Jul 2, 2008 9:48 pm US/Pacific
UC Gets Strike Notice From Service Workers Union
(BCN)
The union representing thousands of service workers for the University of California system announced today that they could begin a five-day strike at any time if a new contract agreement is not reached.
Service employees, who clean hospitals and campus dorms, disinfect medical instruments, provide cafeteria services to patients and students, maintain buildings and grounds and provide transportation to patients, students and staff, voted in May to authorize a strike.
According to the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents 8,500 UC service workers at 10 campuses and five hospitals, the main goal for the new contract is to obtain a wage increase.
Some service employees currently earn as little as $10 per hour, which union representatives claim is 25 percent lower than the average service worker's salary outside the UC system.
UC spokeswoman Nicole Savickas said university officials offered in May to increase wages to between $11.50 and $12 per hour, but the union rejected the offer and voted for a strike instead.
According to the union, 97.5 percent of represented service employees voted to authorize the strike, although officials are still saying they hope to be able to reach an agreement before a strike becomes necessary.
University officials received a strike notice today and were drafting a letter inviting union negotiators back to the bargaining table, Savickas said.
"We're prepared to bargain and we hope that the union will return to the table," Savickas said.
Part of the problem, however, is that service employee salaries are funded through the state, and until the state budget is finalized, university officials won't know how much those funds will be impacted by projected budget cuts, Savickas said.
The union also represents 11,500 patient care workers who are also in the process of negotiating a new contract, according to the union.
While patient care employees are not currently threatening to strike, they could decide not to cross service workers' picket lines, according the union.
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