GAO Report on Discrimination at National Labs

A General Accounting Office Report found that minorities and women at Lawrence Livermore, Sandia, and Los Alamos National Labs were paid less and promoted less often than white men. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson has pledged to closely monitor the Labs´ progress toward equity. "Just as the civil rights movement in America is not over, Congress´ oversight of this issue is not complete," she said. "We will monitor the DOE´s actions and hold them accountable for their future performance."
. . . women and men have starkly different views of their work environment at UCS. . . . For both men and women, perceptions about the climate in departments are warmest, slightly cooler in schools, and coolest for the University in general. Few believe there is a glass ceiling for women in their own departments. . . . Nearly one half the women, but less than one in ten men, believe they have definitely or probably experienced discrimination at UCS. . . . Few [faculty] women believe UCS performs well in responding to charges of sexual harassment or discrimination. The faculty overall gives lukewarm approval to UCS on addressing discrimination issues. About four in ten men but only about a quarter of women agree that the University does a good job: UCS climate report, January 2002


The Wage Corner Record-setting Settlements Salary Equity Equity Summit
UCB loses grant Case Updates UCB law school Collegiality

Welcome to Newsletter 18
by Cathy Kessel

Both of this year´s WAGE meetings have been encouraging. At the spring meeting, State Senator Jackie Speier talked with us, asked questions, and listened attentively to our suggestions and concerns, among them, an audit of the Cal State system, treatment of UC faculty and staff (both career and "temporary"). She also had the opportunity to meet with CAFÉ members. WAGE sent her a note with heartfelt gratitude and all our newsletters. We were immensely pleased to receive an inquiry from one of Speier´s aides concerning the Torres bill reports (see Fall 1999 Newsletter). And we are also delighted to see that Speier is not only following the results of the Audit (see p. 4), but that she has taken over from Representative Carole Migden the support of a UC sta. member´s efforts to obtain documents in a case of disability discrimination. At the fall meeting, Priscilla Kehoe, director of the UCI ADVANCE program described what is happening at UCI. ADVANCE is a National Science Foundation program whose goal is to promote institutional transformation in order to increase the number of women and women of color in faculty positions and to promote women in leadership positions. UCI extended the original goal from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to all schools on campus. It is also encouraging to note that Congressional Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is monitoring the outcome of a General Accounting Office Report on gender and racial discrimination at Lawrence Livermore, Sandia, and Los Alamos National Labs.

UC faculty and President Atkinson will be testifying at the hearings for the Audit of UC Faculty Hiring on Wednesday, February 19 in Sacramento. Please show your interest and support by attending the hearings. Mark your calendars!


Educational Videos
The UCS Web site www.aaeo.ucsf.edu/video.htm lists videos on affirmative action (one features law professor Martha West), cultural awareness, disability awareness, discrimination, employment guidelines, prejudice, racism, sexual harassment, and workplace diversity.

UCB clericals and lecturers strike
At the beginning of the UCB school year, clerical workers and lecturers went on strike to protest unfair labor practices. Fortyfive percent of undergraduate classes at UCB are taught by lecturers who have little job security and are paid significantly less than tenured and tenure-track faculty members. Clerical workers had been negotiating for over a year for salary increases, and proper use of temporary positions and health and safety standards. For more information, including bargaining correspondence and media coverage, see www.cueunion.org and http://cft.org/uc-aft/
Source: Daily Californian 8/23/02, 9/3/02

Calendar 2003
Saturday, April 12, Mary Singleton will speak about WAGE and her case at the AAUW-LAF meeting in Walnut Creek

Monday, May 12, Tracey A. Lee vs. UCS Comprehensive Cancer Center trial, San Francisco.

August, Singleton et al. vs. UC Regents trial, Alameda County Superior Court.

October, Washington vs. San Diego State arbitration.

WAGE SPRING MEETING, BERKELEY.

Trial dates often change. Please check before you leave for court.


California State Audits of Interest
Summary of Report Number 2001-130, July 2002
University of California: Its Partnership Agreement Could Be Improved to Increase Its Accountability for State Funding www.bsa.ca.gov/bsa/summaries/2001130.html.

Summary of Report Number 2000-130, April 2002
University of California: New Policies Should Make Career Appointments Available to More Employees and Make Campus Practices More Consistent www.bsa.ca.gov/bsa/summaries/2000130s.html

More articles on UCSF
See www.biomath.medsch.ucla.edu/faculty/sblower/media.html for more articles from Science, Nature Medicine, and the San Francisco Chronicle about the climate at UCSF.

Settlement at University of Arkansas
Gwenn Okruhlik, a former professor in the Middle East Studies Program at the University of Arkansas, was awarded $353,000 in damages in November. The university was found liable for allowing a hostile work environment to exist and for Title VII retaliation, and assessed $351,000. Randall Woods, a dean of arts and sciences, was found liable for retaliation and assessed $2,000. Okruhlik´s lawyers have filed a motion seeking attorney fees. In December, the University of Arkansas filed a motion to overturn the verdict or reduce the amount of damages awarded.
Source: The Morning News/NWAonline.net, 11/29/02; 12/15/02



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