UCI academic workers seek living wage alongside colleagues across UC system
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 16. I’m Carol Cormaci, bringing you today’s TimesOC newsletter with the latest roundup of news and events.
When we learned of Monday’s strike of about 48,000 academic workers in the UC system, represented by four different units, my colleague Matt Szabo went to Irvine to interview the striking workers at UCI. Among the people he spoke with for his story was Emily Parise, a PhD student in drama and theater who works as a teaching associate on campus.
“Parise, who teaches her own theater history classes, writes her own lectures and does her own grading, still calls herself technically a teacher’s assistant in the UC system,” Szabo reports.
Can you guess how much she earns for her work at UCI? Her annual pay for all those duties is $21,000, she told the reporter.
Union leaders are asking for a $54,000 base salary, while UC has countered with a proposal that would offer a salary scale increase of 7% for the first year and 3% for subsequent years.
“Parise lives in university-owned housing, like many of her colleagues. She noted that the 3% raise each year is going directly back to the university in many cases, as rents go up,” Szabo reported.
“What they offered for childcare doesn’t even cover the cost of childcare at their own childcare facilities,” she told the reporter. “Even using their own metrics, we can’t afford to live on their campuses and raise our children on their campuses.”
The striking academic workers intend to keep picketing until a deal is made, according to Mark Gradoni, a teaching assistant in the UC Irvine history department and head steward for the UCI branch of UAW Local 2865, which represents more than 19,000 graduate students across the system.
“Just because we love what we do doesn’t mean that we should be living in poverty,” Parise said.
MORE NEWS
— The Associated Press on Monday called the race between GOP Rep. Michelle Steel and Democrat Jay Chen in Steel’s favor, though official results have not yet been announced. So Steel’s campaign, which included claims of red-baiting, misogyny and racism, convinced voters to allow her to retain her seat. Steel is Korean American and Chen is Tawianese American. The newly drawn 45th district includes the cities of Artesia, Cerritos and Westminster, with Asian Americans representing 37% of its potential voters. White residents make up 36% of citizens of voting age, Latinos, 23% and Black residents, 3%. Democrats have a 5.7% edge over Republicans among the district’s registered voters.
— A 30-year-old Fountain Valley man was found dead outside of a Costa Mesa apartment building by a passerby early Monday afternoon, police reported. A resident reported finding the body at a complex near Hamilton and Thurin streets. No immediate evidence of foul play was found, according to officials.
— Tilman Fertitta has reached a deal to become the new owner of the Montage Laguna Beach resort, representatives for the Houston billionaire said in a statement Monday. Reports had surfaced recently he was considering purchasing the oceanfront hotel for $650 million. Fertitta, who bought the Houston Rockets basketball franchise for $2.2 billion in 2017, owns several hotel properties, including five Golden Nugget casinos and hotels, Post Oak Hotel in Houston, the San Luis Resort in Galveston, and the Huntting Inn in East Hampton, New York.
— With Thanksgiving travel ahead, motorists are seeing an average price of self-serve regular gasoline in Orange County of $5.43, according to a report by the Auto Club of Southern California. While this rate is considerably less than the record high of $6.46 in the county on Oct. 5 of this year — a jump that came after shutdowns at several California oil refineries — it is nearly $1 per gallon higher than it was this same time last year.
LIFE & LEISURE
— The first Southern California location of a business called Local Kitchens opened in Huntington Beach late last month. The business can be seen as seven restaurants in one, as food can be ordered for dine-in, pick-up or delivery from Baby’s Badass Burgers, Backyard Bowls, Chica’s Tacos, Locali, SAJJ Mediterranean, Sushirrito and Hanchic. Though the food is authentic to each of those restaurants, it is prepared by Local Kitchens staff. The business plans to expand to Lake Forest soon, according to its website.
— Researcher Sunmin Lee is leading a study with the D.R.E.A.M. Project at UC Irvine seeking Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese volunteers in Orange and Los Angeles counties. It will track the sleep habits of Asian Americans to determine what correlation might exist between stressors unique to Asian Americans and the prevalence of poor sleep health in AAPI communities. Those interested in being a part of the study should call (949) 232-0061 or send an email to ucidreamsproject@gmail.com.
— The OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors has selected member Newton Pham, a Fountain Valley resident, to serve a one-year term as board chair. A graduate of San Diego State University, Pham is an executive vice president and head of leveraged finance at California Bank & Trust, the California division of Zions Bancorporation. He has served on the board since 2016.
— Tilly’s Life Center, an Irvine nonprofit whose programs empower teenagers to cope with adversity, crisis and tough decisions — recently announced the addition of Colleen Versteeg as chief executive.
SPORTS
— Saturday afternoon was thrilling for the Newport Harbor High School boys’ water polo team. The Sailors, who earned a 10-9 victory over JSerra before an overflow crowd at Woollett Aquatics Center, captured yet another CIF championship in the top division. The second straight title is the 14th CIF title overall for Newport Harbor (28-2).
— Sophomore Jackson Kollock threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns, leading Laguna Beach High to a 41-16 upset win at top-seeded La Quinta in a CIF Southern Section Division 9 playoff game Friday in the Coachella Valley. Kollock completed passes to seven different receivers, six of them managing to pick up a first down through the air. One of his receivers, senior Jackson Rodriguez, made seven catches for 114 yards and three touchdowns.
— Former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig agreed to plead guilty to lying to federal authorities investigating an illegal sports-gambling ring, according to court documents unsealed Monday.
Federal authorities had been investigating an illegal gambling operation run by Wayne Nix, a former minor-league baseball player who lives in Newport Beach, when Puig lied in interviews about his involvement, according to the plea agreement.
CALENDAR THIS
— Orange County public libraries, in collaboration with 5th District County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett will celebrate early and family literacy Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Aliso Viejo Library, where they will host a variety of activities for the whole family. Attendees can meet and pose for photos with children’s book character Lyle Crocodile and enjoy crocodile-themed crafts and book-forward face painting designs. Special guest Newberry Honor and New York Times best-selling children’s author Jennifer Holm will attend a meet and greet and sign free copies of her book, “Once Upon a Messy Whisker,” while supplies last. The library is located at 1 Journey, Aliso Viejo. For more information visit ocpl.org.
— The drama department at Estancia High School kicks off its 2022-23 season Thursday with Kate Hamill’s “Little Women,” adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, in evening shows that run through Saturday. “Little Women” takes place Thursday through Saturday, at 7 p.m. The campus is located at 2323 Placentia Ave., in Costa Mesa. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission and can be purchased at the door or online at estanciadrama.com.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Thank you for reading today’s newsletter. If you have a memory or story about Orange County, I would love to read and share it in this space. Please try to keep your submission to 100 words or less and include your name and current city of residence.
I’d appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
