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Donor Letter

Below is a letter written and sent to UC donors to help enlighten them on the clerical struggle.

April 18, 2002

Dear [donor]:

On behalf of CUE, the Coalition of University Employees, the independent union representing 18,000 clerical employees at the University of California, we are writing you concerning the crisis of clerical turnover at UC. We ask you to contact President Richard Atkinson and other university officials. We have learned through public information that you are a generous donor to the University, and we hope you may care as we do about the quality of the institution as a whole.

A 1999 survey commissioned by UC showed clerical salaries lagging approximately 21 percent behind market rates. A 54 percent average annual turnover of clerical staff since 1995 shows that clericals can no longer live on UC salaries. This rapid egress to better-paying jobs is making work increasingly intolerable for those who remain, and UC's replacement of experienced clericals with casual labor further increases the burden.

Yet, after eight months of bargaining with the union, UC continues to insist that clericals accept a 1 percent pay increase, which amounts to a pay cut given increases in the cost of living and the cost of our benefits. Ph.D. economist Peter Donohue reports that the university has $2.1 billion in unrestricted, surplus funds. The university's past ten years of financial statements, audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, shows this surplus has been set aside from annual operating budgets even in years when UC claimed to be in financial crisis (see CUE's website, http://www.cueunion.org/cue_home.php)

UC administration is pleading poverty and blames the fiscal crisis of the state. At the same time UC gives huge raises to administrators already making six-figure salaries. Furthermore, state appropriations account for only 36 percent of clerical wages. It is clear that UC can offer decent raises to clericals.

We know President Atkinson takes your concerns seriously. Please contact him or your campus development office about the unfair clerical compensation. If you would provide a copy of any letter or e-mail you may send, we would be grateful. We would be pleased to respond to any comments or questions you may have.

Finally, we respectfully invite you to redirect your donation to the university clerical workers' strike fund. Please make your check payable to "Strike Fund" and send it to: 2855 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 302, Berkeley, CA 94705.

Sincerely,

Claudia Horning, President

President Richard Atkinson:
1111 Franklin Street
Oakland, CA 94607
510-987-9074 (phone)
Richard.Atkinson@ucop.edu