Staff research associates vote for unions

Tuesday, April 9, 1996

University Professional and Technical Employees to represent
workers’ rightsBy Michael Angell

Daily Bruin Contributor

While unions fighting for recognition are usually associated
with Kentucky coal-mines or Detroit assembly lines, the quiet halls
of University of California research facilities have become the
latest site of union activity as the men and women who do research
voted for union representation.

During a month-long election, UC staff research associates
(SRAs) voted 1,359- 879 in favor of union representation by the
University Professional and Technical Employees. Cliff Fried,
president of the union’s local chapter, said that the election
results gave his members an equal footing in contract
negotiations.

"Since 1985, things have actually deteriorated for staff
research associates," Fried said. "The SRAs figure they need to do
things. The university has unilaterally been able to change things.
Now we can sit down on equal basis with the university."

Once the election results have been certified, University
Professional and Technical Employees will negotiate on behalf of
3,700 statewide employees, most of whom are classified as staff
research associates.

Research associates design and conduct basic experiments on
university science and medical research. In most cases, these are
scientists working on grants from outside agencies like the
National Institutes of Health. Nevertheless, they are considered UC
employees.

"They are paid by the university because the university
administers the grant," said Jason Erlich, union staffer. "They are
hired by the university but not subject to (the) state
budget.That’s how the university is trying to view them."

The UC and the union are contending over the status of such
employees. Staff research associates are either classified as
"career" or "casual" employees by the university.

Career employees are considered full time and are eligible for a
variety of benefits such as medical insurance and retirement
bonuses. But casual employees are not eligible for such
benefits.

In order for an employee to be considered "career," they must
work continuously for at least one year. According to Erlich,
various departments "fire" researchers for one day of the year in
order to prevent them from becoming career employees. At UCLA more
than 70 percent of research employees are considered casual.

"Many SRAs have been here for many years, but are still casual
employees," Erlich said. "It’s a little game that (the university)
has been playing with employees."

However, Lynn Thompson, the manager of employee and labor
relations at UCLA, said that there is no official policy to prevent
employees from becoming career employees.

"They (the employees) may have an employment period for x months
at a time but then the project can stop," Thompson said.
"Employment time would depend on what is going on in a particular
department."

Thompson said that the university provides medical and
retirement benefits for those employees that are considered career
employees.

The union contends that the university does not want to give
increased medical coverage or retirement benefits to research
employees, even though such incentives come from outside grant
money.

Furthermore, the union’s newest members have been subject to
state budget cuts despite the fact that they work on grants from
outside agencies. In 1991, staff research associates took a 3.5
percent pay cut along with other UC employee because of budget
reductions.

Erlich called such a cut a "direct hit on employees that are not
affected by state budget." Thompson was unfamiliar with the pay
cuts.

Union officials are also hoping to get the university to provide
continuing education for its members.

Fried said that researchers who become involved in one project
over the years gain very specialized knowledge which is
unapplicable to other research projects.

"(The) key thing is when laid off, what can I do to get a new
job?" Fried said. "There’s no real training procedure."

Thompson replied that "the university has not singled out staff
research associates for further training." Her department and
University Professional and Technical Employees are expected to
enter into negotiations sometime in July, after the election
results have been certified.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *