Administration Proposes Cuts across the Board; UAW Stands Firm

WAGES: the administration’s wage proposal called for a cut in real wages. They are proposing no guaranteed wage increases; instead, they are proposing increases of less than 2%, if the state budget allows, which will not keep up with inflation in California.

Furthermore, the administration’s wage proposal would not begin to address the gap in ASE financial support between the University of California and competing institutions, which the UC administration itself has identified as a key problem (see the update sent on 8/27 for more details). When pressed on this gap, an administration spokesperson suggested that it might be filled through “personal and familial sources of support,” as if readers, tutors, and TAs were independently wealthy.

HEALTH BENEFITS AND FEE REMISSIONS: the administration proposed to abolish 100% fee remissions by capping remission of education and registration fees and health insurance premiums at the 2007-08 dollar amount. Future increases in fees or insurance premiums would not be covered. With fees rising 8-10% per year or more and health insurance costs rising 6-15% per year or more, this represents a substantial cut in real wages.

The administration’s plan to pass these costs on to employees does not begin to address our proposal for a comprehensive healthcare system that includes employees and their dependents and a fee remission program that covers the entire cost of tuition and fees for employees. The administration has also consistently failed to provide vital information we need to bargain over healthcare and other outstanding issues.

CHILDCARE: the administration rejected our proposal to subsidize employee childcare costs though they recognized the need for a childcare program. One university spokesperson accurately characterized our proposal as “a subsidy program to enhance an [employee’s] ability to matriculate, be gainfully employed and contribute to the mission of the university.”

The next day, another university representative, in rejecting our proposal, said, “The University believes that there are sufficient child care resources provided to most of the individuals that you represent, and those programs are both effective and cost effective
. They provide services at a reasonable cost, recognizing the financial needs of the students.” This remark displayed an arrogant disregard for the realities of life for teaching assistants, readers, and tutors with children, who more often than not face lengthy waitlists and programs that absorb at least half of their monthly wages.

SUMMER SESSION: the administration also was unresponsive to our proposal for rights and wages during summer session equal to those of the rest of the academic year.

Undoubtedly the Administration’s subsequent proposals will reflect some improvements; however, their current proposals have a long, long way to go, and they start off in the wrong direction.

The administration appears to be bargaining in bad faith. Nevertheless, despite their stalling tactics and continual failure to provide meaningful information, we are working hard to get a strong contract by the expiration date of the current agreement, September 30.

The active participation of members around the state has been inspiring, and it will be essential to shake the administration out of its recalcitrance. If you would like more information or would like to get involved, reply to this email or visit http://www.uaw2865.org/contact/contact.php.

Our next bargaining session with the administration is September 10-12.

In solidarity,

UAW 2865 Bargaining Committee

Tarone Bittner, Davis Unit Chair
Toi Carter, Riverside Recording Secretary
Meaghan Chadwick, Merced Unit Chair
Clinton Christensen, San Diego Recording Secretary
Cassandra Engeman, Santa Barbara Recording Secretary
Michelle Gallagher, Los Angeles Unit Chair
Tim Gutierrez, Davis Recording Secretary
Adam Hefty, Santa Cruz Recording Secretary
Samantha Iyer, Berkeley Recording Secretary
Jamie Keeton, Los Angeles Recording Secretary
Daraka Larimore-Hall, Santa Barbara Unit Chair
Christine Petit, Riverside Unit Chair
Dan Roth, Berkeley Unit Chair
David Selby, San Diego Unit Chair
Sara Smith, Santa Cruz Unit Chair
Coral Wheeler, Irvine Recording Secretary

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UAW Local 2865 - Santa Cruz
310 Locust St., Suite B/Mailbox 2
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
phone: (831) 423-9737 / fax: (831) 423-3606
santacruz [at] uaw2865.org / http://www.uaw2865.org