| 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.
THIRD STRIKE IN 8 WEEKS BEGINS TODAY AT TEN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA CAMPUSES & LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LAB:
A strike period for the next 3 days has been called by the COALITION OF UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES (CUE), with the support of other strong worker unions at UC.
The promise of work stoppages, strike rallies, and department shutdowns taking place Monday through Wednesday night at all University campuses, for any or all of the three days, is being met with everything from threats of "discipline" to gifts of picnic blankets.
"It's the University equivalent of 'guns and butter,'" commented Mary Higgins, Statewide President of CUE, herself under disciplinary suspension at UC San Francisco for participation in the two earlier strikes. "It's the worst sort of 19th century response...not quite what you'd expect of an enlightened institution. The blanket is an insult. They could put real money in our pockets. We have people working every day for UC San Francisco Medical Center who are on the verge of homelessness! What're they thinking? 'At least they'll have a blanket?'"
Reports of discipline and suspension targeting worker activists have been cited throughout the University system over the last several weeks of labor unrest. CUE attorneys say they will take every case as an "Unfair Labor Practice" to PERB, the Public Employment Relations Board claiming that UC is trying to illegally intimidate University employees. "The University knows it will lose all these cases, but they don't care," says CUE Chief Steward Margy Wilkinson. "They can afford it, especially if they can frighten low-paid workers into not exercising their right to strike."
Members of the Coalition of University Employees (CUE) gave notice on June 1st to University of California Labor Relations of the impending strike. CUE represents 16,000 members of the CX unit--Clerical and Allied Services--and is calling for the economic strike based upon the formal report of a State-appointed independent Fact Finder, released in February of this year. The Fact Finder, Arbitrator Gerald McKay, ruled against the University in the matter of clerical wages for 2003-04:
"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."
McKay found that clerical employees are among the lowest paid employees working in the University system. 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 taken out of their paychecks. When Assistant positions at UC were compared to comparable positions at CSU, UC clericals earned approximately 22.7% less. For Library Assistants the wage gap was even more glaring: 33%. 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.
University officials ignored the modest salary increase recommendations of the independent Fact Finder, and CUE members throughout the state voted to strike by an overwhelming (94%) vote count. They have been working without a contract since October 1, 2004, and the status of current negotiations is tenuous.
Meantime, UC Regents have continued to reward those at the top of UC's corporate structure with dizzying bonuses and salary increases. 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, despite systemwide profits totaling $1.5 billion in the past two fiscal years. On May 26th, David H. Russ, Treasurer of The Regents and Vice President for Investments, was awarded a 61% base salary increase of $170,900 to a total of $450,000 per year, with an increase in his "incentive target" from 50% to 100%, effective June 1st. Asked for comment, CUE Chief Negotiator for the 2003-04 Re-Opener Bargaining Team, Linda Moser of UC Davis, said: "What needs to be said about that? It's that WalMart business model. And the Regents' timing is always exquisite."
"It's pure 'Robber Baron' stuff," says current Chief Negotiator for the CUE 2004-05 Successor Bargaining Team, Amatullah Alaji-Sabrie. "It's bullying...it's ugly, cynical behavior by a corporate institution afraid of being held accountable."
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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