a newsletter for professional and technical employees at the University of California
UP ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ TE UPDATE Pension protection victory C W A 9 1 1 9 AFL n CIO Reinstatement of employee contributions put on hold; University Professional UC commits to paying more towards pension plan & Technical Employees, gratifying victory in the takeaway that would have diverted our pensions.” On the same day, will enable members to assess their Communications Workers of fight to protect UC work- our 2% mandatory contributions union members at campuses and overall take home pay and benefits America 9119 • AFL-CIO ers’ pensions has been from the employee-funded Defined medical centers across the state held plan instead of having pieces taken Awon, after months of sustained Contribution Plan (DCP) into the actions to make clear to UC that, away one at a time. effort by a coalition of union employer-funded UC Retirement after years of undermarket salaries, Last month also brought leg- (510) 704-UPTE activists. System (UCRS) pension plan. workers cannot afford pay cuts to islative action on the pension front. [email protected] At their last meeting in San About 100 union members fund UC’s pension shortfalls. Two bills intended to make UC www.upte.org Francisco, the regents officially took a half-day off work to attend more accountable are winding their voted to delay implementing a the meeting to demand a “voice in UC’s contribution up way through the legislature. In In response to union pressure, addition, Assemblymember Leland the university also acknowledged Yee (D-San Francisco) is propos- that it would pay 11% of sal- ing a constitutional amendment ary for any UCRS contribution that would give employees an determined to be necessary, while equal role on the pension govern- proposing employees pay 5% of ing board (see page 3). salary. Meanwhile, UPTE’s tech While this ratio would be (TX) and researcher (RX) mem- closer to the historical precedent bers wrote to legislators and vice for UC contributions (see
Joe Pulido, photo UPTE wants pension con- expire in June 2008. Health care tributions dealt with as part of professional (HX) members will comprehensive bargaining includ- also have the right to fully bargain UC workers hold a press conference announcing the pension victory at the ing raises and health benefits. That any pension changes. UPTE LOCALS May regents’ meeting. Berkeley/UCOP Livermore building trades workers petition for (510) 848-UPTE Davis: UPTE-CWA representation (530) 759-0803 n June 26, a group of Over 8,000 people work at the ment benefits, such as has happened “Now, with a majority of us organiz- Irvine: building trades workers laboratory and many are working at Los Alamos National Laboratory ing with UPTE, we’re a step closer (949) 854-UPTE – electricians, plumbers, to build support for a union, from in New Mexico, where UPTE has to having a say in those decisions.” LANL: Opainters, laborers, air conditioning scientists and engineers, to cleri- used legislative and legal pressure The next step? PERB will verify the cards and mediate a dis- (505) 662-4679 mechanics, and others – walked cals and techs. The building trades to defend employees’ rights. into the state’s Public Employ- workers are the first to reach criti- “Privatization doesn’t look cussion between UC and UPTE on LBNL: ment Relations Board (PERB) in cal mass, with a majority of their good for current or future employ- union representation. If UC recog- (510) 665-7722 Oakland with a stack of signed unit supporting UPTE representa- ees, and life-changing decisions nizes the union, workers could be LLNL/SPSE: cards from their coworkers asking tion. are about to be made,” said Leri. at the bargaining table very soon. to be officially represented by “We’ve overcome the first (925) 449-4846 UPTE’s organizing team submitting cards at the state labor board (from left to right): UPTE-CWA. hurdle in our organizing journey,” Los Angeles: Ariel Gold, UPTE organizer; Larry Cassidy, Boiler & Pressure Systems Mechanic; The Livermore workers want said Brion Leri, an air condition- Dion Butts, A/C Mechanic; Brion Leri, A/C Mechanic; Ari Krantz, UPTE attorney; (310) 443-5484 to take advantage of new “card ing mechanic who has Jim Wolford, SPSE president; Rocky Torrice, A/C Mechanic. Merced: check” legislation that allows UC been involved in (510) 848-UPTE to voluntarily recognize the union the campaign since Riverside: if a majority of employees in a unit last year. (951) 781-7922 formally ask for representation. Leri says Union activists with the So- Livermore em- San Diego: ciety of Professionals, Scientists, ployees are wor- (858) 458-0845 and Engineers (SPSE), UPTE’s ried about UC’s San Francisco: local at Livermore, have been talk- contracting out of (415) 753-UPTE ing to coworkers about developing services when the Santa Barbara: a collective voice for the lab’s lab comes under workers, and asking them to sign new management in (805) 685-3661 “authorization” cards asking that October. Livermore Santa Cruz: the union be recognized as their workers face pos- (831) 429-UPTE collective bargaining agent. sible loss of retire- Dominic Chan, photo
Volume 13, Number 3 ■ July 2007 Organizing for fairness
At right, a group of UPTE members who work as interpreters and translators at the UC Davis medical center. They have been meeting regularly to strategize about improving pay and professional recognition in their field. Mathew Call, photo
UPTE’s summer Salary increases for medical interpreters school for activists ome 40 interpreters and translators of $15.36 to $29.50, depending on campus the increases by participating in UPTE’s at UC Davis continue to organize for and classification level. campaign of emailing legislators who served Want the big picture on what’s hap- fair pay and classification. The work- Historically, medical interpreters have on science committees. “We wanted to make pening to our pensions, where our Sers provide interpretation and translation been governed by a patchwork of system- sure all the money that the legislature ap- health benefits are headed, and what services at the UC Davis medical center, but wide university policies and contracts. propriated for these increases was actually kind of compensation your future have been paid at least 18% under compa- Currently, UC Davis’ 42 interpreters/transla- delivered to employees, and that UC would holds? rable market wage rates for years. tors are in UPTE’s technical bargaining unit, not short-change us,” said Ruby Miller, a With the union’s help, the interpret- while 33 interpreters at San Francisco, Irvine staff research associate at Riverside and a ers took a series of collective actions over and Los Angeles are classified as clericals, member of the UPTE bargaining team. Then mark your calendar for the the past year, including petitions, meetings and 3 San Diego interpreters are patient weekend of July 28-29, when UPTE and a march on Human Resources. Their care techs. UPTE, other UC unions, and the Upping the ante activists will gather in Berkeley for a research showed that below-market salaries university are discussing which bargaining After four bargaining sessions with “summer school for union builders had caused a nearly 30% turnover rate and unit is most appropriate for these workers, a UC, the union negotiated nearly 0.5% more and stewards.” Saturday morning consequently, a drop in the quality of service process called “unit modification.” in salary increases than was originally pro- sessions include plenary talks by to patients. Call says the Davis interpreters feel posed, covering approximately one thousand experts on the big issues, followed by As a result, the interpreters won salary UPTE’s health care professionals (HX) unit more workers in eleven different job titles workshops on both days to develop increases of 10% plus retroactive pay back is the most appropriate for the kind of work (including Animal Techs, Laboratory As- practical skills such as leading a meet- to July 2006 – a start, but still not enough to they do. “Since our field will soon require sistants and Scene Techs). ing, talking to the press, legislative bring them up to proper pay levels. certification or licensure and since we are in- The pay increases are calculated using action, and helping coworkers with volved in direct patient care,” says Call, “we the systemwide average salary for all RX New classification, higher pay grievances. Saturday evening features feel strongly that we belong in a bargaining and TX job titles. Salary ranges will be unit with other health care professionals. a dinner and social gathering. After more pressure from the union, UC readjusted, ensuring permanent gains in pay. has agreed to institute a new classification One of his department’s written transla- “We’ve fought hard for a fair step pay and higher wage scale for all medical inter- tors, Call adds, recently received American system,” said team member Bob Stevenson, Please RSVP to your local if you are preters. “Because medical interpretation is Translators Association certification, “the a UCSB electronics technician. “Using interested in attending all or part of the recognized as a distinct body of work in the most prestigious in the nation. It’s time we average pay as the basis for calculating these weekend. health services industry,” Human Resources are viewed as professionals.” Call adds that increases will help maintain that structure, representatives said in a written proposal, UPTE hopes to finalize the unit modification and will give more money to more people “the University of California proposes to cre- for the interpreters soon. around the state.” Vanessa Bakula (Staff Research Associate, ate a medical interpreter classification series, The increases are retroactive to April Davis), Nino Maida (Staff Research Associate, and extend it to all five medical centers.” Raises for techs and 1, and should be showing up in paychecks San Francisco) and Emily Montan (Administra- “This is wonderful news,” said Mathew shortly. Contact your local for details regard- tive Analyst, Office of the President) at a recent researchers who stewards’ training hosted by UPTE Berkeley. Call, a Spanish interpreter and UPTE ing additional increases for the Berkeley, Davis medical center’s make under 40K Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz campuses. vice president, “since UPTE bargainers reached agreement it means UC finally in late June over wage increases and range John Lippsett, a UCLA clinical social worker (right) with Aaron Rosenfield, Los Angeles UPTE organizer (left). understands that health adjustments for some 5,000 research (RX) care interpreting is its and technical (TX) unit workers. own profession. This is Employees in job titles with an average what we’ve truly been salary of less than $34,500 will receive a advocating for these past 1.95% increase; those with average salaries two years. What’s even between $34,501 and $35,500 will receive better is that all five UC a 0.95% increase; those averaging between medical centers will $35,501 and $40,000 will receive a 0.5% benefit.” increase. Along with the “Our mobilization efforts really paid new job title will be off,” said Kevin Rooney, a San Francisco a substantial wage EH&S tech and a member of the union’s increase. Hourly wages bargaining team. UC’s original proposal will increase from the had excluded large numbers of techs and current range of $11.10 researchers.
to $25.01 to a new range RX and TX employees helped win Erica Husted, photo
2 | UPDATE Around the state
Voices of UPTE: the RX/TX negotiators, it would be nice to UCLA social worker have it in the HX contract rather than rely on others. speaks out This is a two-way street though. The bargainers can only go as far as the member- John Lippsett is a licensed clinical social ship will support them. The membership has worker at the UCLA medical center and to let the bargainers know actively, not pas- an UPTE activist in the health care profes- sively, what the level of support for the team sionals (HX) unit. We asked him why he got will be. involved with UPTE, and what issues he feels are crucial to the union’s future. Legislating UC I have been a social worker at UCLA medical center since 1989. I have been a accountability dues-paying member of UPTE since HX Legislation that would strengthen employees voted for a union years ago. It workers’ rights at UC continues to make is only in the past year that I have become its way through the corridors of power in an active member of the union. For many Sacramento.
years, I sat back and expected the union to Senate Bill 190, which would require David Bacon, photo work for me. A series of events last year both the University of California and the California Nurses Association members march with filmmaker Michael Moore wherein I had very strong opinions led to California State University systems to com- before the opening of his new documentary about health care. my metamorphosis from inactive dues-payer ply with existing state law on open meet- to “primary zone leader” for approximately ings, is proceeding through both the Senate New legislation, new documentary 100 UCLA social workers. and Assembly with virtually no opposition. I am very happy that I have become an “We anticipate it will be on the governor’s reinvigorates debate on health care active member of our union. I have found desk fairly soon,” reports UPTE’s legislative that it is much nicer to work with people I coordinator, Rodney Orr. alifornia Nurses Association (CNA) members are leafletting moviegoers as film- like than to complain about people I do not The bill, which is backed by UC’s maker Michael Moore’s new film, SiCKO, premiers nationwide this summer. The even know. While I realize that my personal Union Coalition, would require the regents documentary, chock full of real life stories, looks critically at the privatized US situation allows me to participate in union to take action on all executive compensa- Chealth care system and the need for a national health care system. activities on the scale that I do participate, tion packages in a public meeting at both CNA is hosting some 3,000 screenings of the film, which it says is an historic opportu- it is important that all members actively the subcommittee and full board levels, and nity to turn movie audiences into health care reformers. participate to the extent they can. I hope that to fully disclose executive compensation Moore himself has screened the movie for legislators, and brought some of the film’s every union member can be inspired to be packages, closing an existing loophole that participants to testify at a congressional briefing called by Representative John Conyers (D- active and can enjoy the benefits of solidar- lets UC hold “advisory committees” or “task Michigan), chair of the House Judiciary Committee. ity as much as I have this past year. forces” behind closed doors. CNA members have joined Moore to call on individuals, pension funds, the govern- “There is no place for secrecy in a pub- ment and other investors to divest from publicly traded health insurance companies, which What’s the most important issue facing UC lic institution like UC,” added Orr. “After have a particular conflict between providing care and paying policyholders’ claims, and employees, and what’s our best strategy for hearing case after case of out-of-control ex- their fiduciary responsibility for generating higher revenues and profits for their sharehold- addressing it? ecutive compensation, legislators recognize ers, which they accomplish by limiting payments and denying needed medical care. Advo- The most important issue facing UC these practices need to change.” cates of divestment say it could send a strong message supporting an overhaul of the health employees right now has to do with our care system. pensions, our salaries, and our benefits. The Joint governance of pensions best strategy for addressing these issues is Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) Preventing benefits cuts, restructuring the system solidarity. There is strength in numbers. For is sponsoring a joint Assembly-Senate Meanwhile, UPTE and other UC unions are fighting to protect our health care benefits many years, we have looked at UC in almost resolution recommending joint employee- at the bargaining table. But the fight is bigger than that: the health care system itself is a parental role. They will take care of us as employer governance of the UC Retirement broken and needs a thorough overhaul. The main problem: insurance and pharmaceutical employees in the same way that a loving System. UC’s current board is advisory only, companies (two of the most profitable industries in the world) drive up costs and pocket the parent takes care of their children. and only under pressure did UC open up profits. This leads to rapidly rising costs and less money actually spent on health care. In this millennium, we are finding out two seats for staff representation this June. In addition, more and more Californians are losing health insurance from their em- that UC is a business looking out for the Many other public institutions of higher ployers. As many as 7 million of the state’s residents are uninsured, and the costs for their bottom line. Our bargainers need to strongly education have elected pension gover- health care is passed on to all of us. In fact, 15% to 20% of our health care premiums pay negotiate at the tables. Our membership has nance boards that hold real power to make for the uninsured, who are often forced to use emergency rooms for routine health care. to be willing to stick together behind the change. Hospitals find a way to charge everyone for that care by raising our health insurance costs. bargainers to ensure their strength at the UC unions are also working with As- Nearly 80% of the uninsured are members of working families. That’s why we need tables. semblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) more employers to provide insurance for their workers. to write a constitutional amendment that In Sacramento, several proposals are under consideration. State Senator Sheila Kuehl’s What would you like to see in future would require joint governance of the UC Senate Bill 840, the Universal Health Care Act, has passed the California Senate and, at bargaining for the HX unit? pension plan. John Lippsett, a UCLA clinical social worker (right) Update press time, is in the Assembly Health Committee. The act would provide full cover- with Aaron Rosenfield, Los Angeles UPTE organizer (left). The HX bargainers were fantastic in Another UC-related bill, AB 1333, age to all Californians, for less money than we currently spend on health care. Another plan their marathon bar- sponsored by Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley/ from State Senate Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland), and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez gaining session that Oakland), would require independent actu- (D-Los Angeles) would require employers to help fund the state’s health care system. ended in March. In arial studies available for public review at Meanwhile, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal for health care reform puts the future, I would least 120 days prior to any changes in UC’s the burden onto individuals, rather than asking employers to pay their fair share. His plan like to see more employer or employee pension contribu- would legally require all individuals to have health insurance coverage – just like auto specifics built into tions. It is scheduled to be heard at the Sen- insurance – but with no guarantee that it would be affordable. the contract. Also, ate Education Committee early next year. Simply requiring individuals to purchase insurance won’t solve the problem of the systemwide, our All of UPTE’s legislative work is uninsured. In reality, most people are uninsured because they cannot afford coverage. By benefits are tied to funded by voluntary member donations. No shifting more burden onto individuals, the governor’s plan lets employers off the hook and the researcher/tech dues are spent on this work. Want to help? gives them an incentive to drop coverage all together. Union members could lose the cover- (RX/TX) negotia- Consider donating $5 a month to UPTE’s age we currently have and be forced to buy coverage on the open market. tions. While I have Committee on Political Education fund. How can you help? Educate yourself and your family, friends and coworkers on the every confidence in Contact your local to sign up for payroll issues at
UPDATE | 3 In the news UC illegally buried and 220,000 postcards, according to the AFL-CIO. On June 19, some 4,500 union toxic soil, state says members turned out for a Capitol Hill rally A state agency has ruled that UC as lawmakers opened debate on the bill. Berkeley and Swiss multinational As- “We can all be proud of the role CWA traZeneca must clean up thousands of played in getting all 51 votes on the Senate truckloads of toxic soil illegally buried on floor, as well as the overwhelming majority the site of a planned housing complex. we won in the House,” said Larry Cohen, The Department of Toxic Substances president of the Communications Workers Control (DTSC) said in a letter that much of America, UPTE’s national union. Cohen of the contaminated soil at the Campus Bay pledged the union’s energy to elect a presi- site came from UC’s Richmond Field Station dent and Congress in 2008 that will support (RFS) next door to it. Both sites are about 10 the legislation. miles north of the Berkeley campus. “What we had feared has been veri- UC employees raise fied,” said Assemblymember Loni Han- cock (D-Berkeley) told the Berkeley Daily funds for HIV/AIDS Planet, on July 3. “It confirms my fears and UPTE-CWA’s president, Jelger the fears of the neighbors, which have been Kalmijn, was one of dozens of UC employ- shown to be terribly correct.” ees who joined this year’s AIDS LifeCycle, Local labor and community activists a 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to had long suspected that 2002-2004 cleanup Los Angeles, to raise funds for HIV/AIDS of the site was mishandled. They organized services and prevention. Custodians and their allies on their way to a sit in at UC Berkeley’s Blum Center. for an investigation, keeping the issue in “It was challenging, but very gratifying the public eye. Contaminants at the site to be part of a community event to support UC service workers win wage include PCBs and perchlorethylene, as well essential health services,” said Kalmijn, as hazardous metals such as mercury, cad- who works as a staff research associate at settlement, ban on outsourcing mium, arsenic, zinc, copper and selenium. the UCSD medical center. According to the state’s DTSC, UC Over 2,300 riders and 500 support C custodians and groundskeepers, represented by the American Federation of State, illegally used as many as 9 trucking com- volunteers from 10 countries and 43 states County and Municipal Employees, Local 3299, have won substantial wage equity panies that didn’t have required hazardous left San Francisco on June 3 for the 7-day increases at three campuses, as well as a reversal of UC’s outsourcing of work at waste registration to move the soil. Astra- event, raising more than $11 million. Pro- Uanother campus. Zeneca is charged with burying over 3,000 ceeds will benefit the San Francisco AIDS The settlement includes a wage increase of $1.25 an hour for custodians at Berkeley, of truckloads of contaminated waste from Foundation and the Los Angeles Gay and Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, retroactive to April 2007, with an additional 50 cent per hour UC’s RFS beneath a capped site where the Lesbian Center. increase this coming October. Custodians at other UC campuses will receive a 50 cent per development was planned. UPTE Berkeley members Lisa hour wage increase. Outsourced groundskeepers at Irvine will be made full UC employees as UC’s RFS and the privately owned Kermish, Janet Kodish and Albert Lucero of July 2007. Campus Bay were sites of chemical manu- worked on the non-biking support team “I am extremely excited about our victory,” said Rosario Cortez, a custodian at Santa facturing for decades. UC partnered with for the event, and many union members Cruz. “This is an important step in having the university address the issue of sustainable and a private developer to transform RFS into contributed financial support to the riders. market rate wages for all their employees.” a corporate and academic research park Public health advocates estimate that called Bayside Research Campus, with some 150,000 Californians are living with Direct action aimed at UC regent as much as 1.5 million square feet of new HIV/AIDS, many unaware of their infec- AFSCME members and their supporters engaged in pickets, sit ins and demonstra- space. A condo complex, designed with tion. In California, HIV/AIDS has had an tions to put pressure on the university to raise the wages of some of the campus’ lowest-paid fans beneath some buildings to blow away especially severe effect on the gay commu- employees, including sitting in at Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies, an accumulating toxins, had been planned for nity, with more than 74 percent of all cases anti-poverty institute headed by UC Regent Richard Blum. Campus Bay. occurring among gay and bisexual men of The campaign was widely supported by many politicians and public figures, including all races and ethnicities, compared with 58 Congressmember Barbara Lee, House Speaker Fabian Núñez, President Pro Tem Don Perata, Republicans kill bid to percent nationally. Communities of color, Senator John Edwards, Senator Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Vice including gay and bisexual men, are also President Al Gore and State Senator Leland Yee. organize by card check disproportionately affected. Actor and civil rights activist Danny Glover cancelled a graduation speech out of soli- Republican senators have blocked the Activists are already planning next darity with the custodians’ struggle. Retired State Senator John Burton successfully mediated Employee Free Choice Act, federal legisla- year’s ride, set to start June 1, 2008. For the dispute. tion that would have strengthened workers’ more information, check out
The Senate voted 51-48 vote to approve the act, falling nine votes short of the 60 TE C W A 9 1 1 9 needed to permit a full debate and floor vote. AFL n CIO The bill passed the House in March by a 241-185 vote, mostly along party lines. Had University Professional it passed, President Bush vowed to veto it. & Technical Employees The legislation was necessary because Communications Workers of America workers who try to form unions are often Local 9119, AFL-CIO targets of employer intimidation. In 2005 alone, some 31,000 workers won back PO Box 4443 pay in National Labor Relations Board Berkeley, CA 94704 proceedings after being unfairly dismissed ■ for unionizing activities. (510) 704-UPTE In urging the Senate to pass the bill, [email protected] union members generated 50,000 phone www.upte.org calls, 156,000 faxes and email messages,
4 | UPDATE