The Paper Trail

Bill Clinton Cancels UCLA Commencement Speech

June 11, 2008 RSS Feed Print

Comment (44)
Tweet

Because of a never-ending labor dispute between the University of California system and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Bill Clinton has canceled his Friday commencement speech at UCLA, the Daily Bruin reports.

The union represents 20,000 university employees whose contracts have expired, and Clinton's office had said last month that he would not speak unless the dispute was settled. The UCLA chancellor will speak instead.

Failed contract talks in past years between the union and UC prompted UC-Berkeley commencement speakers to forgo ceremonies in 2007 and 2006 (actor Danny Glover and former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, respectively). Nuñez has also canceled his speech this year at UC-Davis, raising the question of, with that track record, why any UC school would even invite him in the first place.

Tags:: UC-Davis,; UC-Berkeley,; Bill Clinton,; UCLA

« Previous Post Next Post »

Reader Comments Read all comments (44)

Add Your Thoughts Comment Name State Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Maybe a burp from the past would have surficed. Sounds like somebody wasn't going to get compensation for a speech well prepared...

L.A. Thomas of WY 7:27PM July 17, 2008

What We as California Residents and U.C Workers togheder with U.C students accross the state are trying to do is to bring this Social Change into Our University System, tha is so badly needed. It is about RESPECT,DIGNITY that We all DESERVE ,holding U.C accountable for it's MISSION to ALL OF US based on these PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THIS INSTITUTION was founded more than 70 years ago, which are (1): TO EDUCATE ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.(2):TO EMPOWER THE LIFES OF ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. As a PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEM,IT BELONGS TO ALL THE TAX. PAYERS OF THI GREAT STATE.It is OUR UNIVERSITY It is our MORAL OBLIGATION TO MAKE BETTER FOR ALL OF US, NOT JUST THE EXE.PERSSONAL,WHO WE PAY TO HELP US RUN OUR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.

JORGE OLVERA of CA 5:43PM June 29, 2008

Wow. The internets are scary.
Apparently the entire UC system does a good job of instilling self-absorbed ignorance in its students. I thought it was just UCSD.
The least you could do is be indifferent about the loss of the "illustrious" commencement speaker. And invoking your "science" degree to make you feel like you are more deserving than someone else? Ouch.
Wake up! You are no better than anyone else. Much worse: you are being spoon-fed bogus visions of scientific grandeur by the UC system, while they harvest you to do research for them to keep profits high.
At the end of the day you will die and be gone like everyone else, and your degree won't save you from the regret of living a self-absorbed existence.

of CA 11:38AM June 19, 2008

Bill Clinton Cancels UCLA Commencement Speech

Related Articles

Reader Comments Read all comments (44)

The Paper Trail

Editor's Picks