Thousands of graduate student employees in the University of California system will soon be working under a new contract, as members of UAW Local 2865 ratified the agreement statewide on June 30.
The new union contract will maintain current wage levels, rights and benefits for members and will go into effect on Oct. 1, when the current contract ends. It will extend through Sept. 30, 2010, according to a statement on the UAW Local 2865 Web site.
But in spite of the nearly identical wording in the new and old contracts, the fact that the agreement will not include any wage increases for graduate student employees has been a point of contention.
“We’re in a pretty bad situation,” said Scott Armstrong, former financial secretary of the union and a graduate student at UC Berkeley. “Considering that we lost so much ground compared to 10 years ago, this is not a victory.”
In contrast, the union viewed the lack of a wage increase or decrease as an accomplishment.
“The ratification of this contract is bittersweet for many members,” according to a union bargaining committee statement. “On the one hand, members recognized the significance of preserving what we have in the midst of California’s financial crisis. On the other hand, members are ready to negotiate (and win) increased wages, an expansion of the fees covered when we’re working.”
Christine Petit, UAW Local 2865 president, could not be reached for comment. UAW Local 2865 represents over 12,000 graduate student employees at nine UC campuses, according to its Web site.
Armstrong said that the zero wage increase is not a first in union history.
He said that three years ago, UAW Local 2865 settled for no wage increases because efforts were concentrated on the unionization of postdoctoral students.
“With less negotiators, there are more people to get postdocs,” he said.
However, Armstrong said that this year, the decision to maintain the current wage levels comes at an economically difficult time.
“We’re having a hard time paying rent,” he said. “Wages are really low now, especially for (UC) Berkeley and UCLA and compared to schools like Stanford and Michigan, they pay much more and it makes it really hard.”
In the statement, union officials said that UAW Local 2865 will prepare for another round of bargaining next year and that the union is focusing on the rights they do have.