UC System responds to union worker strikes

Workers were out at UCSC on strike for the third and final day on Wednesday.

They say they are not only calling for raises, but also for the UC system to address inequality in the workplace, “this is about the future, this is about being able to retire with dignity, it’s about UC not having the power to contract out jobs, it’s about making sure we take care of the short staffing problem. There’s a big inequality margin that exists between the top executives and workers, we need to shorten that and we need to shorten that now,” says Senior Custodian at UCSC, Nicolas Gutierrez.

He says they are now left with no choice, but to protest. Gutierrez says they won’t stop until they get what they are asking for, “I can tell you from experience, I’ve been here 23 years and this is my third strike that I’m involved in and whatever we do next we won’t stop. The UC needs to hear that message. We won’t stop and neither will the students.”

The UC says they are willing to negotiate, but what the ASFCME is asking for is unreasonable. Claire Doan with the UC released the following statement to KION in response to the strikes,

” AFSCME leaders are demanding a nearly 20 percent pay raise over three years — twice what other UC employees have received. The university cannot justify to taxpayers such an excessive raise, no matter how much we appreciate our service workers, which include custodians, gardeners, food service workers and maintenance staff. Labor is the largest single expense in UC’s budget, and AFSCME service workers are already paid at or above market rates.

UC feels that it is highly inappropriate that AFSCME is now using a strike as a negotiating tactic. This is after union leaders rejected, without conducting a vote among their members, UC’s proposed multi-year wage increases (3 percent annually for four years) and excellent health and retirement benefits.

A strike is only hurting the union’s own members who will lose pay for joining this ill-advised three-day walkout, while negatively affecting services to patients and students. A disruptive demonstration will change neither UC’s economic situation nor the university’s position on AFSCME’s unreasonable demands.

UC is doing everything in its power to limit the strike’s impact on our campuses and medical centers, while working hard to ensure patients and students receive the services they deserve.

Unfortunately, all union leaders have accomplished is hurt care for patients and services for students. The strike will do nothing to change UC’s position on AFSCME’s unreasonable demands for excessive raises and benefits. In our view, if AFSCME leaders were serious about an agreement, they’d be at the table right now instead of out striking, using patient care as negotiating leverage.” says Doan.

Over the past several days some student services have been impacted by the strike and students KION spoke with say they have seen less people in class. “Campus has been a little more quiet. Some students have been frustrated by not having their regular transportation services available. We’ve been trying to promote other ways to get to campus like biking, or some of the shared ride services or carpools” says UCSC spokesperson Scott Hernandez Jason.

And while some students say it has been an inconvenience, they say they still stand with the workers, “they’re the hardest working people I’ve ever met, and they’re extremely sweet and don’t complain to any of the students for anything. If anything I feel like the workers in the dining hall and janitors care most about the people on this campus and that’s why I’m going down to support the strike is because they deserve all the money they can get.”

The next step will be either the Union or the UC system coming to the table with negotiation.