CWA Retirees Support UPTE-CWA Workers

Members of CWA’s Retired Members Council (RMC) stand in full support of workers at the University of California (UC). The technical, research, and healthcare professionals represented by the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA Local 9119) have been bargaining a successor agreement with UC for more than a year and have engaged in several 1-day strikes. They, along with workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 and members of the California Nurses Association, have been fighting for job security, work-life balance, safe staffing levels, and affordable healthcare.

Susan Orlofsky, a retired Senior Editor from UC San Diego and member of the CWA Local 9119 RMC, was arrested while standing up for her CWA siblings during a recent sit-in at the Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco. “Bringing negotiations to a successful conclusion helps not only the workers we represent but also the students, patients, faculty, and research that we support,” said Orlofsky.

“We know the importance of maintaining safe and responsive staffing levels and affordable benefits, and we’re happy to join with our brothers and sisters,” said CWA Local 9119 RMC Treasurer Judy Scarborough (retired from UC Santa Cruz).

“Hopefully, UC will come back to the table and bargain seriously so that UPTE-CWA doesn’t need to take further action,” said Lisa Kermish, RMC Public Sector President and retiree from UC Berkeley. “But if they do, we’ll be there to join them!”

 
CWA Local 9119 RMC member Susan Orlofsky joined UPTE-CWA members on the strike line. She, with over 20 others, was arrested in May at a sit-in at the UC Board of Regents meeting while protesting unsafe staffing levels, unfair wages, and rising healthcare costs.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.