Friday Strike Update

imageUC Davis

Today is the final day of the UC service workers’ strike. After five days of picketing across the state at 10 UC campuses and five medical centers, the 8500 striking workers will begin returning to their jobs at the end of the day.

According to a statement from AFSCME 3299:

“Though the strike has produced an outpouring of public and political support, UC executives have given no indication that they are willing to lift workers from poverty.”

Those who listened to the Vanguard Radio Show on Wednesday, undoubtedly realize listening to both the representative from UC, Nicole Savickas, as well as a worker Matt Tidd, a UC Davis parking officer, that both sides remain far apart.

[To listen to the full Vanguard Radio Show from Wednesday, please click here]

One of the big questions is what will happen to the workers when they come back to work, most of them on Monday.

There have been threats made by UC officials about sanctions for those workers.

Elizabeth Meyer, director of UC Davis employee and labor relations called the strike illegal and suggested that workers could be disciplined.

“We’re going to take appropriate discipline up to the fullest extent with the law and in accord with past practice.”

Senator Leland Yee and other key legislators have pledged to stand by any UC worker who is unjustly disciplined by an executive on State payroll.

In a letter sent to UC President Mark Yudof, Senator Leland Yee wrote that he was “dismayed by the comments of Elizabeth Meyer and other UC spokespersons who have stated the administration will discipline striking workers to the ‘fullest extent.’”

The Senator wrote in a statement that was released on Tuesday:

“Service workers gave adequate notice of their strike and the law explicitly provides workers the right to strike for fair wages, working conditions, and basic equity. If even one worker is retaliated against or disciplined for exercising their right to strike, I will do everything in my power to appropriately respond to the University.”

Now we learn that State elected officials, many of whom walked the picket line, chastised UC executives for threatening to take disciplinary action against any worker who participated in the strike and thirty-four Assemblymembers wrote a letter to UC executives with their concerns that the threats were counterproductive to reaching a settlement.

On Wednesday the Vanguard reported that a Davis motorcycle officer had been pulling over and ticketing some of drivers who honked their horns in support of the strikers.

The Vanguard spoke to Police Chief Landy Black who confirmed that people had been pulled over for honking their horns, but told us that no tickets had been written for such offenses.

He cited California Vehicle Code as justification for the action by his officers.

California Code: Vehicle Code “27001. (a) The driver of a motor vehicle when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation shall give audible warning with his horn. (b) The horn shall not otherwise be used, except as a theft alarm system which operates as specified in Article 13 (commencing with Section 28085) of this chapter.”

Apparently neighbors called into the police complaining about the noise from the honking vehicles.

As someone else pointed out, a lot of the people who live off of College Park Drive work in the University Administration including Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, so it is little surprise that they might complain about motorists using their horns in support of the striking workers.

This is probably a good example of a case where the police should use their discretion as to whether this constitutes a real public safety risk and a true nuisance to residents, or if this is an attempt by some to silence people whose views they do not agree with.

Nevertheless, the fact that apparently no tickets were issued puts this in the realm of a curiosity rather than a huge issue.

The Vanguard will have more on the strike in the coming days as we look at the impact of the strike and the prospects that a settlement might be reached at some point.

—Doug Paul Davis reporting

About The Author

David Greenwald is the founder, editor, and executive director of the Davis Vanguard. He founded the Vanguard in 2006. David Greenwald moved to Davis in 1996 to attend Graduate School at UC Davis in Political Science. He lives in South Davis with his wife Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald and three children.

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28 Comments

  1. supporting UC workers

    Thank you for covering this important story David. It is not surprising that Vanderhoef’s neighbors would complain. It’s the classic example of the haves and the have nots. The haves, have a lot of $$$$$, and are not willing to help lift workers out of poverty.

    It really sheds light on the ugly side of human greed.

  2. supporting UC workers

    Thank you for covering this important story David. It is not surprising that Vanderhoef’s neighbors would complain. It’s the classic example of the haves and the have nots. The haves, have a lot of $$$$$, and are not willing to help lift workers out of poverty.

    It really sheds light on the ugly side of human greed.

  3. supporting UC workers

    Thank you for covering this important story David. It is not surprising that Vanderhoef’s neighbors would complain. It’s the classic example of the haves and the have nots. The haves, have a lot of $$$$$, and are not willing to help lift workers out of poverty.

    It really sheds light on the ugly side of human greed.

  4. supporting UC workers

    Thank you for covering this important story David. It is not surprising that Vanderhoef’s neighbors would complain. It’s the classic example of the haves and the have nots. The haves, have a lot of $$$$$, and are not willing to help lift workers out of poverty.

    It really sheds light on the ugly side of human greed.

  5. Richard

    UC administrators and their friends calling the police to ticket people who honk their horns in support of the striking workers. What a class act. But we knew that already.

    –Richard Estes

  6. Richard

    UC administrators and their friends calling the police to ticket people who honk their horns in support of the striking workers. What a class act. But we knew that already.

    –Richard Estes

  7. Richard

    UC administrators and their friends calling the police to ticket people who honk their horns in support of the striking workers. What a class act. But we knew that already.

    –Richard Estes

  8. Richard

    UC administrators and their friends calling the police to ticket people who honk their horns in support of the striking workers. What a class act. But we knew that already.

    –Richard Estes

  9. Sick of Strikes/UC administrators

    I don’t think the police should be able to ticket those who honk their horns.

    I also think the strikers are spoiled little brats who need to be fired and replaced. Striking is blackmail. The more traction it gets, the more it continues.

    Second, these striker creeps have recieved a myriad of concessions already, not the least of which is to become UC employees by the end of this year.

    Gee Vanderhoef, placating them only encouraged their behavior. When will you ever learn?

    Reagan made sure to have people waiting in the wing when the air-traffic controllers shut down the country so this didn’t happen again.

  10. Sick of Strikes/UC administrat

    I don’t think the police should be able to ticket those who honk their horns.

    I also think the strikers are spoiled little brats who need to be fired and replaced. Striking is blackmail. The more traction it gets, the more it continues.

    Second, these striker creeps have recieved a myriad of concessions already, not the least of which is to become UC employees by the end of this year.

    Gee Vanderhoef, placating them only encouraged their behavior. When will you ever learn?

    Reagan made sure to have people waiting in the wing when the air-traffic controllers shut down the country so this didn’t happen again.

  11. Sick of Strikes/UC administrat

    I don’t think the police should be able to ticket those who honk their horns.

    I also think the strikers are spoiled little brats who need to be fired and replaced. Striking is blackmail. The more traction it gets, the more it continues.

    Second, these striker creeps have recieved a myriad of concessions already, not the least of which is to become UC employees by the end of this year.

    Gee Vanderhoef, placating them only encouraged their behavior. When will you ever learn?

    Reagan made sure to have people waiting in the wing when the air-traffic controllers shut down the country so this didn’t happen again.

  12. Sick of Strikes/UC administrat

    I don’t think the police should be able to ticket those who honk their horns.

    I also think the strikers are spoiled little brats who need to be fired and replaced. Striking is blackmail. The more traction it gets, the more it continues.

    Second, these striker creeps have recieved a myriad of concessions already, not the least of which is to become UC employees by the end of this year.

    Gee Vanderhoef, placating them only encouraged their behavior. When will you ever learn?

    Reagan made sure to have people waiting in the wing when the air-traffic controllers shut down the country so this didn’t happen again.

  13. Cap on Mgt Salaries

    Well, it sounds like the strike didn’t do much good, from what I could see. How come they went back to work? Was it planned to end Friday? If not, then I suspect the illegality of what they were doing sent them back to work. Do I sympathize with them – heck yes!!! When the UC President is making nearly one million dollars, which is obscene, while lowly workers who actually do something make $10 – UGH!!! But inequities are everywhere.

    We need to figure a way to pay people for the inherent importance of their work, and its relative value to society – rather than reward those who provide us with frills with obscene salaries. Can’t we put a cap on the growth of management salaries? We put a cap on housing growth!!!

  14. Cap on Mgt Salaries

    Well, it sounds like the strike didn’t do much good, from what I could see. How come they went back to work? Was it planned to end Friday? If not, then I suspect the illegality of what they were doing sent them back to work. Do I sympathize with them – heck yes!!! When the UC President is making nearly one million dollars, which is obscene, while lowly workers who actually do something make $10 – UGH!!! But inequities are everywhere.

    We need to figure a way to pay people for the inherent importance of their work, and its relative value to society – rather than reward those who provide us with frills with obscene salaries. Can’t we put a cap on the growth of management salaries? We put a cap on housing growth!!!

  15. Cap on Mgt Salaries

    Well, it sounds like the strike didn’t do much good, from what I could see. How come they went back to work? Was it planned to end Friday? If not, then I suspect the illegality of what they were doing sent them back to work. Do I sympathize with them – heck yes!!! When the UC President is making nearly one million dollars, which is obscene, while lowly workers who actually do something make $10 – UGH!!! But inequities are everywhere.

    We need to figure a way to pay people for the inherent importance of their work, and its relative value to society – rather than reward those who provide us with frills with obscene salaries. Can’t we put a cap on the growth of management salaries? We put a cap on housing growth!!!

  16. Cap on Mgt Salaries

    Well, it sounds like the strike didn’t do much good, from what I could see. How come they went back to work? Was it planned to end Friday? If not, then I suspect the illegality of what they were doing sent them back to work. Do I sympathize with them – heck yes!!! When the UC President is making nearly one million dollars, which is obscene, while lowly workers who actually do something make $10 – UGH!!! But inequities are everywhere.

    We need to figure a way to pay people for the inherent importance of their work, and its relative value to society – rather than reward those who provide us with frills with obscene salaries. Can’t we put a cap on the growth of management salaries? We put a cap on housing growth!!!

  17. Anonymous

    CONGRATULATIONS DAVID,

    Another Biased union article from you. In my years of experience at u.c. I have seen greed and sloth, but none like that of the unions and their lackey whiners. All said and done I hope the system goes broke.

  18. Anonymous

    CONGRATULATIONS DAVID,

    Another Biased union article from you. In my years of experience at u.c. I have seen greed and sloth, but none like that of the unions and their lackey whiners. All said and done I hope the system goes broke.

  19. Anonymous

    CONGRATULATIONS DAVID,

    Another Biased union article from you. In my years of experience at u.c. I have seen greed and sloth, but none like that of the unions and their lackey whiners. All said and done I hope the system goes broke.

  20. Anonymous

    CONGRATULATIONS DAVID,

    Another Biased union article from you. In my years of experience at u.c. I have seen greed and sloth, but none like that of the unions and their lackey whiners. All said and done I hope the system goes broke.

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