As unions struggle their way through the UC’s financial woes, public sector unions aren’t safe from attrition. Here’s a look at the changing union climate at UCSC.

With contract negotiations about to take off, UCSC has set the tone by going behind AFSCME’s back. Students need to stand with those who have stood with them.

A recent corruption ring was exposed within AFSCME local 3299, a branch of the largest UC labor union, which has led to calls for the resignation of newly elected president.

Though the UC may be embattled financially, some of its workers see slight gains through union negotiations. Librarians will see slight wage increases based on merit evaluations, but remain underpaid in relation to the larger system.

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) ratified a new labor contract after negotiations with the UC earlier this week. AFSCME is the largest labor representative at UCSC, and is made up of patient care providers, dining hall employees and maintenance staff. The new contract secures pay increases and retirement benefits for employees.

Debate racked the first statewide TA union meeting under newly elected officials. One member was voted out of office at the meeting, raising questions of election committee member bias.

The Academic Workers for Democratic Union (AWDU) won all 10 positions in a recent election of the United Auto Workers Local 2865 (UAW) union, which represents a significant change within the structure of the organization.

UC teaching assistant union UAW Local 2865 held state- and campus-wide triennial elections last week. The ballot counting hit an unexpected stalemate and UCLA and UC Berkeley’s ballots could swing the vote to the UC Santa Cruz candidate’s favor.

On April 4, over 1,200 events took place to put pressure on government policies that have made it harder for union workers to organize. In Santa Cruz, some 150 people gathered at the county building to advocate for their collective bargaining rights.

Unions in Wisconsin are protesting against the possibility of losing their collective bargaining rights. As students against the emerging American plutocracy, we support their efforts.