New York Times Ad -- January 2000

In All Fairness Your 'Two Cents Worth' Just Isn't Enough

An open letter to University of California President Richard Atkinson from the Coalition of University Employees

Dear President Atkinson:

Imagine, for a moment, that you and your top administrators are negotiating your own salaries with the University of California.

And suppose -- just suppose -- that your current salaries average 21% less than those earned by presidents and administrators at other top universities across America.

Surely you would enter those negotiations determined to gain a fair pay increase.

Now imagine that instead of offering to compensate for the terrible salary inequities you've experienced, the University offers you -- are you ready for this? -- a 2% increase! TWO PERCENT! Two cents on the dollar! "Are you serious?" you'd probably ask. "Is this some kind of a joke?"

Well, President Atkinson, now you know how 18,000 of us represented by the Coalition of University Employees (CUE) feel about your offer to us.

Even though our salaries average 21% less than our counterparts who perform clerical duties in U.C.'s metropolitan areas -- even though we've lost 7% of our buying power since 1993 -- and even though you have championed raises of 30% for your highest paid administrators during the last two years alone -- your offer to us amounts to about two cents on dollar.

Look, we're not asking for the fancy corner offices, six-figure paychecks and University expense accounts. We want to be able to support our families and ourselves. And we are simply asking for a fair day's pay for a fair day's work -- the not so glamorous behind-the-scenes stuff that keeps U.C. running on all 8 cylinders.

Tomorrow, January 19, we resume our contract negotiations with the University. We believe you when you say you want to improve labor-management relations at U.C.

But we want you to understand from the get-go that 2% just won't cut it.

So let's all resolve to sit down together and hammer out a real competitive wage agreement that not only serves the interests of the university--but also allows us to feed our kids and pay our bills in the bargain.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Respectfully,

The Coalition of University Employees