The University of California announced Tuesday that it has reached two tentative agreements with the American Federation of Teachers union to provide various benefits and increases for the university’s more than 350 librarians and 3,000 lecturers.
Under the tentative agreement for lecturers, a number of conditions will go into effect, including participation in a one-time merit-based salary increase program for the 2011-12 academic year, as well as the regular academic merit program for the next two academic years. Negotiations on salary will be reopened in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Lecturers would also pay the same rates for health care benefits as tenured faculty and nonrepresented employees and would contribute 5 percent of their pay to the UC Retirement Plan — the same rate as nonrepresented employees.
The university expects to receive the results of the union’s ratification vote by mid-October, according to the announcement. If ratified by the union, the agreement would run through Sept. 30, 2014.
“Lecturers provide key instructional services at our campuses,” said Dwaine Duckett, UC vice president of human resources, in the press release. “We’re pleased that we’ve reached a balanced agreement that rewards the lecturers for their hard work while taking into consideration the major funding constraints that the university is experiencing.”
The tentative agreement for librarians, which includes being able to participate in the annual academic merit program for 2011-12 with increases effective July 1 and in a one-time merit-based salary increase program for 2011-12 effective Oct. 1, is currently being voted on by union members.
Librarians are resigned to the tentative agreement, said Shayee Khanaka, librarian for the linguistics and Middle East collections at UC Berkeley and a union member.
“It’s better than nothing, but there’s obviously a lot of room for improvement,” Khanaka said. “At this point, it’s hard to further negotiate — we’re fighting to just keep what we already have.”
The university expects to receive the results of the union ratification vote by Oct. 15. Union members are currently voting on whether to accept the agreement.
“I think the agreement will go through,” Khanaka said. “The negotiating team has been working on this for weeks and has been able to achieve some of our goals — merit will be retroactive.”
University opinion on the librarian agreement was optimistic.
“We believe this is a fair proposal that rewards librarians for their dedication and hard work, while being mindful of the tough economic climate the university is facing,” said Peter Chester, labor relations contract negotiator for the University of California, in a press release.
Khanaka said, however, that keeping past benefits has become more difficult, while at the same time librarians have to contribute more than they ever have had to in previous agreements.
She said she does not see agreements improving in future negotiations unless the budget improves.
“It seems like we have to fight more for what we used to have,” she said. “Health care is more expensive, and our co-pay has increased. We are not getting the adjustments for higher costs of living but still have to pay for other things we used to just receive — so overall, we’re actually getting paid less than what we used to.”
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If we had not been held to 0% for the last for years I might agree with the 1st poster about holding the line on rising costs, however for Librarians those arguments do not apply. We have been faced with annual decreases in earning power due to inflation and increased contributions to campus fees and deductions.
I, for one, do not believe a mere 3% after such a drought make up for lost ground.
Librarian at UC
I love the University
of California (UC) having been a student and lecturer. But today I am concerned
that at times I do not recognize the UC I love. Like so many I am deeply
disappointed by the pervasive failures of Regent Chairwoman Lansing, President
Yudof and the ten campus Chancellors from holding the line on rising costs.
Californians are
reeling from19% unemployment (includes those forced to work part time, and
those no longer searching), mortgage defaults, loss of unemployment benefits.
And those who still have jobs are working longer for less. Faculty wages must reflect California’s ability to pay, not what others
are paid.
Pay increases for
generously paid Faculty is arrogance.
UC Berkeley (ranked #
70 Forbes) tuition increases exceed the national average rate of increases. Chancellor
Birgeneau has molded Cal.
into the most expensive American public university.
President Yudof and Chancellor
Birgeneau have dismissed many much needed cost-cutting options. They did not
consider freezing vacant faculty positions, increasing class size, requiring
faculty to teach more classes, doubling the time between sabbaticals, cutting
and freezing pay and benefits for all chancellors and reforming the pension
system.
They said faculty such
reforms “would not be healthy for University
of California”.
We agree it is far
from the ideal situation, but it is in the best interests of the university
system and the state to hold the line on cost increases. UC cannot expect to do
business as usual: raising tuition; granting pay raises and huge bonuses during
a weak economy that has sapped state revenues and individual Californians’
income.
There is no
question the necessary realignments with economic reality are painful. Regent Chairwoman Lansing can bridge the public trust
gap with reassurances that salaries and costs reflect California’s economic reality. The sky above UC will not fall
Opinions? Email the UC Board
of Regents [email protected]
…and CUE continues to receive sweet F.A.