Press Room
The Governor Proposes De-funding UC Labor and Employment Research —Again!
Labor Center in the News
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PRESS RELEASE
By Kathleen Maclay, Media Relations | 17 January 2007
Berkeley — The University of California, Berkeley’s Institute of Industrial Relations and Center for Labor Research and Education – along with their counterpart programs based at UCLA – is to become affiliated with an umbrella virtual organization named for the late, prominent state labor leader Miguel Contreras.
The University of California Board of Regents’ Subcommittee on Educational Policy today (Wednesday, Jan. 17) unanimously approved a proposal for the move submitted by ex-officio UC Regent and State Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) in honor of Contreras, the former head of the 800,000-strong Los Angeles County Federation of Labor who died in 2005 at the age of 52.
Union supporters, rank-and-file workers and others – including Contreras’ widow and labor activist Maria Elena Durazo, spoke about the significant contributions of Contreras as well as UC’s labor studies during the Regents’ meeting at UCSF’s Mission Bay complex. University of California President Robert Dynes, an ex-officio member of the Regents, also spoke in support of addressing the UC Berkeley and UCLA labor efforts as the Miguel Contreras Labor Program.
The University of California Board of Regents’ full University of California Board of Regents is set act on the matter during a meeting tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 18).
Contreras began union organizing at the age of 17 with the United Farmworkers Union, and became one of the most influential Latino leaders in Los Angeles. He also was a strong proponent of education, particularly for the children of low-income workers. Contreras mentored many aspiring political leaders, including Núñez.
Last week, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to eliminate state budget funding for the UC Berkeley, UCLA and additional system wide labor programs administered through the UC Office of the President, for the fourth time in three straight years. He dropped a similar tact last year after strong opposition within political circles as well as in academia and the labor field.
Nuñez has predicted that the governor will reverse himself again and restore the funds. The University of California Office of the President has also pledged to pursue continuation of state funding for the research programs, which represent the only labor research and education spending in the UC system.
University of California labor programs began 60 years ago when former UC President Clark Kerr founded and became the first director of the Institute of Industrial Relations at UC Berkeley. The same year a similar institute was created at UCLA, and 20 years later the Centers for Labor Research and Education were established at both institutes to carry out service and outreach activities with union and community partners.
In 2000, new state budget appropriations of $6 million led to expanding existing programs UC Berkeley and UCLA and established a statewide faculty research fund and financing for labor studies on all UC campuses and administered by the Office of the President.
In recent years, UC labor research has focused on employment trends, union density, health care policy, and job quality in immigrant and African-American communities. Education programs have included leadership development programs for union leaders, and women and people of color.
NOTE: For more information, contact Ken Jacobs, Chair of UC Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education, at (510) 643-2621.
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