Senator Jackie Speier (above), listened along with other state legislators as union members testified at a recent Senate committee hearing on UC labor practices. She called UC’s antiworker behavior “disgraceful.” Like Speier, many supportive legislators have put pressure on UC to help us obtain fair contracts and decent wage increases, and to help us protect our benefits and retirement. We need to support legislators who support us.

How do we do this? Through your voluntary contribution to COPE, our political action fund. Your $5 per month (or more) means you will have a voice in how UC spends the $4 billion it receives from the state, who gets appointed a regent, and what policies our governor supports. This year, legislators helped advocate for UC employees by:

• forcing UC to testify at legislative hearings designed to improve labor relations
• calling on UC President Dynes to settle the contract
• signing UPTE’s ad in the New York Times pressuring UC to bargain fairly

“Our benefits are increasingly coming under attack by UC. We need to have a strong presence in Sacramento by electing people who are concerned about quality research and education.” – Max Hechter, Staff Research Associate, UCLA

“COPE is extremely important, because as public employees our true bosses are elected in Sacramento. Our wages and benefits are largely determined by what happens in the Legislature. We need to make sure we elect public officials that are friendly to university employees.” – Lisa Kermish, Administrative Analyst, UCB

“A contribution to COPE is an investment in your job, your career and your future. Many legislators have been key in securing us extra money for our pay raises. They have been extremely helpful in pressuring UC to treat us fairly and equitably.” – Kevin Rooney, Sr. EH&S Tech, UCSF