Union names state senator 'Legislator of the Year'

[Omaha Steve]

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Union names state senator 'Legislator of the Year'
San Francisco state senator works on behalf of UC workers
By: Jackson Yan
Issue date: 8/13/07 Section: City News

This Sunday the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union local chapter 3299 honored State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) by presenting him with their first-ever "Legislator of the Year" award.

"This is the first time, and we will use him as an example and a template ," said Lakesha Harrison, president of the AFSCME Local 3299.

According to their website, AFSCME represents 18,000 University of California workers across the ten UC campuses and the five UC medical centers.

Last February, Yee introduced senate bill 190 to provide public oversight on the compensation packages offered to University of California and California State University executives. The bill, which required compensation packages be made public before the Board of Regents or Board of Trustees, came in lieu of past allegations of secretive and excessive compensations for UC and CSU executives. The bill passed unanimously in April and now awaits a full vote when the State Assembly reconvenes in late August.

Unlike workers from the CSU and community colleges, UC workers do not have a say in their pension plan. However, with senate concurrent resolution 52 Yee and the union campaigned to give UC workers a voice in how their pension plan is handled.
"We were fighting together to bring transparency in the pension ," Yee said.

The bill redirects sole authority from the Regents and gives the UC workers a say in how their pension plan is being invested. According to Yee's website, the bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations committee.

FULL story at link.