The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
has issued a notice that it will strike on April 14 if the
University of California does not compromise with it.
The UC and AFSCME have met 27 times to negotiate since the
union’s contract expired in June 2004, according to an AFSCME
press release.
The final meeting of the fact-finding committee between both
parties took place March 30.
The next step is for a neutral member of the committee to submit
a recommendation to both sides, and at that point both sides
negotiate again.
“The recommendation is not binding and it is still up to
the UC and AFSCME to come to an agreement, something the university
is more than willing to do,” said Noel Van Nyhuis, a
spokesman for the UC Office of the President.
There is not a set date when the recommendation will be received
so negotiations can begin again.
“We are now in a 10-day quiet period,” said Faith
Raider, a spokeswoman for AFSCME, “We have announced that if
there is not movement then we are planning to go on
strike.”
Because of legal obligations, unions are required to give 10
days notice to the UC before a strike is held.
Contract negotiations between both parties have taken place over
the past nine months.
AFSCME has called for fair wages, a chance to advance for all
employees, sweatshop-free uniforms and an end to discrimination,
said Nicole Moore, an AFSCME organizer for local 3299.
“The basic thing is that (workers) are waiting for the UC
to move off their very hard positions,” Moore said.
“Their job is to move on their proposals in the direction
that they know we will settle.”
In March, 92 percent of UC service workers voted to strike,
according to the AFSCME press release.
7,300 workers at the nine UC campuses and five medical centers
will participate if a strike takes place.
At UCLA, AFSCME workers in dining and housing services,
custodians, grounds workers and security workers in the hospital
will all strike, Moore said.
The strike can be prevented if the UC “takes reasonable
requests seriously and bargains with us in good faith,” Moore
said.
University officials have started to make plans in the case of a
strike, though they say they are working to ensure a strike will
not happen.
“The university has to prepare itself according to our
campuses and Medical Centers so services can continue, so students
can go to class and patients can receive services,” Van
Nyhuis said. “It’s up to each campus and each Medical
Center to assess its needs and plan accordingly to mitigate affects
of the strike.”
The UC is waiting to receive a recommendation from the neutral
member of the fact-finding committee, which will determine their
next step.
“We are doing everything we can to reach an agreement
through the whole process,” Van Nyhuis said. “We still
need time to absorb what that recommendation might be to facilitate
an agreement.”
Members of the Undergraduate Students Association Council say
they will support the workers if there is a strike.
“(We) will support the service workers on this campus, and
not cross picket lines if there is a strike,” said Tommy
Tseng, a general representative for USAC.
“We will devote our resources to educate students on what
is going on and fully support AFSCME’s workers’
demands.”