Posts Tagged: Seth Sandronsky

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UC strike over, but questions remain over new contracts

Royce Hall at UCLA, one of four original buildings at the university's Westwood campus. (Photo: Ken Wolter, via Shutterstock)

The longest walkout in the history of U.S. higher education is over, but a critical question remains: Will the new contracts do enough to improve the living and working conditions that drove the academic workers to launch the 40-day strike?

News

Progress made, but strike of UC academic workers drags on

Students and academic workers walk a picket line at UC Davis. (Photo: David Kn

As final exams neared in the 10-campus University of California system, United Auto Workers Local 5810 representing postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers announced that it reached a tentative five-year agreement with the University amid a strike that began on Nov. 14. This bargaining unit with 12,000 of the 48,000 striking UC workers will vote to ratify the tentative new contract to run through Sept. 30, 2027.

News

California’s jobless rate up to 4.1% amid mixed economic signals

A worker makes repairs to an electric rotor turbine unit at a geothermal plant. (Photo: VG Photo, via Shutterstock)

One month does not equal a trend, but can be a cause for concern. For instance, employers in California added 19,900 nonfarm payroll jobs in August after registering 84,800 new hires in July. Meanwhile, the Golden State’s unemployment rate rose to 4.1% in August from July’s 3.9%, according to the state Employment Development Department.

News

Reporter’s Notebook: Reflections on Kaiser’s mental health therapy

A pre-school girl and her therapist. (Photo: ABO Photography, via Shutterstock)

Mental health services are crucial to our well-being. I think that most people will agree with me. As I write, mental health clinicians employed at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California are beginning week three of a strike over work conditions. As these essential workers see it, their employer’s rules are harmful to them and their patients. Count a young family member of mine among the latter. What follows are my reflections on his experience with Kaiser clinicians.

News

California setting up statewide medical data-exchange grid

Doctors examining digital health data for their patient. (Photo: Ienetstan, via Shutterstock)

The health information exchange, or HIE, has received little public attention. But it would cover 40 million people in California’s 58 counties, and would in part quickly inform emergency room doctors and nurses of a patient’s medical history, e.g., a preexisting condition, before her care.

Recent News

As California’s drought intensifies, the pain spreads

Parched San Louis Reservoir along the Pacheco Pass,, at about 55 percent of capacity, as of this month. (Photo: Robert Enriquez, via Shutterstock)

In California, the climate crisis is worsening drought conditions. As a result, the federal Bureau of Reclamation has cut 2022 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project contractors.  “We began the 2022 water year with low CVP reservoir storage and some weather whiplash, starting with a record day of Sacramento rainfall in October and snow-packed December storms to a very dry January and February, which are on pace to be the driest on record,” said Regional Director Ernest Conan.

News

CA’s jobless rate falls to 6.9%, but new hiring slows down

A steel worker walks across a beam at a Redwood City construction site. (Photo: Michael Barajas, via Shutterstock)

California payrolls added 47,500 nonfarm workers in November compared with October’s 96,800 new hires, according to the state Employment Development Department. The November new hires accounted for 22% of the U.S.’s 210,000 jobs for the month. In California, November’s unemployment rate of 6.9% improved from October’s 7.3%.

News

UC’s grad student researchers seek union link with auto workers

Students at the campus of the University of California in San Diego. (Photo: Kapi Ng, via Shutterstock)

About 17,000 graduate student researchers calling themselves Student Researchers United (SRU) at 10 University of California campuses are seeking to form a union with the United Auto Workers, a campaign that began in early 2020. UC management is not wholly on board with this move of unrepresented employees.

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