their campaigns. This is reason number 12,347,291 to have publicly financed campaigns, and outlaw all private expenditures on the same (which would take a constitutional amendment, and that is probably impossible, as almost all politicians are bought and paid for by those who would opposed this amendment).
“Not to mention it is disappointing about the contractors, architects, bureaucracts, et.al., who are always promoting their pet projects.”
I agree with this, too. Norm Rogers (of Z-World fame) made a big point of this often when he was in Davis.
I suspect a lot of this goes back to our corrupt system of campaign finance. The building industry (writ large) gives big money to elected officials running for office, and in turn, they approve or push for construction projects which line the pockets of those who financed their campaigns. This is reason number 12,347,291 to have publicly financed campaigns, and outlaw all private expenditures on the same (which would take a constitutional amendment, and that is probably impossible, as almost all politicians are bought and paid for by those who would opposed this amendment).
I agree with Rich Rifkin. Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer. Thanks to that jerkoff, Grey Davis, the fair share shop has a stranglehold on the UC system and ultimately the taxpayers. Unions in the public sector are nothing but legal thieves.
I agree with Rich Rifkin. Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer. Thanks to that jerkoff, Grey Davis, the fair share shop has a stranglehold on the UC system and ultimately the taxpayers. Unions in the public sector are nothing but legal thieves.
I agree with Rich Rifkin. Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer. Thanks to that jerkoff, Grey Davis, the fair share shop has a stranglehold on the UC system and ultimately the taxpayers. Unions in the public sector are nothing but legal thieves.
I agree with Rich Rifkin. Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer. Thanks to that jerkoff, Grey Davis, the fair share shop has a stranglehold on the UC system and ultimately the taxpayers. Unions in the public sector are nothing but legal thieves.
Anonymous 9:03 PM,
I’m sorry to inform you that you are wrong and so too is Mr. Rifkin.
The “evil” in most cases are employers who do not treat employees in a respectable fashion while providing them with good working conditions. The one way that people can have a voice and have a say is by forming a union.
Anonymous, you then make a knee jerk statement saying that “Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer.”
Can you please explain and give specific examples? This is such a ludicrous statement that I would like to know what your knowledge and facts are.
I am a state employee and SEIU (a union that I belong to) is a union comprised of state employees (so too are other unions)who advocate for their benefits and working conditions while the governor, an actor with no leadership experience, attempts to chisel away at our benefits and that of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and prison guards.
The taxpayer should be happy, because the work that state workers, police officers, teachers, nurses, etc. do is better performed when it is done by an experienced person rather than outsourcing it to some private business with no oversight.
You obviously don’t know a lot about how unions function now a days and are resorting to stereotypes.
I suggest you get yourself educated on the subject.
They are not perfect, because humans are not perfect, but they are needed and I am happy with mine.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Anonymous 9:03 PM,
I’m sorry to inform you that you are wrong and so too is Mr. Rifkin.
The “evil” in most cases are employers who do not treat employees in a respectable fashion while providing them with good working conditions. The one way that people can have a voice and have a say is by forming a union.
Anonymous, you then make a knee jerk statement saying that “Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer.”
Can you please explain and give specific examples? This is such a ludicrous statement that I would like to know what your knowledge and facts are.
I am a state employee and SEIU (a union that I belong to) is a union comprised of state employees (so too are other unions)who advocate for their benefits and working conditions while the governor, an actor with no leadership experience, attempts to chisel away at our benefits and that of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and prison guards.
The taxpayer should be happy, because the work that state workers, police officers, teachers, nurses, etc. do is better performed when it is done by an experienced person rather than outsourcing it to some private business with no oversight.
You obviously don’t know a lot about how unions function now a days and are resorting to stereotypes.
I suggest you get yourself educated on the subject.
They are not perfect, because humans are not perfect, but they are needed and I am happy with mine.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Anonymous 9:03 PM,
I’m sorry to inform you that you are wrong and so too is Mr. Rifkin.
The “evil” in most cases are employers who do not treat employees in a respectable fashion while providing them with good working conditions. The one way that people can have a voice and have a say is by forming a union.
Anonymous, you then make a knee jerk statement saying that “Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer.”
Can you please explain and give specific examples? This is such a ludicrous statement that I would like to know what your knowledge and facts are.
I am a state employee and SEIU (a union that I belong to) is a union comprised of state employees (so too are other unions)who advocate for their benefits and working conditions while the governor, an actor with no leadership experience, attempts to chisel away at our benefits and that of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and prison guards.
The taxpayer should be happy, because the work that state workers, police officers, teachers, nurses, etc. do is better performed when it is done by an experienced person rather than outsourcing it to some private business with no oversight.
You obviously don’t know a lot about how unions function now a days and are resorting to stereotypes.
I suggest you get yourself educated on the subject.
They are not perfect, because humans are not perfect, but they are needed and I am happy with mine.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Anonymous 9:03 PM,
I’m sorry to inform you that you are wrong and so too is Mr. Rifkin.
The “evil” in most cases are employers who do not treat employees in a respectable fashion while providing them with good working conditions. The one way that people can have a voice and have a say is by forming a union.
Anonymous, you then make a knee jerk statement saying that “Unions, especially the SEIU, suck the lifeblood out of the employee and the taxpayer.”
Can you please explain and give specific examples? This is such a ludicrous statement that I would like to know what your knowledge and facts are.
I am a state employee and SEIU (a union that I belong to) is a union comprised of state employees (so too are other unions)who advocate for their benefits and working conditions while the governor, an actor with no leadership experience, attempts to chisel away at our benefits and that of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and prison guards.
The taxpayer should be happy, because the work that state workers, police officers, teachers, nurses, etc. do is better performed when it is done by an experienced person rather than outsourcing it to some private business with no oversight.
You obviously don’t know a lot about how unions function now a days and are resorting to stereotypes.
I suggest you get yourself educated on the subject.
They are not perfect, because humans are not perfect, but they are needed and I am happy with mine.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
“He could have easily walked around them. He was attempting to intimidate them and bully them, just as he had up in his office during negotiations. This is a university employee’s disdain for students who were exercising their lawful right to assembly.”
excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here?
the sodexho people were the only ones capable of intimidating or bullying.
cut the crap, DPD.
“He could have easily walked around them. He was attempting to intimidate them and bully them, just as he had up in his office during negotiations. This is a university employee’s disdain for students who were exercising their lawful right to assembly.”
excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here?
the sodexho people were the only ones capable of intimidating or bullying.
cut the crap, DPD.
“He could have easily walked around them. He was attempting to intimidate them and bully them, just as he had up in his office during negotiations. This is a university employee’s disdain for students who were exercising their lawful right to assembly.”
excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here?
the sodexho people were the only ones capable of intimidating or bullying.
cut the crap, DPD.
“He could have easily walked around them. He was attempting to intimidate them and bully them, just as he had up in his office during negotiations. This is a university employee’s disdain for students who were exercising their lawful right to assembly.”
excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here?
the sodexho people were the only ones capable of intimidating or bullying.
cut the crap, DPD.
excuse me,
but these sodexho people violated the civil right of others..
they violated the civil rights of students going to school by blocking bus service
they violated Vanderhoef’s right to speak at his own brown bag chat
they violated the rights of DCR by preventing them from assembling.
second, these creeps cannot claim a mandate from a majority of sodexho employees. When pressed to produce the results of their petition to get sodexho support their comment was “we are still gathering signatures.”
I dare the union organizers to produce those signatures. I’ll bet only a small fraction of sodexho employees signed the petition.
excuse me,
but these sodexho people violated the civil right of others..
they violated the civil rights of students going to school by blocking bus service
they violated Vanderhoef’s right to speak at his own brown bag chat
they violated the rights of DCR by preventing them from assembling.
second, these creeps cannot claim a mandate from a majority of sodexho employees. When pressed to produce the results of their petition to get sodexho support their comment was “we are still gathering signatures.”
I dare the union organizers to produce those signatures. I’ll bet only a small fraction of sodexho employees signed the petition.
excuse me,
but these sodexho people violated the civil right of others..
they violated the civil rights of students going to school by blocking bus service
they violated Vanderhoef’s right to speak at his own brown bag chat
they violated the rights of DCR by preventing them from assembling.
second, these creeps cannot claim a mandate from a majority of sodexho employees. When pressed to produce the results of their petition to get sodexho support their comment was “we are still gathering signatures.”
I dare the union organizers to produce those signatures. I’ll bet only a small fraction of sodexho employees signed the petition.
excuse me,
but these sodexho people violated the civil right of others..
they violated the civil rights of students going to school by blocking bus service
they violated Vanderhoef’s right to speak at his own brown bag chat
they violated the rights of DCR by preventing them from assembling.
second, these creeps cannot claim a mandate from a majority of sodexho employees. When pressed to produce the results of their petition to get sodexho support their comment was “we are still gathering signatures.”
I dare the union organizers to produce those signatures. I’ll bet only a small fraction of sodexho employees signed the petition.
“excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here? “
If the 12 students had strength in numbers, why is Shimek jamming his way through them?
“excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here? “
If the 12 students had strength in numbers, why is Shimek jamming his way through them?
“excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here? “
If the 12 students had strength in numbers, why is Shimek jamming his way through them?
“excuse me DPD, but just who has the strength in numbers here? “
If the 12 students had strength in numbers, why is Shimek jamming his way through them?
DPD: in a 12 to 1 odds, whom has the strength to intimidate and bully and who does not?
the fact of the matter is, if the UC employee and these twelve people both got physically violent, there is no doubt who would come out on top and who would not.
DPD: in a 12 to 1 odds, whom has the strength to intimidate and bully and who does not?
the fact of the matter is, if the UC employee and these twelve people both got physically violent, there is no doubt who would come out on top and who would not.
DPD: in a 12 to 1 odds, whom has the strength to intimidate and bully and who does not?
the fact of the matter is, if the UC employee and these twelve people both got physically violent, there is no doubt who would come out on top and who would not.
DPD: in a 12 to 1 odds, whom has the strength to intimidate and bully and who does not?
the fact of the matter is, if the UC employee and these twelve people both got physically violent, there is no doubt who would come out on top and who would not.
Again I ask, if that’s the case, why try to provoke them?
He intentionally walked through them. They were calmly marching on the side of the street in front of the home on public property. There were police all around. Why instigate?
I caught up with him, all he did was walk through them, turn around in the park, and walk back. He had no actual reason to do that other than to try to start something. I saw the whole thing and when I asked him about it, he was standoffish to say the least.
Again I ask, if that’s the case, why try to provoke them?
He intentionally walked through them. They were calmly marching on the side of the street in front of the home on public property. There were police all around. Why instigate?
I caught up with him, all he did was walk through them, turn around in the park, and walk back. He had no actual reason to do that other than to try to start something. I saw the whole thing and when I asked him about it, he was standoffish to say the least.
Again I ask, if that’s the case, why try to provoke them?
He intentionally walked through them. They were calmly marching on the side of the street in front of the home on public property. There were police all around. Why instigate?
I caught up with him, all he did was walk through them, turn around in the park, and walk back. He had no actual reason to do that other than to try to start something. I saw the whole thing and when I asked him about it, he was standoffish to say the least.
Again I ask, if that’s the case, why try to provoke them?
He intentionally walked through them. They were calmly marching on the side of the street in front of the home on public property. There were police all around. Why instigate?
I caught up with him, all he did was walk through them, turn around in the park, and walk back. He had no actual reason to do that other than to try to start something. I saw the whole thing and when I asked him about it, he was standoffish to say the least.
excuse me, but what gives a crowd the right to prevent others from using the sidewalk?
just because they say it is for a good cause? Because they have “good intentions?”
The road to hell is paved with them.
excuse me, but what gives a crowd the right to prevent others from using the sidewalk?
just because they say it is for a good cause? Because they have “good intentions?”
The road to hell is paved with them.
excuse me, but what gives a crowd the right to prevent others from using the sidewalk?
just because they say it is for a good cause? Because they have “good intentions?”
The road to hell is paved with them.
excuse me, but what gives a crowd the right to prevent others from using the sidewalk?
just because they say it is for a good cause? Because they have “good intentions?”
The road to hell is paved with them.
There was no prevention of egress or regress by way of the police’s orders and enforcement. He intentionally chose to walk through them and in fact went out of his way to do so for no apparent reason.
There was no prevention of egress or regress by way of the police’s orders and enforcement. He intentionally chose to walk through them and in fact went out of his way to do so for no apparent reason.
There was no prevention of egress or regress by way of the police’s orders and enforcement. He intentionally chose to walk through them and in fact went out of his way to do so for no apparent reason.
There was no prevention of egress or regress by way of the police’s orders and enforcement. He intentionally chose to walk through them and in fact went out of his way to do so for no apparent reason.
You avoided all of my points DPD, but I’ll let it slide..
let us assume this guy did walk through the picket line to show disrespect. What are you saying? The protestors are the only ones who are allowed to scream and chant and show defiance?
When they bang on Windows, that is acceptable behavior and not “a sign of disrespect” or a blatant attempt to antagonize, but to walk through their lines is offensive and not allowed?
when they have a sit in on the floor of Mrak to give the middle finger to authority, that is saying, “unless you agree to our terms, we will punish you.” This UC employee you speak of responded by using the proverbial middle finger.
These people should be able to take what they dish out.
Second, who died and made these people judge and jury of all things right and relevant?
You avoided all of my points DPD, but I’ll let it slide..
let us assume this guy did walk through the picket line to show disrespect. What are you saying? The protestors are the only ones who are allowed to scream and chant and show defiance?
When they bang on Windows, that is acceptable behavior and not “a sign of disrespect” or a blatant attempt to antagonize, but to walk through their lines is offensive and not allowed?
when they have a sit in on the floor of Mrak to give the middle finger to authority, that is saying, “unless you agree to our terms, we will punish you.” This UC employee you speak of responded by using the proverbial middle finger.
These people should be able to take what they dish out.
Second, who died and made these people judge and jury of all things right and relevant?
You avoided all of my points DPD, but I’ll let it slide..
let us assume this guy did walk through the picket line to show disrespect. What are you saying? The protestors are the only ones who are allowed to scream and chant and show defiance?
When they bang on Windows, that is acceptable behavior and not “a sign of disrespect” or a blatant attempt to antagonize, but to walk through their lines is offensive and not allowed?
when they have a sit in on the floor of Mrak to give the middle finger to authority, that is saying, “unless you agree to our terms, we will punish you.” This UC employee you speak of responded by using the proverbial middle finger.
These people should be able to take what they dish out.
Second, who died and made these people judge and jury of all things right and relevant?
You avoided all of my points DPD, but I’ll let it slide..
let us assume this guy did walk through the picket line to show disrespect. What are you saying? The protestors are the only ones who are allowed to scream and chant and show defiance?
When they bang on Windows, that is acceptable behavior and not “a sign of disrespect” or a blatant attempt to antagonize, but to walk through their lines is offensive and not allowed?
when they have a sit in on the floor of Mrak to give the middle finger to authority, that is saying, “unless you agree to our terms, we will punish you.” This UC employee you speak of responded by using the proverbial middle finger.
These people should be able to take what they dish out.
Second, who died and made these people judge and jury of all things right and relevant?