First lady Eleanor Roosevelt told the Congress of Industrial
Organizations Convention in 1943, “I believe you should tell
the story of injustices, of inequalities, of bad conditions, so
that the people as a whole in this country really face the problems
that people who are pushed to the point of striking know all about,
but others know practically nothing about.”
These stirring words have as much relevance today as they did at
the height of World War II ““ and nowhere more than at our own
doorstep. For over seven months, there has been a silent war of
attrition between the American Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees, which represents UCLA service workers, and the
university.
As the impasse reaches the stage where strike action looks
likely, it is time for students to “really face the problems
that people who are pushed to striking know all about.” But
what are these problems?
Let’s start with a report out last Tuesday by the National
Economic Development and Law Center. It found that a staggering 98
percent of UCLA service workers who are single parents with a
preschooler earn less than the bare minimum for survival, like
rent, food, child care and transportation.
When I talked to Bernarda Marcial, an assistant cook at Hedrick
Hall, she bore this out. “I have four children, and more
often than not I cannot afford the rent on our house,” she
said. “It is simply impossible to bring up a family on these
wages.”
The report goes on to show how UCLA sits rock bottom in the wage
table of 10 Los Angeles County employers. Long Beach Community
College District’s senior custodians make up to twice as much
as UCLA’s.
Suzanne Jett, who also works in Hedrick dining hall, told me
that since she had come to UCLA in 2001, she had received a raise
of only 12 cents, and her hourly wage is a miserly $8.32. Yes,
$8.32! I couldn’t believe it either.
So how is all this justified by the bigwigs who run our
university? Well, the common thread, and the one articulated to me
by UCLA spokesperson Noel Van Nyhuis, is that the much-publicized
financial difficulties of the state of California make it
impossible to increase wages in the face of budget constraints.
Consequently, they are offering the service workers a package
that stipulates no raises for the next two years and “no
guarantee” for the two years after that. Would any sane union
sign that deal?
But the tale doesn’t end there. A quick look at the dirty
financial back-scratching shows it is much more a matter of
priorities as a lack of funding. According to a recent article in
the Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 “chiefs of public
institutions” in 2003 earned more than $500,000, and there
was a median wage increase of 19.2 percent for “research
university chiefs.”
In an article in UCLA Today, Werner Z. Hirsch, UCLA professor
emeritus of economics, said regarding the above statistic that
“large pay packages of university presidents are justified,
given their enormous fiduciary responsibilities and the challenge
of distinguishing themselves as thoughtful, innovative and
inspiring academic leaders.”
At no point in his article does Hirsch mention the fact that
thousands of workers at UCLA get paid wages that cannot bring up a
family.
No, according to what seems to be a large portion of the UCLA
establishment, we should worry about our leaders who ““
tissues at the ready ““ “must act under immense pressure
… without a sabbatical to recharge.”
Never mind that it would take Jett and her coworkers ““ at
eight hours a day, five days a week ““ over 25 years to earn
as much as the university chiefs earn in one year.
Then there are the bonuses UCLA has been handing out to
executives at the UCLA medical center, most of whom already earn
over $200,000. Thirteen executives earned bonuses which totaled
$343,000 in 2005. And what about the $98,000 UCLA spent on its new
logo?
I think the union should break off negotiations and strike right
away, since the university is not even close to offering an
acceptable package. For anyone who takes opposition to the
disgraceful behavior of our university, talk to the people in your
dining hall, write to the UCLA authorities, and organize.
Let’s see some justice done for the people who make our
day-to-day lives so easy.
Kennard is a third-year history student. E-mail him at
mkennard@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.