Other UC unions sympathetic to issues of service workers
By Daily Press staff
Thousands of University of California workers walked picket lines on campuses and at medical centers on Thursday, a move university officials say is illegal.
The Local 3299 chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents workers at UC, has been in a deadlock with the university system over salaries, workload and educational opportunities since negotiations for a new contract began last year.
In protest, 7,300 workers participated in a one-day strike at UC institutions throughout the state, with about two dozen showing up to the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center.
The strike had no effect on operations and procedures at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. Many AFSCME employees crossed the picket line and reported to work as scheduled, said spokesman Ted Braun. Contingency plans helped ensure that there was no disruption in services to patients and visitors, he added.
University officials said because AFSCME called the strike before the statutorily mandated impasse process was completed, they believe the strike is not only unlawful and unprotected under the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA), but also demonstrates bad-faith bargaining by the union.
Numerous rulings by the state Public Employment Relations Board hold that any strike in advance of the completion of the full bargaining process, including impasse proceedings and the parties taking time to explore and consider all settlement options following impasse, is presumptively illegal, according university officials.
Workers say it’s the university system that refuses to bargain in good faith. Wage disputes are at the center of negotiations, as the union wants UC to institute salaries they find comparable to those received by other area workers.
Both sides have met more than two dozen times over the past six months to no avail. No settlement was reached when negotiations with a state mediator were held April 4-5. Under the state’s bargaining law for higher education, the parties were required to resume negotiations and use those recommendations in an effort to reach an agreement.
UC officials say the figure the union is requesting is well beyond anything the universities could actually pay. AFSCME wants about two times what the system actually has, according to UC officials.
They added that the union’s demand for salary increases are financially unrealistic. University officials say they can’t give the workers increased wages without funding from the state.
The university has offered raises for service workers predicated upon the budget compact with the governor, which provides increased salary funding over the next several years.
AFSCME is demanding guaranteed across-the-board increases every six months over a three-year period and a 20 percent salary increase over the next three years.
UC service workers are mostly immigrant and minority employees who serve food, clean buildings and grounds, drive buses and provide other essential services. They voted by a 92 percent margin in mid March to strike.
AFSCME Local 3299 has filed unfair labor practice charges with state regulators against UC to end the perceived bad-faith bargaining. UC officials say the bargaining record shows that the university has bargained fairly and in good faith throughout the negotiations.
Because other UC unions have indicated their intent to join in sympathy with AFSCME, the university has sent letters to union leaders reminding them of their legal obligation to adhere to the no-strikes provisions in their contracts.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 15, 2005. Read the original PDF.