Todd's Page
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: William Schlitz 510-701-0810
Lakesha Harrison, President, 310-877-6878
University of California Service Workers To Begin STRIKE July 14
Gas and food prices exacerbating poverty for workers
California - 8,500 University of California
workers will begin a strike at UC's ten campuses
and five medical centers on Monday, July 14. The
workers do everything from cleaning and
disinfecting hospitals and dorm rooms, to
providing cafeteria service to patients and
students, to ensuring hospitals and campuses are
secure. They have been negotiating in good faith
with UC executives for almost a year, but have
remained deadlocked over poverty wages for
months. An overwhelming 97.5% voted to authorize
a strike in May.
UC's poverty wages are as low as $10/hour. With
skyrocketing gas and food prices, many are forced
to take second jobs or go on public assistance
just to meet their families' basic needs. Roughly
96% are eligible for at least one of the
following taxpayer-funded program: food stamps,
WIC, public housing subsidies, and subsidized
child care. In a difficult budget year, UC
executives are pushing the costs of paying
poverty wages onto California taxpayers.
"UC executives don't pay service workers enough
to survive, but expect taxpayers to pick up the
tab in the form of public assistance. We expect
that from Wal-Mart - not from the University of
California, a public institution - that's double
dipping." - Lakesha Harrison, UC Licensed
Vocational Nurse and President of AFSMCE Local
3299.
Higher gas prices and stagnant wages have created
a crisis for thousands of UC families that are
already living paycheck to paycheck. Typically,
the lowest paid workers at UC can only afford to
live in low income communities farther away from
campus, forcing a longer commute and higher fuel
costs that use a disproportionate portion of
their budget. Increasing wages would not only
help lift workers out of poverty, but could
positively impact CA and the low- and
moderate-income areas where UC workers live as
they contribute more to their local economy.
"It is always a struggle on UC salary. But now
that gas prices are so high, I don't know how my
family will survive. From week to week, it's a
choice between gas, paying the electric bill, or
putting food on the table. I don't want to go on
public assistance, but I may have no choice."-
Jaron Quetel at UCLA campus
UC wages have fallen dramatically behind other
hospitals and California's community colleges
where workers are paid family-sustaining wages
that are on average of 25% higher. Additionally,
University executives insist on increasing
benefits costs that would drive families deeper
into poverty. When workers have stood up for
better lives for their families and better
working conditions, the University has retaliated
by violating labor laws.
During the strike, hundreds of medical workers
may honor picket lines as a matter of individual
conscience and refuse to work, "If UC executives
insist on paying poverty wages, I cannot in good
conscience cross the service workers' picket
line. This is a public institution, and UC
executives have an obligation to serve the
public, not keep people in poverty. - Judy
McKeever, Respiratory Therapist, UCSF
According to California State-appointed neutral
Factfinder Carol Vendrillo, who independently
evaluated the viability of a service workers'
labor agreement, "U.C. has demonstrated the
ability to increase compensation when it fits
with certain priorities without any demonstrable
link to a state funding sources. It is time for UC
to take a broader view of its priorities by
honoring the important contribution that service
workers make to the U.C. community and
compensating them with wages that are in line
with the competitive market rate." UC continues
to reward its Executives with hundreds of
thousands of dollars in compensation and lavish
benefit packages.
The American Federation of State, County, and
Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, AFL-CIO
represents 20,000
patient care and service workers at UC including
licensed vocational nurses, medical techs and
assistants, respiratory therapists, custodians,
cafeteria workers, and security officers.
2201 Broadway Ave, Suite 315 Oakland, CA 94612,
(510) 844-1160, media@afscme3299. org
Hi folks,
Below is a report from the last Bargaining session in Irvine. If you
would like more info on bargaining, including prior bargaining
reports, go to: http://upte. org/rx-tx/ index.html.
Any questions should be directed to the Davis RX/TX bargainer,
Edgardo Vasquez <edvasquez1966@ sbcglobal. net>.
take care,
todd
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:41:49 -0700
From: "Kevin Rooney" <krooney11@gmail. com>
Reply-To: stewards@upte- cwa.org
Subject: Stewards: Bargaining Report #6-Irvine Session June 18-20
Hi Folks,
Please let me know if you have any questions.
~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
1) Date-Bargaining session #6 at UC Irvine June 18-20, 2008.
2) The UC Bargaining team canceled two of the three days the
teams were scheduled to meet. They were involved in trying to
finalize an agreement with AFSCME. The teams met on Thursday of the
planned three day session.
3) Members Speak Out-An Irvine Staff Research Associate (SRA)
spoke about the problem of being misclassified during her career at
UC. This was brought to her attention by UPTE, and she has been
working with the local to be properly classified. Being
misclassified brings with it, many negative effects. Besides
suffering lower pay, it hampers career opportunities by not giving
the person proper credit for the level of work performed. Scene
technicians spoke from UCLA about the disparity between UC pay and
the industry standards. The lack of shift differential for UC scene
techs is also an irritant.
4) Our bargaining team discussed extending the contract in
exchange for a written commitment that UC would no longer tie our
wages to the state budget. This was flatly refused. Discussion
surrounded the possibility of extending Compensatory Time Off (CTO)
versus Overtime pay for certain job classifications, most of which
are in theater departments. The team contacted several campuses,
whose members would be affected by this issue. Feedback from
members around the state overwhelmingly supported the team's
decision to not extend the contract. UC wasn't interested in a
limited extension; they wanted an extension of the whole contract.
Not extending the contract pressures UC to negotiate a fair contract
as soon as possible. We had many proposals to present to the
university, but this was not possible since they were only available
to meet one day.
5) Future Sessions-Bargaining is coming to your campus soon:
Merced July 9-11, Santa Barbara July 23-25 (possibly adding 2 days,
July 21 & 22); San Francisco August 6-8; Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (LBNL) September 9-12 (tentative); Santa Cruz September
17-19 (confirmed); Los Angeles October 8-10 (tentative); and
Berkeley October 22-24 (tentative).
Submitted by the TX/RX Bargaining Team:
Kevin Rooney, UCSF, Chief Negotiator, TX-Sr. EH & S Tech.
Arlene Schlosser, UCSD, RX-Staff Research Associate III
Bob Stevenson, UCSB, TX-Sr. Electronics Tech.
Dieskau Reed, UCSC, TX-Computer Operator
Edgardo Vasquez, UCD, TX-Sr. Animal Technician
Juliana Emert, UCSD, TX-Animal Technician
Ling Morgan, UCI, RX-Staff Research Associate III
Mercedes Garcia-Mohr, UCSD, HX-Clinical Social Worker III
Mike Ghafari, UCI, TX-Animal Technician
Paul Haller, UCB, TX-Lab Assistant IV
Rita Kern, UCLA, RX-Staff Research Associate III
Vicky Barberini, UCSF, TX-Sr. EH & S Tech.
Victor Dorsett, LBNL, RX-Research Assistant
Zak Stelly-Riggs, UCD, TX-Sr. Scene Tech.
Kevin Rooney
TX/RX Coordinator & Chief Negotiator
President UCSF
UPTE-CWA 9119
415-753-8783 (UPTE)
1498 9th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94122
----------- --------- --------- --------- -----
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For corrections, add and removal requests,
send email to info@upte-cwa. org
Stewards Hot Line 530.759.0803 option 4
