Prospective Students of Color Visit UCSC and Demand a Fair Contract for Workers

On April 11th, hundreds of prospective and current UC Santa Cruz students demonstrated their solidarity with UC workers by demanding that UC settles a fair contract for service and patient care workers. According to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, the labor union representing the workers, a fair contract means moving away from poverty wages, secure healthcare and pension benefits for families, and a $15 minimum wage just to survive.

The incoming students were on campus as part of a three day Student-Initiated Outreach (SIO) weekend with events taking place on campus April 10 - 12. The program was created by UCSC students in order to introduce interested admitted students to the campus. The Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) initiated the incoming students with the student-labor solidarity movement at UC Santa Cruz and throughout the UC system.

ORALE, which stands for Oportunidades Rumbo A La Educacion, is a program presented by Movimiento Estudianti Chicano/a de Aztlan (MEChA) in support of the Chican@ Latin@ community at UC Santa Cruz. ORALE is a 3-day program that focuses on the Chican@ Latin@ experience at UC Santa Cruz. The program consists of workshops that educate the students about important aspects of college life, such as student resources, financial aid, academic support, EOP (Educational Opportunity Programs), etc.

Engaging Education (e2) is a Student-Initiated Outreach and Retention Center at UCSC.

Other AFSCME Demonstrations at UCSC in the 2007 - 2008 school year:

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Crossposted at Indybay.org.