The University of California has issued an update on its current labor negotiations with the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The union has provided notice that it intends to strike on Thursday. The update includes information on what the university feels are key issues in the negotiations. It has also put together a Q-and-A document on the potential strike for employees at the UC campuses and Berkeley Lab (the Laboratory employs about 120 members of the union). Go here to read the update, and here to read the FAQ. More on the prospective strike and Laboratory contingency plans will be shared in TABL throughout the week.

May Audit of UC Health
And Welfare Plans

The University of California Human Resources/Benefits Offices will conduct its annual random audit of UC employees, retirees and their family members enrolled in UC-sponsored health and welfare plans in May. The audit verifies that only those who are eligible for coverage are enrolled. To prevent a cancellation of your UC-sponsored health and welfare coverage for 12 months, ineligible family members must be removed immediately. Before the verification process starts, the Benefits Office asks that you review your health and welfare plan enrollments and make sure that your enrolled family members are eligible for UC-sponsored coverage. Go here to review examples of eligibility requirements.

Nano Promise,
Pitfalls Debated

Michael Krasny, host of KQED Radio's Forum program; George Khushf, a philosopher at the University of South Carolina; and Christine Peterson, public policy vice president of the Foresight Institute will discuss the implications of the emerging field of nanotechnology on medicine, the environment, and the economy at a live debate on the UC San Francisco campus. The event takes place on Thursday, April 21, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Millberry Union.

Timing Nature's
Fastest Optical Shutter

Schoenlein

It's nature's fastest quick-change artist: In less than the time it takes a beam of light to travel a tenth of a millimeter, vanadium dioxide can switch from a transparent to a reflective, mirror-like state. How this material (VO2) can turn from a transparent insulator into a reflective metal so rapidly has physicists scratching their heads, but a collaboration of researchers, including Berkeley Lab materials scientist Robert Schoenlein, have clocked the transfiguration at one-tenth of a trillionth of a second. Full story.

E-Mail Server
Down Last Friday

At 10:58 a.m. last Friday, a hardware failure caused one of the IMAP servers to crash, affecting 20 percent of Lab users. It was restored at 11:51 a.m., and e-mail was queued and then delivered. If you have questions or comments, contact the Help Desk (x4357).

Campus Open House
Is Saturday, April 16

Cal Day, UC Berkeley's annual open house, is just around the corner. Visitors can take in lectures, watch cultural, musical, and theatrical performances, sit in on sporting events, get a close-up look at exotic bugs, and so much more on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Newly appointed Chancellor Robert Birgeneau will also provide a state-of-the-campus address. Go here for more information on Cal Day.

Video Conference
Service Reminder

The Information Technologies and Services Division provides videoconference support in Buildings 90-3075, 50B-4205, 50F-1647, which can each hold up to 25 attendees. Videoconferencing can also facilitate the inclusion of offsite attendees. Go here to schedule a videoconference, or call x6767. A portable videoconference unit is also available and can be used in any conference room or auditorium. Audio/Visual support is a separate service, which is limited to Perseverance Hall, Building 66 and Building 50 auditoriums. Go here for more information on A/V and videoconference services.