| Coalition of University Employees (CUE) CUE TEAMSTERS LOCAL 2010 | 2855 Telegraph Ave., Suite #301, Berkeley, CA 94705 Contact CUE (510) 845-2221 (phone), (510) 845-7444 (FAX) |
| CUE - Resources |
Dear Chancellor,
The University's own salary survey shows that clerical salaries lag an average of 21% behind comparable jobs in the surrounding communities, yet UC's bargaining team is only offering 2% pay increase for 99-00 and nothing for 00-01. We would like you to take action, by contacting President Atkinson and letting him know the situation on our campus.
In a nutshell, the University is losing highly talented, qualified and experienced staff at an alarming and increasing rate. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that clericals can find significantly better opportunities elsewhere, because our daily economic needs are simply not being met by continued employment with the University of California. The wage stagnation is decimating UC's otherwise dedicated clerical troops.
Those of us who remain struggle under a grueling test of loyalty, and the University of California is the loser. Our affiliation with the University is a source of pride, but we cannot feed our families with pride.
UC's once-impressive pay scales & benefits have dropped below that of its competitors for the clerical labor pool. UC needs to get over its recession-minded early-90's attitude and realize that the whole University community suffers from management's continuing stinginess.
Please ask President Atkinson: Can your number crunchers really justify the tiny increases offered clericals when the true cost of the turnover of trained, experienced, and dedicated staff is honestly evaluated?
Can UC honestly consider itself a world-class system of Universities when it is unwilling to pay decent cost of living increases to those who staff the libraries, serve the professors and students, work in childcare centers, act as police dispatchers, assist patients in teaching hospitals, and make the university run every day?
I am committed to UC -- but the sacrifices I and thousands of other clericals can afford to make, year after year, are limited. We are dedicated to make UC a better University, but we need to be paid a living wage. The situation is becoming urgent. Managers are finding it increasingly difficult to hire, and we are finding it increasingly difficult to stay.
Thank you for your respectful attention to these concerns.
[Your name, job title, and department, and years of UC service]