CUE-Teamsters Public Safety Dispatchers Praised

Vital Role for Campus Security

BERKELEY, Calif., April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 2010 and the Teamsters Public Services Division are honoring the hundreds of public safety dispatchers on University of California (UC) college campuses this month.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO)

"As the first contacts for emergencies, public safety dispatchers are the true unsung heroes on campuses," said Anytra Henderson, acting president of CUE-Teamsters Local 2010.

In 1991, Congress declared the second week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week for dispatchers nationwide. Teamsters Local 2010, the representative for all of the public safety dispatchers at the University of California campuses, is affiliated with the Teamsters Public Services division.

"We take great pride in being the first contact that students, employees and the general public have when needing a response to emergencies," said Kimberly Rutherford, a 25-year employee of UC Santa Cruz and president of the CUE-Teamsters Local 2010 chapter in Santa Cruz.

Often the most visible presence on campuses are the public safety officers, while the dispatchers remain out of sight, simply because their jobs require them to be staffing indoor command centers. Yet, their work is vital to the safety and security of campuses.

"While I have done everything from security and traffic control to command-post operation, the public typically does not get to see us in action," said Mike Erazo, a UC Berkley dispatcher. "Being a Teamster member has brought us the solidarity that we needed."

"I have worked as a public safety dispatcher at UC Merced for over five years and am a proud union member," said Susan White, Merced Chapter President of Local 2010. "I appreciate all the members of this profession that provide the essential link between the public and safety personnel."

Founded in 2010, Teamsters Local 2010 represents 14,000 clerical and affiliated services employees of the University of California at each of its 11 campuses. Formerly known as the Coalition of University Employees (CUE), Local 2010 is part of the Teamsters Public Services division comprised of more than 240,000 members employed by federal, state and local governments in the United States. For more information, please visit www.Teamster.org or www.cueunion-action.org.

SOURCE CUE-Teamsters Local 2010