by Michael Burawoy | Jun 1, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
UCOP is famed for its tough bargaining tactics in its dealings with its unions. From its ongoing conflict with AFSCME for failing to comply with its own rules around subcontracting, to a belligerent tendency to cancel AFT bargaining sessions at the last minute, to a...
by Michael Burawoy | May 25, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
The BFA had its end-of-year Board Meeting on May 13th. We had a lively discussion (by Zoom, of course) about how the BFA should advocate for faculty with regard to looming fiscal challenges and their repercussions. We agreed that this is not a time for the...
by Michael Burawoy | May 18, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
The Covid19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to higher education. Lost revenues from tuition and fees, housing and services, performances and athletic events, as well as plummeting state funding, endowments, and investment yields, will make recovery...
by Michael Burawoy | May 11, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
As our campus prepares for a possible partial reopening in the fall, faculty and other campus workers need to advocate for the right to a safe workplace – recognizing that what is “safe” for some may not be for others. BFA’s purpose is to...
by Michael Burawoy | May 4, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
Covid-19 has magnified inequalities. The poorer you are, the greater likelihood of contracting the Covid-19 virus. The disproportion in mortality rates among different racial groups is shocking, and points to unhealthy “underlying conditions” of labor and lack of...
by Michael Burawoy | Apr 28, 2020 | Commentary, Weekly
There is a big question hanging over UC Berkeley as well as many other campuses: how will education resume in the fall? Will we be able to return to campus? Might it be necessary to continue remote instruction for all classes? Or will some hybrid scheme be developed?...