Since UCLA announced their plan to close the University’s childcare centers, which would eliminate 80 good Teamsters jobs and create a crisis for UCLA’s student and employee parents, our Union has sprung into action.
Together with our fellow childcare center workers, parents, students, and community allies, we’ve petitioned the Chancellor, marched (with strollers) across campus, and this week organized our largest action yet—a major rally outside of the Regents’ bimonthly meeting.
Nearly a dozen Teamsters and non-union workers demanded action from the UC Regents during the morning’s public comment session on Sept. 16. “Childcare is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Adalia Montes, a UCLA ECE center administrator for 21 years, at public comment. “After 21 years, I now face the fear of losing my job, my healthcare and my ability to provide for my children. For some families, losing ECE means having to choose between their education, their careers and caring for their children. No UCLA families should have to make that choice.”
After public comment, our Teamsters speakers joined a mass of workers, students, and allies as we rallied outside the meeting.
“For decades, UCLA has done the right thing and maintained these high-quality childcare centers for our community, and now they want to cut them,” said Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer Jason Rabinowitz at the rally. “Our whole community is coming together because of the importance of these childcare centers, the centrality of these childcare centers to our community, to our school and to our future.”
Our fight has drawn massive support, including from politicians like State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who visited UCLA’s childcare centers in early September, and wrote a powerful letter to Chancellor Frenk asking UCLA to reconsider the planned closures. In the press, our actions have been featured by ABC7, KNX Radio, and NBC4.
UCLA claims that their childcare centers are unsustainable. We know that they’re essential. Parents and community members depend on the care that Teamsters workers, with decades of combined experience and a true commitment to service, provide!
Help us fight to save UCLA’s essential childcare. Sign your name to our petition to Chancellor Frenk below!
