Amid the noise of whistles, shouts and car horns, hundreds of
UCLA workers picketed on Westwood Boulevard on Thursday afternoon
in protest of university wage offers during ongoing contract
negotiations with their union.
The union, called the State Employees Trades Council, represents
nearly 600 UCLA craftsmen, including painters, electricians and
sheet metal workers who work for Campus Housing, University
Apartments, Health Care and Associated Students UCLA.
Around 300 workers came to the picket line ““ about half of
the people the union represents.
The union chose to picket rather than strike because at this
stage in the contract negotiations a strike is illegal, according
to a press release.
Picketers gathered in front of the Gonda Building across from
the university police department and, carrying signs, marched in
circles across the street and around UCPD blasting air horns and
whistles.
Some of the signs read, “Shame on UCLA,” “We
deserve a fair contract,” and “Management only takes
care of their own.”
In the wake of the recent scandal in which the University of
California came under fire for giving top officials excessive
compensation, union workers are concerned that the university is
awarding managers lavish compensation packages and leaving staff
underpaid.
“The bottom line is that we haven’t (had) a raise in
three years,” said Mitchell McConnel, an employee
participating in the contract negotiations and a carpenter at
UCLA.
“We are trying to negotiate in good faith and we feel that
(UCLA) is not,” he said, referring to what he called minimal
offers to increase wages.
UCLA officials declined to comment on the specifics of the
contract negotiations.
“I think details of the contract proposals are best
handled at the bargaining table. … I can say that UCLA values the
contributions of all employees including those represented by this
union. They provide valuable services to UCLA faculty, staff and
students,” said Phil Hampton, a UCLA spokesman.
Part of the reason the union was picketing is that in the recent
UC budget Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger allocated state funds for a
3.5 percent raise for most university employees, said Dave
Haugland, a union organizer.
UCLA skilled craftsmen have yet to receive this raise, and
workers maintain that their pay is significantly less than the
current market value.
“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.
Picketers shouted at passing cars “honk if you want to
feed your family,” and received a response from many of the
passing drivers.
“We’re out here picketing for our families,”
Haugland said.
McConnel said the workers are not looking for a disproportionate
raise, but deserve more equitable compensation.
UCLA contract negotiators could not be reached for comment.
Contract negotiations began in March, and because the union and
UCLA cannot agree on a wage the groups have reached an official
impasse in the bargaining process and a state mediator will be
appointed to try and resolve the groups’ differences.
“It is not unusual for mediation (to occur in contract
negotiations), and we hope a resolution can be reached soon,”
Hampton said.