Why have lecturers, researchers, hospital and technical workers,
nurses, policemen and other University of California employees all
voted for union representation? Because with a union they have a
powerful voice for negotiating with the UC, and have the right to
union representation in difficult job situations or layoffs. With a
union they can obtain better wages and working conditions, as
proven by the track record of University Professional and Technical
Employees and other UC unions, even during serious budgetary crises
that we are facing.
Administrative professionals are now facing a critical choice
with the upcoming union election and decision to vote for or
against union representation.
Some staff members don’t want to pay union dues ““
but if they’ve worked at the UC since the University
Professional and Technical Employees union obtained extra wage
increases in 2000, those increases will pay for dues in perpetuity.
For new employees, one small extra wage increase obtained by UPTE
bargaining would pay one’s union dues forever. The UC Office
of the President’s Web site implies that represented staff
have not received better wage increases than unrepresented
employees by stating, “Like all unions, it (UPTE) believes it
can improve employee wages, benefits and working
conditions.”
UPTE not only can, but has improved wages and working conditions
for represented employees. When UCOP suggests represented staff
might not get better wage increases than unrepresented employees,
it becomes important to look at the factual data.
According to UPTE calculations, UPTE has significantly increased
employee wages. From 2000 to 2004, the average UPTE-represented
research and technical professional received total wage increases
of 8.75 percent, and the average health professional received a
10.1 percent wage increase. Administrative professionals
(unrepresented) received an average of only 6.8 percent over the
same period ““ and 1.8 percent of that was due to UPTE
lobbying. (In 2000, UPTE lobbied the state Legislature to get
administrative professionals an additional 1.0 percent raise, and
convinced the Legislature to add $19.8 million to the UC budget.)
Without UPTE, workers would have only received 5 percent over this
four year period.
Similarly, in 2002-2003, UC lost significant funding from the
state, but employees did not share the burden equally. In
2002-2003, technical employees eligible for a step increase got a
base pay increase of 2.8 percent despite the funding problems
(which was almost twice what unrepresented administrative
professionals received). UPTE has also negotiated equity wage
increases of up to 20 percent for dozens of individual job titles
that lagged the outside job market.
In 2002-2003, research professionals won an end to the arbitrary
merit pay and returned to the step system, which has explicit
guidelines for raises. Under the merit system, there is no
accountability for how merit allocations are distributed (or
whether all available merit money is distributed). Merit pay is
administered differently in each department: It is given across the
board by some, while other departments use questionable practices
to determine who gets a raise and who doesn’t. Under a union
contract, UPTE would bargain and negotiate for raises and the
employees would vote on the contract.
Compensation is not the only working condition UPTE has improved
at the bargaining table. UPTE understands that the budget is tight,
and so has joined with other UC unions to meet with the UC to
discuss how to control benefit costs.
The UC has given us wonderful benefit choices and we realize
they have tried to keep costs down, but belonging to a union would
allow employees to be part of the decision-making process and have
input into the decisions that effect our lives. UPTE catalyzed the
change of employee status from casual to career for hundreds of
people at UCLA, some of whom were casual employees for 10 years or
more.
There is still more work to be done; like fighting for the
rights of employees facing layoffs, especially those administrative
professionals who are not protected by UPTE contracts.
Administrative professionals worried about wage increases and
benefits should vote yes for union representation.
Grese, Kimmick and Magee are UPTE members.