After two pickets and months of contract negotiations, a union
representing UCLA trade and technical workers reached an agreement
Friday for a new contract with the university.
The union, the State Employees Trades Council, represents nearly
600 UCLA craftsmen, including painters, electricians and sheet
metal workers who work for UCLA Housing and Hospitality Services,
university apartments, health care and Associated Students
UCLA.
Three hundred union workers picketed on Westwood Boulevard in
August, and similar numbers picketed in September in front of
Murphy Hall.
Union representatives claimed that workers were receiving
under-market wages and were not given appropriate safety gear or
hazard pay.
The contract negotiations began in March, and the union and the
university reached an official bargaining impasse in August.
“For three days we went back and forth with a state
mediator,” said Dave Haugland, interim chief steward of UCLA
SETC-United, referring to recent negotiations. “After three
days of haggling they just couldn’t come up with the money.
The process was very arduous at the end.”
One of the chief complaints of the union was that the workers
did not receive a 3.5-percent raise in conjunction with an increase
in the UC budget for wage increases from Gov. Schwarzenegger.
Workers also said that they had not received a raise in over three
years.
“I make $36 an hour with outside contractors, but I only
make $27.39 an hour at UCLA,” said Tracy Hanamoto, a sheet
metal worker.
After Friday’s agreement, the union will receive a
retroactive wage increase of 3.5 percent effective March 1, 2006, a
four-percent wage increase effective Oct. 1, 2006, and a
four-percent wage increase beginning Oct. 1, 2007.
Workers also received a one-time sign-on bonus of $1,000, and
the university agreed to provide employees with safety boots and
increased hazard pay.
“The university is pleased to have come to an agreement
with the union,” said Phil Hampton, a university spokesman.
“Members of the trades council provide valuable services in
support of the university’s mission of teaching and
research.”
Though union representatives said they still think they deserve
more money, they are happy the negotiations have come to a
close.
“The definition of a good contract is where neither side
is happy, but both sides can live with it,” Haugland said,
adding that he is glad that he has received a raise for the first
time in years.
A strike was tentatively planned for later this week, but was
avoided with the agreement that was reached Friday.
The union agreed to ratify their new contract with 398 workers
voting yes and 43 voting no.
The UC Office of the President still needs to approve the final
contract but Haugland said they are expected to do so within the
next few days.