University of California Academic Employees Strike for Higher Pay

Mr. Jaime, 33, who teaches an introductory Shakespeare class at U.C.L.A., mentioned he couldn’t afford an house within the Westwood neighborhood surrounding the campus. As an alternative, he lives in downtown Los Angeles, greater than 15 miles away, sharing lease with two roommates. Even so, he mentioned, the $1,600 he pays for lease every month eats up half of his paycheck, not counting the prices of his commute to campus by way of bicycle, mild rail and bus.

The employees are additionally demanding extra reimbursement for public transit, extra youngster care subsidies, expanded well being take care of dependents and different advantages.

In an announcement, the college system mentioned it acknowledged the “vital and extremely valued contributions” to its instructing and analysis mission made by the employees and that it had supplied “honest responses” on points together with pay, housing and a “respectful work atmosphere.”

“We have now listened fastidiously to U.A.W. priorities with an open thoughts and a real willingness to compromise,” the assertion mentioned, including that “many tentative agreements” on points similar to well being and security had been reached.

However main variations stay. Graduate instructing assistants, tutors and readers, as an example, are demanding that their pay, which averages about $24,000 yearly, improve to $54,000, whereas the college system is providing a rise of seven % the primary 12 months, with 3 % annual raises in subsequent years.

Staff additionally need salaries to be set excessive sufficient that no staff must spend greater than 30 % of their month-to-month pay on housing; the U.C. system has famous that housing is a matter for employees all through California, and that it already gives a restricted quantity of backed housing for graduate pupil employees that’s priced at as much as 25 % under market charges.

Union officers say that the college system additionally has violated labor legislation practically two dozen occasions in the midst of negotiations, dealing instantly with sure teams of employees and altering sure working situations with out going by means of collective bargaining. These unfair labor practices, officers say, triggered the strike.