UC campuses brace for faculty-student walkout
University of California administrators say they want to keep things running as smoothly as possible Thursday – the first day of school at many campuses – when many faculty, staff members and students are expected to walk out of classes, host rallies and stage a systemwide labor strike for technical employees. UC is facing one of the worst years in its history as it tries to close a budget gap of more than $750 million in lost revenue from the state and increased expenses. To balance the budget, administrators have ordered unpaid furloughs for nonunion employees, staff layoffs and course cutbacks, and are expected to raise tuition for next year, making it 45 percent higher than last year’s student fees. [...]