Daniel Tutt

The Berkeley Hillel is a center for Jewish students at UC Berkeley and a chapter of the larger foundation Hillel International. Though the alumni letter sent last week recommends that the organization become an “Open Hillel” – a reference to a student movement that advocates opening Hillel’s restrictions on opinions about Israel – the letter instead began through a series of conversations between Jeremy Elster, a 2012 UC Berkeley graduate, and other alumni, all living in Israel at the time.

The university’s about 8,300 service workers announced Thursday that they intend to strike across the UC system from March 3 to 7. University patient-care workers, represented by the same union, announced they will strike in sympathy.

After three days of voting, the union representing the University of California’s service and patient care workers announced Friday it has authorized a strike with 96 percent support.

The university and its service and patient care worker union negotiated into the night Wednesday as the second day of the union’s strike authorization vote came to an end.

As the threat of a strike loomed on the horizon, the University of California and the union representing its patient-care and service workers entered their last scheduled day of bargaining Friday prior to a strike authorization vote planned for Tuesday.

Expecting to collect nearly 3,000 signed postcards by March demanding Gov. Jerry Brown support property tax reform, the campus chapter of Fund the UC launched its letter campaign Tuesday night with packets of postcards ready to hand out on Sproul Plaza.

A year of bargaining between the University of California and the union representing their service and patient care workers has amounted to one state fact-finding, two strikes with a potential third looming on the horizon and, most recently, a state audit released Thursday — and still no contracts.

Tensions between “techies” and San Francisco residents over the use of private shuttle services have erupted into protests and nonviolent demonstrations across the Bay Area, most recently leaking into Berkeley.

The UC Board of Regents will discuss Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for 2014-2015 and how it stacks up with UC needs during their first meeting of the New Year this week.

The University of California is one step closer to a finalized budget for 2014-2015, following Gov. Jerry Brown’s release of his preliminary state budget, which grants the university nearly $3 billion in state funds, an increase of $142.2 million over last year.