July 14, 2007

Once again, we have the opportunity to challenge UPTE's calculations and allocations of their chargeable expenses. The arbitration hearing for the forced collection of agency fees for the July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007 that you and all other agency fee payers will be held on July 24 and July 25, 2007 is to be held at the Oakland Airport Hilton Hotel, One Hegenberger Road (room number not given) at 10:00 A.M. UPTE has moved to exclude me from the hearing (again; I must be the Forest Gump of arbitration) but this makes no difference.

I have transmitted to those of you that will attend this hearing the list of questions I would have asked, use them if and as you wish. While I may no longer be in play in this case, this is only a bump on the road of justice. I urge you all to pressure UPTE by any legal means available. If you will attend the hearing and want to review my questions, let me know.

We are working to have UPTE decertified as the exclusive representative of UC RX (Research Workers) employees. We would like to do the same for the TX (Technical Workers) and HX (Health Workers) unit, but we do not have the resources for this. In plain English, we will be asking the state labor board to no longer allow UPTE to be the exclusive representative for about 4,000 research workers.

We will send out petition forms for all those in the UPTE RX bargaining unit later this year. I urge all of you not only to sign the petition but to also pass this on to your coworkers for their signature if this campaign has a chance to succeed.