A group of UC San Diego grad workers staged a protest at an alumni event last month. Now, the university is taking action against those students.
The protest was over the university’s implementation of a new contract for academic workers, which was the result of a historic 40-day strike by UCSD grad workers. It promised things like higher wages, paid leave and child care subsidies.
But grad workers say the university isn’t following through on those promises. They made their point at the alumni event when they took the stage and gave a speech. They were eventually forcibly removed.
Now, education reporter Jakob McWhinney reports, the university has levied administrative violations against those who protested, and even against some who say they weren’t there.
Border Report: Third Port of Entry Is Making Progress
A much-anticipated third port of entry is moving forward, despite some delays. While there aren’t any structures built just yet, writes Voice contributor Sandra Dibble, funding is expected to come in to finance its construction.
The new entrance: The Otay Mesa East Port of Entry is a toll crossing for cargo and passenger traffic planned in coordination with Mexico. It has been decades in the making, Dibble writes, and it also includes the building of roads and bridges to access the ports.
This is a major project, Dibble explains, and while it hasn’t come to life yet, it seems to be making progress. She tapped a couple of project leaders to discuss the latest.
Privacy Board’s Streetlight Arguments See Light of Day
San Diego’s Privacy Advisory Board is expected to vote Thursday on the Police Department’s new proposal to pair streetlight surveillance cameras with automatic license plate readers. Ahead of time, a board subcommittee put together two draft opinions — one in favor, one against.
As of Monday afternoon, only the yes option had been posted to the city’s website, but your loyal sleuths got their little paws on both.
The no option is a 15-page analysis of the information SDPD hasn’t disclosed yet — like who exactly the city would be partnering with and what the tech actually does — which makes vetting nearly impossible. In a story last week, Jesse Marx outlined a few of the complaints raised by this camp.
The yes option is a one-pager. “All of our questions have been answered,” it reads. “We are satisfied that the SDPD Team has done their due diligence with the vendor and the City of San Diego has done their due diligence…”
Either way, the Privacy Advisory Board’s decision is just that — advisory. The City Council has the final say on whether to greenlight or kill the proposal in its current form.
On Wednesdays, We Get Coffee
Have you signed up to grab coffee with our staff? If not, this is your chance.
We’ll be at Coastal Roots Farm tomorrow at 9 a.m. to discuss North County reporter Tigist Layne’s latest stories. She has been working hard to cover the most pressing stories in North County, but would love to hear your story ideas, too.
Enjoy a cup of coffee with our reporters and editors. Voice members can register for a free ticket. Non-members can RSVP and purchase a membership for $35. RSVP here.
In Other News
- A new report from the county grand jury examining the region’s road repair efforts says funding shortfalls and poor planning are to blame for San Diego’s deteriorating roads. The report suggests creating a new law that would require funding to be set aside each year for road repairs. It also suggests implementing a mileage tax to close the funding gaps. (Union-Tribune)
- MTS bus routes in South Bay and East County went back to their normal schedules Monday after bus drivers spent several weeks on strike. An agreement was reached over the weekend between MTS contractor Transdev and the union representing the drivers, Teamsters Local 683. (KPBS)
- Billionaire Stan Kroenke, who is the owner of the LA Rams and the Denver Nuggets, is now the lead investor in the Sports Arena redevelopment project. The project will replace the historic Pechanga Arena in the Midway District with a new 16,000-seat arena. It will also add 250,000 square feet of retail space, a 200-room hotel, a 20-acre plaza and park and 4,200 housing units. (KPBS)
Related: Read Voice of San Diego’s comprehensive coverage of the Sports Arena redevelopment project here.
- UC San Diego will break ground this week on a 2,400-bed residential village and a large student union to become a social hub on campus. University officials say the $1 billion project aims to address a student housing shortage at the rapidly growing university. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Tigist Layne, Andrea Lopez-Villafaña and Jesse Marx. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.
now that Mr. Kronke has entered the stage, d’ya think the new arena plan will grow in size?
videos news only, please..