The University of California’s academic student employees — such as teaching assistants, tutors and graduate student instructors — are negotiating with administration for higher wages, increased child care subsidies and timely notifications of job offers.
The student employees are represented by the United Auto Workers Local 2865. In Spring Quarter 2010, UAW filed an unfair labor practices suit with the UC Office of the President in an attempt to reach a contract for the aforementioned provisions.
“[We have] near poverty wages and we do the bulk of the teaching,” UAW media coordinator Erin Ellison said. “They are asking us to take an effective pay cut.”
Legally, workers can strike because of the unfair labor practices suit and the fact that they work without a contract. The UC Office of the President and UAW met on Tuesday, Nov. 9 to continue negotiations.
Ellison, who is a teaching assistant at UC Santa Cruz, is working with a grassroots campaign unaffiliated with the UAW. This group is using a petition to ask for a pay increase and tell UCOP what the members want to see in the new contract.
“David Selby [recording secretary for the San Diego UAW Local 2865] presented to the council about four weeks ago and gave us the status of union negotiations to that point.” Graduate Student Association Vice President Nicholas Sanez said.
The petition is signed by nearly 650 graduate student instructors, readers, tutors and TAs, 22 of which are from UCSD. The petition claims that the current pay increase offer of 2 percent is lower than the expected cost of living expenses.
The petition also asked for collective bargaining power for the workers. Seanz said the UC system does not want the academic student employees to be involved in the contract process at the bargaining table.
Ellison said he is concerned with job security and job appointments. According to Ellison, one TA was dropped as a TA after a week and often TAs will not know of their appointment or even if they have a job until within a week or less before the class begins.
She also said the UC system is hypocritical with its spending and does not provide proficient money for child care.
“It’s pretty clear the hypocrisy and lack of priority in their practices,” Ellison said. “They won’t approve [child care] but the will approve over $11 million in bonuses.”
UC Office of the President spokespeople Lynn Tierney and Steve Montiel were unable to comment on the issue.
“I haven’t seen the petition,” said UCOP spokesperson Steve Montiel. “The negotiations happen at the bargaining table.”