Following a tense year of demonstrations and negotiations, union representatives reached a deal with UC officials this month that increases wages for approximately 3,000 custodial workers across the 10-campus system.
The agreement between the university and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 provides custodial employees at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz with a $1.75 hourly wage increase and raises the hourly salaries of custodians at other campuses by 50 cents.
It also ends UC Irvine’s outsourcing practices, dictating that all groundskeepers subcontracted from outside businesses be classified as employees of the UC system effective July 1.
In addition, the $4.3 million total increase is retroactive – including all time worked since April 1 – and ends the union’s public boycott of the four campuses primarily affected by the decision.
Although the increase is not enough to bring UC custodial pay up to the amount earned by workers at California Community Colleges – who average about $5 per hour more – it is a good first step toward more equal wages, union President Lakesha Harrison said.
“”This little bit helped us not to be so far behind,”” she said. “”For us, it’s a big victory.””
Negotiations, which began approximately six months ago, had been hampered by prolonged difficulties in reaching a compromise.
However, in recognition of the state’s high cost of living, the university ultimately decided to provide the raises, according to UC Office of the President spokeswoman Nicole Savickas.
“”The agreement we reached with AFSCME was based on months of proposals and counterproposals, and represented a compromise on both sides in the interest of our employees,”” Savickas said in an e-mail.
Former state Sen. John Burton (D-San Francisco) mediated the conflict after union and university officials reached an impasse and released a proposal that AFSCME accepted earlier this month.
“”Sen. Burton’s involvement helped to keep the dialogue open, which we appreciate,”” Savickas said.
The special custodial employee agreement comes on the heels of, and in addition to, the university’s recent decision to increase the pay of all AFSCME-represented employees.
Under the agreement, staff members earning less than $30,000 annually will receive a 2-percent salary increase, employees earning between $30,000 and $34,999 will receive a 1-percent salary increase and those earning between $35,000 and $39,999 will receive a 0.5-percent pay increase.
According to Harrison, the union is also preparing to bring several other issues to the bargaining table, including pensions and health care benefits, but expects the university to resist any attempts at policy overhaul.
“”We need to be able to better work with UC because our relationship is broken,”” Harrison said. “”It’s always a fight, and we don’t understand why that is.””
However, Savickas said that distributing wage increases equitably is always a priority for the university and that union concerns are “”under constant consideration and review.””
Lamar Williams, a UCSD custodian of seven years, said that the salary increase was greatly needed.
“”I think it’s long overdue,”” he said. “”Prices for everything are going up.””
