Report: Workers Protest for better wages: Audio and script text below.
“Over the past week and a half I have made an effort to contact both parties within the complicated worker contract/AFSCME situation. The protest between the workers and the UC regents for better wages and workers rights has been a heated one for quite a while now. I was able to sit don with some students and workers yesterday to discuss the concerns and desires had by the AFSCME folk.
“Let me sum up both sides for you right now in a few sentences. AFSCME and the workers basically want an increase in pay to living wages, as the majority of their workers qualify for welfare and other forms of government subsidized living. Although, at this time, or for the past year and a half now the UC regents have said that there is not enough money for an increase in funds for he workers. We will hear from the AFSCME side, ad ver briefly from the regent side,a s all they sent me was a PDF.
“Nicolas Gutierrez briefly explains AFSCME, Student involvement, and the workers concerns. We will then hear from a Q local ten representative, who has also been involved in talks.”
Audio:
In Studio Interview
In Studio Interview
Nicolas Gutierrez, AFSCME rep.
Nicolas Guitierrez, AFSCME representative
David Silva from Q Local 10
David Silva from Q Local Ten
Long Time Employee Gabriel
Long Time Employee Gabriel
Employee Maria
Employee Maria
Documents from Regents (.doc):
Photographs of Protest: by Phil Carter from CHP
Notes:
i. And the price of crude oil is at 84.67 dollars a barrel today. NYMEX.
ii. The avg price of gas in the Santa Cruz area is 3.65, down 12 cents from about a week ago. AAA
iii. The cost of U.S. War and occupation in Iraq is around about 561,061,000,000 for the country, while it has cost Santa Cruz county nearly 713.1 million for total Iraq war. National Priorities
With that money we could have..
293,500 People with Health Care for One Year OR
1,270,554 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR
12,739 Public Safety Officers for One year OR
10,074 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR
107,168 Scholarships for University Students for One Year
iv. The number of Iraqis slaughtered in Iraq is estimated to be at about 1,273,378
v. The number of U.S. Soldiers killed is now at 4180. 40 injuries in September, 107 in august and 156 in july. This of course does not include suicides.
vi. Of course we have to address army suicides, which are on a pace to become an all time high. The record was set in 2007 when there were 115 suicides. The Army says there have been 62 confirmed suicides by active duty members in 2008, with 31 unconfirmed cases that appear to be suicides.
(side note: we may begin to refer to Iraq Body Count, rather, although just foreign policy did a great job explaining how they came up with the number. I have decided to go with the other, as they site news sources. Not 100 percent on either. If you have feedback, please comment.)
Articles Mentioned:
White House won’t extend jobs to the jobless
McCain and Obama put deal limits on town hall debate
UCLA Satellite Imagery casts doubt on surg effectiveness
Closing Piece:
An excerpt from George Orwells piece, politics and the English language-
“Political language —and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists — is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one’s own habits, and from time to time one can even, if one jeers loudly enough, send some worn-out and useless phrase — some jackboot, Achilles’ heel, hotbed, melting pot, acid test, veritable inferno or other lump of verbal refuse — into the dustbin where it belongs.”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (35.9MB)
Related posts:
