Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Bakersfield Layoff: Chair and Employee Address Trustees, Rally

Unit 9 Chair Rich McGee addressed the Trustees Committee on Collective Bargaining yesterday concerning the recent layoff at California State University, Bakersfield:

Three weeks ago, CSUEU received a formal layoff notice, claiming lack of work for a Unit 9 Equipment Technician at CSU Bakersfield.

That employee is here with us outside, right now, getting ready to address the crowd assembled right outside these doors. That employee is a decorated Vietnam veteran, who also is 50% disabled. He has been a hard-working, loyal employee at CSU Bakersfield for 24 years now. He is able to work, he wants to work, and he can work!

Members of the Board, and President Mitchell, please remember that it isn't always just about cutbacks and cost savings. You must always remember that employees are people, people with families, hopes and dreams. The cuts you are making do have consequences. If you doubt that, I invite all of you to go outside and listen to the words of the individual who is scheduled to speak next, Gary T. Ivey, the laid-off Equipment Technician from CSU Bakersfield.

Yesterday's Cuts Have Consequences rally at the Chancellor's Office featured a series of CSU faculty, staff, and students addressing the crowd with one-minute descriptions of the impact of CSU budget cuts. The California Faculty Association (CFA) reports a crowd of 500 CSU faculty, staff, students, and community supporters.

Here's the CFA Headlines writeup of Gary Ivey's appearance:

Gary Ivey, a scientific equipment technician who was recently laid off from his position at CSU Bakersfield, said that aside from losing his job, these cuts mean that students do not have access to current scientific equipment for science lab classes. Ivey stated, California needs more scientists and nurses and other health professionals who are well trained and up to date. Cutting back in the sciences is bad for our students, bad for Bakersfield where I live, and bad for California.

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Posted by Editor at 9:14 AM
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