UCSC Rehires Fired Worker a Day After Protests

by josh sonnenfeld (sugarloaf [at] riseup.net)

Tue, Jun 19, 2007 8:06PM

A day after students and workers held a protest outside administrative offices, the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) rehired Crown custodian and AFSCME 3299 member Angela Ruiz. Ruiz was fired on April 9 for attending a union-sponsored protest against UC President Robert Dynes, even though she had received excellent evaluations and the protest was during her lunch hour.

Angela's re-hiring marks the 3rd victory in the past month for activists at UCSC. On May 22, AFSCME and the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice won their Wage Parity campaign; on May 30, the UC Activist Defense Committee was successful in their efforts to keep student activist Alette Kendrick at UCSC; and now on June 14, labor activists have ensured Angela Ruiz' job security.

The protest, organized by AFSCME 3299 and the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), took place outside Kerr Hall on June 13, 2007. Solidarity statements were issued by members of the United Auto Workers (UAW QUAD - the T.A. union), the Coalition of University Employees (CUE - the clerical union), the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE), the Student Union Assembly (SUA) and others. The protest coincided with a meeting of Angela Ruiz, her supporters and UCSC administrators including Assistant Chancellor Asish Sahni.

All photos are free and available for use by AFSCME 3299 and SWCJ. Please email sugarloaf[at]riseup.net for higher resolution images.

§AFSCME friend

by josh sonnenfeld

Tue, Jun 19, 2007 8:06PM