Author: admin

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    UC Announces Union Deal: Wages Up for Two-Tier Pension

    Byadmin

    UC, clerical union reach five-year agreement Date: 2011-12-12 Contact: University of California Office of the President Phone: (510) 987-9200 OAKLAND — The University of California announced today (Dec. 12) that it has finalized a five-year agreement with the Coalition of University Employees on wages, benefits and other issues for more than 12,500 clerical staff. “We are pleased our clerical unit is finally under contract. The efforts between CUE-Teamsters and the university produced a fair agreement where both sides made difficult choices,” said Dwaine B. Duckett, vice president of systemwide human resources. “We are particularly pleased they proactively came to the…

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    Rosy Scenario on State Budget Likely to Be Ending Soon

    Byadmin

    The Sacramento Bee points out today that the process of re-examining the rosy scenario budget forecast on revenues will soon be coming to an end. As readers of this blog know, the governor was unable to get GOP support for putting tax extensions on the ballot. But under new procedures approved by voters, only a simple majority was needed to pass a budget even though 2/3 was needed for the taxes. So extra revenue was assumed and the budget was passed. However, a trigger mechanism was included to cut expenditures if revenue assumptions were not met. Since then, it has…

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    UCLA History: Mural

    Byadmin

    The Sacramento Bee today carries a story about the restoration of the 1970s’ Great Wall of LA mural, shown above, associated with UCLA Professor Judith Baca. See: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/11/4114541/los-angeles-reconsiders-mural.html and also an earlier piece from UCLA Today: http://www.today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/judy-baca-great-wall-of-la-216853.aspx

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    Private Hotels List Concerns About UCLA Hotel/Conference Center

    Byadmin

    The trade association representing hotels on LA’s Westside have been voicing concerns from the beginning about the proposed UCLA hotel/conference center. Yesterday, the association put its concerns in writing (fax actually). Obviously, the hotels are worried about loss of business from a publicly-financed hotel. They note the loss of tax receipts to the City of LA (and cc: local city councilman Paul Koretz). As this blog has repeatedly noted, there is no available business plan for the revised hotel/conference center plan. The hotel owners point to this absence. The UCLA Faculty Assn. has submitted a Public Documents Act request for…

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    Details on Governor’s Pension Plan?

    Byadmin

    CalPERS has released (or someone has leaked) a draft set of comments about the governor’s 12-point pension plan. Much of what is questioned is not relevant to UC which has its own problems with the plan. (See prior posts on the legislative hearings on the plan and other aspects of it.) However, the CalPERS draft makes it clear that there is much more to be resolved than just okaying the governor’s proposed 12 points. The fact that the proposal has different implications for the various plans that CalPERS administers – something clear from the document – opens the door to…

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    State Budget:Ups and Downs

    Byadmin

    The latest cash report of the state controller reports ups and downs. Unfortunately, the up is more expenditure than expected through November (expected when the budget was passed in June) to the tune of almost $2 billion. And the down in that period is revenues, down by a little over $1 billion than had been forecast. As prior posts have indicated, automatic trigger cuts in the budget are very likely which will cost UC $100 million. The report is at http://sco.ca.gov/Files-ARD/CASH/fy1112_nov.pdf

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    What’s the right headline?

    Byadmin

    The California Field Poll produced the table above. But what is the right headline? The news release from Field says PLURALITY OF VOTERS SEES PUBLIC PENSIONS AS TOO GENEROUS. MOST REACT POSITIVELY TO BROWN’S REFORM PROPOSALS, WANT PENSION CHANGES TO APPLY TO BOTH CURRENT AND NEW PUBLIC EMPLOYEES But the headline could have been that despite all of the bad PR public pensions have had, 49% of voters think public pensions are about right or not generous enough. The news media will follow the Field headline. Keep the alternative in mind if some proposition on pensions gets on the ballot….

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    President’s Pepper Panel Named

    Byadmin

    President names members of task force Date: 2011-12-05 Contact: UC Office of the President Phone: (510) 987-9200 OAKLAND — University of California President Mark G. Yudof today (Monday, Dec. 5) appointed 12 students, faculty, alumni and staff members to serve on a task force formed to investigate the Nov. 18 pepper-spraying incident at the University of California, Davis. As previously announced, the task force will be headed by former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, a professor emeritus at the UC Davis School of Law. Most task force members are affiliated with UC Davis and were nominated by relevant campus…