Press Release (10/08/02)

Clerical Workers Resolve to Win Fairness from Worst Employer in State

COALITION OF UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES
State Headquarters: 2855 Telegraph Av., Berkeley CA (510) 845-2221 Fax (510) 845-7444
http://www.cueunion.org

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Margy Wilkinson
Sharon Cornu (510) 594-0224, (510) 207-9556

University claims fail to deter angry workers;
Four other campuses vote 90% plus to strike

Clerical Workers Resolve to Win Fairness from Worst Employer in State

Berkeley, Oct. 9 - Clerical workers of the worst employer in the state, the University of California, are holding fast in their resolution to force the University to bargain fairly. Workers at the Davis, Riverside, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara campuses have passed strike votes by 90% plus margins despite the University’s campaign of intimidation and harassment against union members. In filing more than 30 unfair labor practice charges against the University, members of the Coalition of University Employees have documented their employer’s repeated violation of contract and labor law.

On Oct. 7, 2002, the California Public Employment Relations Board issued a complaint against the University for failure to bargain in good faith and retaliation against a newly elected CUE Local President in San Diego. The Complaint charges the University with failing to bargain in good faith by unilaterally altering its employment policies and threatening the Union officer solely in retaliation for her election to union office, attendance at a union rally, and other union activities.

On Oct. 2, PERB issued a complaint on an unfounded University charge against CUE’s legal strike in Berkeley.

“We firmly believe that the workers’ actions at Berkeley will be upheld, and are looking forward to demonstrating the University’s bad faith actions which caused workers to strike as a measure of last resort,” said Margy Wilkinson, chief negotiator.

When the California Legislature last held a hearing into UC’s labor practices, UC was called “the worst employer in the state” by Assemblywoman Dion Aroner. Dozens of state legislators have signed a letter urging the University to follow the law and resolve its unfair labor practices.

Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, a member of the University Regents, has publicly called on management to follow the law and improve employee relations. Bustamante demonstrated with protesting workers at the dedication of the Mondavi Center on the Davis campus Oct. 3.

The unfair and illegal acts which pushed workers over the edge include the University’s demand for a blank check. UC demands that CUE sign a contract without knowing what a future wage offer will be. UC continues to tie its wage offer to the state budget, when in fact more than 2/3 of the funding for salaries comes from other sources, and UC received 97% of what it requested in this year’s budget.

UC fails to honor agreements that it enters into with CUE. The University broke an agreement on wage payments to CUE employees who work at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab. It failed to honor agreements on providing comp time for employees who work overtime at Riverside. It did not honor an agreement to provide Berkeley clericals with improved transit benefits. UC reneged on its agreement to convert temp employees to career. UC has unilaterally implemented its own proposal on holidays, despite the fact that the parties were still negotiating over it.

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For more information, contact:
COALITION OF UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES
2142 Oxford, Berkeley CA 94704 (510) 841-0700
www.cueunion.org