Welcome to the fifth issue of the WAGE newsletter!
The AAUW-LAF film "Speaking Out For Justice" can be ordered from
AAUW Sales Office, PO Box 251, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.
It costs $19.95 + $4.00 shipping. Every local AAUW branch has a copy which may be available to rent or
borrow.
Welcome
by Charity Hirsch
I'm writing this in the glow of Marcy Wong's settlement. May we start to
see more and prompter settlements! And soon, no need for them because UC is
treating women fairly!
Meeting with UC's Lawyers
Dirk Brazil of Lieutenant Governor Grey Davis's office arranged a meeting
between WAGE and the Office of the General Counsel of the University which took place in January. We are enormously
grateful to the Lieutenant Governor and his staff for setting up what we hope will be the start of an on-
going dialogue with the UC Administration.
Present at the meeting were: James Holst, the General Counsel, and his deputy, John Lundberg;
Marcia Canning from UC's Labor Department; Ellen Switkes, Associate Vice President, whose office is
concerned with the status of women at the University; and Dirk Brazil and Kathleen Hamilton from the
Lieutenant Governor's office. WAGE, led by Jenny Harrison of UCB, was represented by: Larry Agran
of Irvine, Patricia St. Lawrence of UCB, Mary Singleton of LLL, Eleanor Swift of UCB, Martha West of
UCD and me. A
position paper
we prepared for this meeting.
Our common ground was our mutual concern for the University of California. I think there was
also rather general agreement that UC's internal systems for resolving issues of gender discrimination,
such as the Committee on Privilege and Tenure and the Title IX officer, are failing in that task, and that
"collegiality" makes that almost unavoidable.
We presented our assessment that the Medical Schools are particular bastions of male supremacy
where positions are regularly given to men in an illegal fashion without challenge from the
Administration. We also expressed our concern with the retaliation experienced by many women who
have filed complaints, and the Administration's apparent support of it. We urged the OGC to put
resources into training deans and department chairs in the law regarding sex discrimination and
harassment, and to avoid escalating small complaints into major battles. Both would save the
University a lot of money in the long run.
One of the most surprising statements to come out of the meeting was the announcement from
the OCG that future settlements would not include confidentiality clauses -- no more silencing the
grievant! We were very glad to have the opportunity to let the OGC hear how grievants view UC's
treatment of them and hope to continue the dialogue.
WAGE Meeting
Last October about thirty people attended the WAGE meeting in Irvine. A dozen women told
about their cases; their stories ran the gamut from atrocities for which there is probably no legal
recourse to rejoining the University faculty. I am seeing that as women hear each other talk about their
cases, including some with successful outcomes, they are becoming more articulate and slightly less
distressed. I attribute this to their knowing they are not alone.
Also at this meeting Judy Rucker expanded on her
advice on settlements
that appeared in the September 1995
newsletter
. Cries of recognition came from those who had been through mediation
and settlement talks, we can learn from each other! Cathy Jensen talked about Carol
Jackson's case
and obtaining the settlement agreement under the Freedom of Information Act.
She also gave advice about how to protect ones self when dealing with UC.
Ricky Hendricks
proposal
for an archive of women's cases was distributed. We also viewed the AAUW-LAF video "Speaking Out for Justice." Leigh
Segel's and Donna Hunt's cases against UC were among those covered in this interesting and moving
film. A journalist, Rick Cass, attended the meeting; he may do a free lance TV program about WAGE
women's cases.
Governing Council
The next day the governing council met to work on organizational details such as the cost of
membership, to nominate new council members and to make plans for future activity.
The new members of the governing council, elected in November, are: Phyllis Agran,
UCI; Vivian Hall, Irvine; Frances Jurnak, UCR; Christine McGill, San Francisco;
and David Mosier, Irvine.
In January the California Franchise Tax Board granted us tax exempt status.
It took a whole year -- you don't want to know why, but it wasn't anything political.
Now I have start all over again with the IRS, but it's encouraging to have taken one step
nearer to tax deductibility!
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