| Coalition of University Employees (CUE) | 2855 Telegraph Ave., Suite #302, Berkeley, CA 94705 Contact CUE (510) 845-2221 (phone), (510) 845-7444 (FAX) |
COALITION OF UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES
State Headquarters: 2855 Telegraph Av., Berkeley CA (510) 845-2221 Fax (510) 845-7444
http://www.cueunion.org
WHAT: Public hearing by California Senate subcommittee on Higher Education
WHEN: 10:30 - 12:00 am, Wednesday, February 22
WHERE: Room 4203 State Capitol, Sacramento
On Wednesday, February 22, UC top executives will face another grueling round of questions at a legislative hearing about UC pay practices. Senator Jack Scott's subcommittee on Higher Education will resume the questioning of UC executives that the committee began on February 8. That tax dollars are being wasted has not escaped the attention of the legislators or the anger of the unions that represent employees at the University.
At the earlier hearing, after searing remarks and questions from Senators Maldonado, Denham and Romero, directed to UC President Robert Dynes, the senators heard comments from reps from UC's unions denouncing UC's double standard, with a top-heavy number of executives and top-heavy executive salaries and compensation packages. Some executive salaries exceed a million dollars a year, including perks, contrasting dramatically with clerical salaries, starting in the neighborhood of $21,000/ yearly. According to the SF Chronicle, over 2000 UC upper staff are paid over $200,000/year.
Amatullah Alaji-Sabrie, chief bargainer for the Coalition of University Employees (CUE), the union that represents UC clerical workers, noted "It is an affront that at the same time that student fees are going up and salaries for the lowest paid workers fail to keep pace with inflation, the bloated ranks of top executives continue to swell with these astonishing salaries and benefits."
On February 14, CUE members ratified a 3-year contract that will bring 12% increases over the 3-year life of the contract. Nonetheless, union leaders have not eased their criticism of UC's basic pay pattern that fails to bring salaries of lower paid staff in line with the market and the rising cost of living in California. "The fact is that these increases will be simultaneous with increases in employee benefit costs and, on some campuses with employee parking assessments. In addition, UC acknowledges that within a few years employee contributions to the retirement plan will be increased and retirement benefits will be cut," said Alaji-Sabrie.
UC President Dynes, who fielded questions from the legislators at the February 8 hearing, will be replaced at this hearing by Gerald Parsky, who chairs the UC Board of Regents. Parsky also chairs Aurora Capital Partners, an investment firm specializing in the acquisition of U.S. companies and has been a major donor to the Bush/Cheney campaigns. He donated heavily to ex-Governor Wilson's election campaign before his appointment by Governor Wilson to the Board of Regents.
In January, Parsky and other Regents voted to give President Dynes authority to unilaterally increase salaries for upper management being paid $168,000 without seeking the Board of Regents' approval. This was a recent action of the Regents that union and student leaders point to as an indication that the Regents and UC Executives are out of step with the rest of Californians.
UC unions and many faculty have demanded an independent audit of UC finances.
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For more information, contact:
COALITION OF UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES
State Headquarters: 2855 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley CA
(510) 845-2221; Fax (510) 845-7444
www.cueunion.org