UC workers deliver no-confidence vote to Yudof UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Incoming UC president Mark Yudof discusses some of the goals he has for the UC system in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2008. Photo by Paul Chinn / San Francisco Chronicle Incoming UC president Mark Yudof discusses some of the goals he has for the UC system in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, April 29, 2008. Photo by Paul Chinn / San Francisco Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close UC workers deliver no-confidence vote to Yudof 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The top brass at the University of California say it's "nothing more than a publicity stunt" and a "tantrum" - and they might be right.

But when labor unions representing about 70,000 UC employees said Thursday that 96 percent of staff and faculty at all 10 campuses had signed a vote of no confidence in UC President Mark Yudof, the message was clear: Employees at the public university are angry.

"We do not have confidence in the current leadership," said Tanya Smith, an editor at UC Berkeley and a spokeswoman for the University Professional & Technical Employees, one of a half-dozen UC labor unions that organized the no-confidence vote. "The decisions they've made have been very detrimental to UC."

The vote of no confidence is just one sign that employees are unhappy. Faculty members from every campus except UCSF are also calling for a systemwide walkout on Sept. 24, when most of UC returns to school, to draw attention to California's disinvestment in public universities.

The cash-strapped state is cutting its contribution to UC by $813 million, and what's happening at the university is a microcosm of what's happening across the entire economy: At UC, prices are also rising while services are diminishing. Pay has been cut. Employee furloughs imposed. People are losing their jobs.

At UC, Yudof is seen by many employees as sitting firmly on a goldmine that could wipe the troubles away: a $19 billion budget, of which just $3 billion comes from the state.

Yudof has said he is unable to use non-state funds - which come mainly from research grants and medical fees - to fill the budget gap because the money is legally committed to purposes other than salaries and general academic needs.

But many employees remain skeptical. And when the governing Board of Regents approved raises for some campus administrators on the same day in July when they approved a furlough plan, their blood boiled.

"That money could be used to lower tuition and save jobs," said Katherine Renfro, who works at the law library at UC Berkeley's School of Law and represents the Coalition of University Employees. "It's upsetting."

On Thursday, the union leaders tried to deliver their no-confidence statement to Yudof at his office at 111 Franklin St. in Oakland but were barred from entering the building.

"Basically, these are antics. Nothing more than a publicity stunt," said Dwaine B. Duckett, a UC vice president, as the employees chanted "Lay off Yudof!" outside.

Duckett said that many employees had expressed support when Yudof was trying to formulate a fair furlough plan earlier this summer. He said their suggestions helped create a graduated plan with those earning the most money, including Yudof, taking a 10 percent pay cut, and those earning least a 4 percent cut.

"We think it's fair," he said. "You can throw a tantrum, or you can help solve the problem."