Bill Clinton, Wesley Clark, Others Stand Up for UC Workers

Los Angeles

For months, some 20,000 University of California patient care and service employees represented by AFSCME Local 3299 have fought for a fair contract.

This June, they saw firsthand how belonging to a high-powered union generates high-powered support. Former Pres. Bill Clinton, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., retired General Wesley Clark, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington all announced that they would not speak, as they had planned, at June commencement ceremonies at UCLA and UC/San Diego in a show of support for the workers’ struggle for justice.

The UC employees have been fighting for a contract that will boost their earnings to match other area hospitals and colleges. In June, they rallied at UCLA (pictured) and other campuses statewide to build public unity for their cause.Photo: Matthew Simmons