THE HIGHLANDER
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
VOL. 68, ISSUE 17
est. 1954
The coronavirus is not as deadly as conspiracy theories would have one believe
Service workers union, AFSCME 3299, reach tentative deal with UC
MARTIN LOPEZ Senior Staff Writer
LAURA ANAYA-MORGA Senior Staff Writer
In the age of information, it is harder than ever to discern fact from conjecture. Seeing as even the most unassuming issues can be blown out of proportion by the internet, it’s hardly surprising that in times of crisis an already dangerous situation can be exacerbated by conspiracy theorists and rushed reporting. On Dec. 31, 2019 several people in Wuhan, China reported symptoms associated with a new virus that may have originated from the Huanan Seafood Market. This novel coronavirus, later dubbed 2019-nCoV, is a cousin of the infamous SARS-CoV, which caused similar epidemics in China during 2003 and 2004, and MERS-CoV, which affected Saudi Arabia in 2012 and again later in 2015. This group of viruses is named for the halos or “coronas” that can be observed when viewed under an electron microscope and commonly cause respiratory illnesses in humans. While it is unclear how many strains exist in the wild, only six have proven themselves to be pathogenic to humans. A common misconception is that the virus itself is deadly, when in fact it is more likely to compromise the patient’s immune system by inviting the onset of a separate, more dangerous infection such as pneumonia that can place the young, sick and elderly at risk. While much is still unclear about the nature and origins of the virus, one thing is certain: disinformation has proven to be far more infectious than any disease nature could have cultured in a lab. History has taught the world that nothing is more terrifying than a threat one cannot see nor comprehend. As the general population learned of a mysterious new disease spreading across a foreign land, people flocked to the internet in a desperate attempt to find answers to the many questions they had.
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the UC Office of the President released a statement announcing tentative four-year agreements with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union that represents approximately 26,000 UC patient care and service workers statewide. This battle had been ongoing for two years and after AFSCME’s strikes against UC outsourcing last quarter, the new agreement will curb outsourcing and bring jobs back to UC workers. The new contract will “prohibit layoffs as a result of subcontracting decisions and (create) career employment opportunities at UC by placing additional restrictions on UC’s ability to contract out service unit work,” UCOP said in the statement. The agreement will provide health benefits for patient care and service workers at the same graduated salary-based rates as other employees. This will also ensure that new hires receive the same pension benefits as current AFSCME-represented employees. “These agreements provide hardworking UC employees with the benefits and protections they deserve, and it moves UC closer to being the kind of employer we need to be,” stated UC Board of Regents Chair John A. Pérez. In the next few weeks, AFSCME-represented patient care and service workers will vote to ratify these contracts. In addition to providing benefits and preventing UC outsourcing, the contracts will also provide various wage increases based on experience for workers. Peter Chester, the UC’s executive director of labor relations said in the statement, “We are pleased that after working with AFSCME leadership to address joint concerns and resolve our outstanding differences, we are able to meet the needs of our valued patient care and service workers as well as those of the University.” ■H
► SEE CORONAVIRUS PAGE 10
MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER
Members of the galley wait as the senate holds a closed session discussion on SB-W20-009.
ASUCR denies bill to increase executive vice president’s stipend by $2,475
AMANI MAHMOUD Senior Staff Writer
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, ASUCR held their fifth meeting of the quarter. The meeting centered on discussion around SB-W20-009 Amendments to Chapters 10, 8, 2 & 4 of the ASUCR Bylaws. These amendments to the bylaws would propose a stipend increase for the ASUCR executive vice president (EVP). In Chapter 8 of the ASUCR bylaws, it states that the EVP’s stipend is $7,425 and is paid for 12 months. The ASUCR president, vice president of internal affairs, vice president of external affairs and vice president of finance all have stipends totaling $9,900. These positions are also all paid for 12 months. Officers in ASUCR have a $9,900 maximum
stipend level and all executive cabinet members have hit the maximum stipend except for the EVP position. According to Chapter 8 of the ASUCR bylaws, stipend increases should not exceed 25% of a position’s existing stipend and may not be considered for a review before three years since the last stipend increase. Stipend increases that exceed 25% or are requested in less than three years must be allowed only under exceptional circumstances, which must be then be approved by a two-thirds vote of the ASUCR senate. The stipend increase from $7,425 to $9,900 is a 33% increase, exceeding the 25% mentioned in the bylaws.
Executive Vice President Abigail Cortes responds to public comments and her decision to hold a closed session discussion.
► SEE ASUCR PAGE 4
MARTIN LOPEZ / HIGHLANDER
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