After two years of haggling, strikes and frustration, the
University of California has finally come to an agreement with its
clerical employees.
The Coalition of University Employees informed the UC Wednesday
night its members had voted to accept a contract proposed by a
state mediator, pending final approval by both parties.
“We are pleased that we are able to conclude these
negotiations,” said UC press aide Paul Schwartz.
Wednesday was the last day for the union to announce its
decision. If the union rejected the offer, both sides would have
had to decide whether or not to declare impasse.
Union members accepted the offer by a 1,557-831 vote. About
one-third of CUEs 18,000 members pay dues and are eligible to cast
ballots.
The final contract falls well short of CUE’s demands for a
15 percent increase in pay. Though the union accepted a 3.5 percent
pay increase over two years, CUE president Claudia Horning
expressed her disappointment with the figure.
“This does not mean that UC clericals are satisfied with
the wage component. … People just want to sign off on this
contract and take advantage of other language gains we’ve
made through bargaining,” she stated.
The wage offer is the same as in a November 2002 proposal that
CUE rejected. UC officials have repeatedly insisted financial
constraints related to the state budget crisis prevent the UC from
offering more.
“We believe this agreement is a fair and balanced
compromise,” stated Judith Boyette, associate vice president
for human resources and benefits.
Horning stated she believes the UC can afford to pay its
employees more, but that all unions representing university
employees would have to work together to obtain bigger offers.
Contract negotiations have been ongoing since May 2001, and the
parties traveled a bumpy road toward their agreement.
CUE went on strike last August at UC Berkeley and at the UC
Office of the President in Oakland to protest alleged unfair
bargaining practices committed by the UC. The university replied by
alleging the union’s strike violated labor laws.
The new contract is scheduled to expire in September 2004. The
university has also had difficulty reaching an accord with the
union representing UC lecturers ““ no agreement has been made
after over three years of talks.