UC Union Endorses Winograd for Congress

January 30, 2010, Marina del Rey, CA

Lecturers and Librarians Want to Send an Education Advocate to Washington

The University of California American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT) has endorsed public school teacher Marcy Winograd for Congress in her challenge to Jane Harman in the 36thDistrict. The union local represents 3,000 lecturers and librarians on ten UC campuses.

Local President Bob Samuels said, “California needs to send a progressive vote to Congress. Marcy Winograd is a proven supporter of higher education who will fight the current military expansion so we can fund education at the proper level.”

Winograd received her undergraduate degree in political science from UC Berkeley (1974) and her teaching credential from UCLA (1994). Said Winograd, “I am proud to have the endorsement of colleagues working hard to restore world class education to California. As a graduate of the UC system, I understand the importance of protecting and fully-funding one of our state’s most valuable assets–a distinguished public university system once affordable to all.”

Last year the UC Regents voted to hike fee increases 32%, despite massive campus-wide student walk-outs to protest the hike in fees and lack of transparency in the budget process. Winograd, a featured speaker at the November UCLA student rally, called on students and faculty to demand UC Regents lift the veil of budget secrecy to engage everyone in solutions. “The Regents meet with the blinds closed, while the students stand outside in the dark. Let’s open up the books so we can see where the money is. Without budget transparency, the larger community remains locked out of the problem-solving process,” Winograd told reporters, adding, “We should not be holding a funeral for the UC system, but celebrating its rebirth as one of the greatest educational institutions of all time.”

Said Samuels, “At UCLA they have given lay-off notices to most of the long-term lecturers, which could result in the cancellation of hundreds of classes. They are also talking about suspending language requirements while increasing class sizes, threatening to close libraries, and limiting services. In general, we are fighting the downgrading of educational quality.”

Winograd’s platform makes federal funding of higher education a top priority. A 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Winograd worked last year at Crenshaw High School, where she taught English and coached teachers on best literacy practices.

To learn more about the Winograd For Congress campaign, visit:
http://www.WinogradForCongress.com
http://www.Facebook.com/WinogradforCongress
http://www.Twitter.com/MarcyWinograd
http://www.youtube.com/Winograd4Congress
http://www.flickr.com/photos/winograd4congress
http://www.meetup.com/Winograd4Congress

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UC Union Endorses Winograd for Congress

January 30, 2010, Marina del Rey, CA