Monday, 6/30/97 State legislators support SAGE UNIONS:
Politicians sign letter to UC Regents urging union recognition
By Stefanie Wong Daily Bruin Staff The fight to gain university
recognition by the Student Association of Graduate Employees (SAGE)
and its sister unions this past year has consisted of strikes and
picket lines – but they have recently adopted a new strategy.
Urging immediate union recognition by the UC system, members of the
California state legislature presented a letter to UC President
Richard Atkinson on June 24. Rolling strikes held by the unions at
various UC schools in November and May sparked the attention of
state legislators – and 35 of them signed the document. The letter
results from the collective work of the Academic Student Employee
(ASE) unions of the UC system and members of the state legislature.
Some of the signatories include local legislative members Tom
Hayden, Richard Polanco and Diane Watson. "We do regular outreach
to legislators looking for their support," said Jill Hargis,
financial secretary of UC Berkeley’s Association of Graduate
Student Employees (AGSE). "The strikes raised their awareness of
what was going on, so when we called, they knew who we were," she
said. "They understood the problem and were sympathetic," she
added. Assemblywoman Dion Aroner, (D- Oakland), a supporter of
students from UC Berkeley and a long-time advocate of labor rights,
was one of the first people contacted to work on the project. "(The
students) have done everything that they’re supposed to do as
employees. It’s the public policy of California that employees have
the right to organize," said Jennifer Colamonico, a field
representative from Aroner’s office. "This is a labor issue and the
university has tried to make it a student and education issue," she
added. "The work of the graduates is important and they should have
the right – as other workers do – to try to improve their
situations," said Sandy Harrison, a spokesperson for Sen. Bill
Lockyer (D-Hayward). "(Lockyer) was happy to climb on board and
sign that letter," he added. In September 1996, Public Employee
Relations Board (PERB) administrative law judge James W. Tamm ruled
that teaching assistants, readers and tutors do have collective
bargaining rights. This decision was in addition to PERB’s earlier
verification that the UC system could voluntarily recognize the ASE
unions at any time. However, the university has continued to deny
recognition of the unions and is appealing Tamm’s decision. The
university contends that the decision is inconsistent with an
earlier state holding that graduate student instructors and
researchers at UC Berkeley did not have collective bargaining
rights. The action ASE groups have taken this past year stems from
the university’s failure to recognize their unions and rights to
collective bargaining. Though the strikes have not prompted
university recognition, members of the ASE groups believe that they
have made progress toward their goal. "(The strikes) have not yet
resulted in granting recognition," said SAGE board member John
Medearis, "but I can’t see responsible administrators not taking
notice of the disruptions they have caused by failing to recognize
us." These disruptions include canceled, postponed or relocated
lectures and discussions caused by the strikes. However, ASE union
members are quick to comment that one of the accomplishments of the
strikes was growing support for their cause within the
universities. SAGE holds that there was an increase in the number
of undergraduate, graduate and faculty honoring the strike. Also,
over 11,000 undergraduates from UC Berkeley and UCLA signed
petitions declaring their support for the unions during the May
walkout. "The strike garnered a lot of support and effected the
university by raising awareness and increasing pressure on the
university," Hargis said. The unions believe that the letter and
the support from 35 members of the state legislature are examples
of growing pressure from outside the university. "The letter puts
the university on notice that key legislators who set policy and
write the budget for the UC system are unhappy with it," Medearis
said. "The UCs don’t have support from legislators, they don’t have
support from undergraduates and clearly they’re in the wrong from
the standpoint of the majority of academic student employees," he
added. The UC Office of the President has not commented on the
letter yet, but ASE members are optimistic and believe the unions
will be recognized. "If the university is smart, they’ll see that
if we have legislative support, we have the support of a large
number of people in California," Hargis said. "I see no reason why
(the administration) should stick to their unwise reasoning as
stubbornly as they have," she added. Previous Daily Bruin Story
Grad TA’s ‘teach out’ for recognition, February 8, 1995