| Coalition of University Employees (CUE) | 2855 Telegraph Ave., Suite #302, Berkeley, CA 94705 Contact CUE (510) 845-2221 (phone), (510) 845-7444 (FAX) |
Original press release as a PDF file
COALITION OF UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES
State Headquarters: 2855 Telegraph Av., Berkeley CA (510) 845-2221 Fax (510) 845-7444
http://www.cueunion.org
WHO: COALITION OF UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES (CUE)
WHAT: STRIKE
WHEN: June 13-15, 2005
WHERE: 10 campuses throughout the state of California and the UC Office of the President at 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland.
STRIKE NOTICE:
Members of the Coalition of University Employees (CUE) gave notice on June 1st to University of California Labor Relations of an impending strike. The strike period has been set to commence at 12:01 am on June 13, 2005 and will continue to 12 midnight on June 15, 2005. CUE is the independent union that represents 16,000 clerical staff at the University of California's ten campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
This is the third time in the last eight weeks that UC has been battered by striking employees on the 10 campuses throughout the state. AFSCME workers struck on April 14, 2005 and UPTE workers struck on May 26, 2005. CUE represented employees observed the picket lines for both unions in a powerful demonstration of solidarity.
CUE represents the CX unit--Clerical and Allied Services--and is calling for the economic strike based upon the outcome of a five-day hearing before an independent Fact Finder. The Fact Finder, Arbitrator Gerald McKay, ruled against the University in the matter of clerical wages for 2003-04:
"There are fundamental flaws in the University's basic position," wrote Arbitrator McKay. "There is no question that the University is in a position to afford a wage increase for the clerical employees...the University's claim that it does not have the money to spend on them is not supported by the evidence."
Last year, the University diverted $20 million intended for clerical wage increases, choosing to spend the money on other purposes or add the money to its rapidly growing $5.2 billion reserves.
Testimony of University Assistant Vice-President Jerry Kissler, confirmed that UC had diverted the funds into the $5.2 billion university reserve accounts and capital projects. In 2003-2004 alone, the University reported a net income (revenues minus expenses) of $786 million…a result known as "profit" in the corporate world. Linda Moser, CUE Chief Negotiator for the Re-opener bargaining, dubbed UC: "the Enron of Higher Education."
UC clerical and other low-paid workers have had no cost-of-living increases in over three years and are facing increases in costs of health benefits and parking fees. The Fact-Finding report, released on February 17, 2005, followed on the heels of recent embarrassing disclosures of UC approving salary increases, relocation costs and perks for top administrators. Most recently, Regents approved the creation of a $192,000/year position for the partner of the newly installed UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Denice D. Denton and the $6,500/monthly rent allowance for the new UCSD Chancellor, Marye Anne Fox, while a new multi-million dollar house for her is being constructed. Costs of relocating Chancellor Fox were pegged at $87,000. In January, Regents approved bonuses for top UC medical center administrators averaging $36,000 and totaling $2.4 million at a time when UCLA medical center laid off scores of lower paid workers. UC claims that the layoffs were due to decreased revenue.
University officials ignored the modest salary increase recommendations of Arbitrator McKay and chose, instead, to implement an offer that gave pay increases to fewer than two dozen employees, including dispatchers at UC Irvine and nutrition workers at UC San Diego.
McKay found that clerical employees are among the lowest paid employees working in the University system. When Assistant positions at UC were compared to comparable positions at CSU, UC clericals earned approximately 22.7% less. He also found that for Library Assistants the wage gap was even more glaring: 33%.
CUE statewide president Mary G. Higgins noted that, "Our members throughout the entire state have exercised their option to strike by an overwhelming vote count…(94% YES)." CUE Chief Steward, Margy Wilkinson, an employee of UC for over 30 years describes the current conditions of UC as "a WalMart business model."
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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