Jan. 14, 2005

Voices in the wilderness

Many recent Reader's Forum letters continue to express concern over pending changes in the University of California's 60-plus year Laboratory oversight arrangement. Indeed, whether UC remains at the Lab or not, we're being told to expect significant changes. Unfortunately, predictions of change all too often translates into less job security, benefits and wages for workers. And the reason is simple; workers typically have no voice when it comes to discussions regarding change. However Tommy Hook's recent letter is refreshing in that it reminds us that it doesn't have to be this way. Indeed, we can create change if we so choose by organizing to ensure our interests are protected during times of uncertainty. Indeed we can create change, if we so choose to occupy a place of influence at the table where these issues are being discussed and decided. This, of course, is precisely what our local University, Professional and Technical Employee (UPTE) organization is about. It's about giving employees a voice, even though we (our local UPTE) are still being denied a place at the proverbial table (since it's not a ratified union). Even so, local UPTE officials have still held countless meetings with many officials regarding the need to protect workers at the Lab in the midst of change. As the local UPTE president, I have flown to Washington, D.C., and California, plus met with local elected leaders as well to discuss many of the worker concerns repeatedly expressed here in the Reader's Forum. In the end however, we're only as effective as we are united ... and as Mr. Hook points out a union is precisely that - an expression of unity.

The University of California Professional Technical Employees (UPTE) are quite concerned with the UC/Lab contract recompete. UPTE will be posting input to the draft RFP within the next week; please refer to http://www.upte.org/LosAlamos/ online.

--Manuel Trujillo