Jason Payne / Staff PhotographerA union representing more than 6,000 academic student employees has filed charges against the California State University system after five months of failed negotiations.
The Union of Academic Student Employees at the CSU filed unfair labor practice charges against the CSU with the California Public Employment Relations Board last week, and requested sanction for an unfair labor practice strike from labor councils throughout the state.
Scott Clifthorne, a representative of the union, said that no compromise has been reached because CSU used unlawful tactics during the negotiation process, which began in May.
“Basically, these teachers almost have to pay to work,” Clifthorne said. According to Clifthorne, academic student employees earn, on average, $11.50 per hour before paying student fees. After those fees are paid, they only make an average of $1.50 an hour for their work, he added.
Clifthorne said the union is dedicated to resolving the issue of a fee waver benefit for the employees. Such a waiver would protect ASEs from fee increases, which can drastically affect their wages. Clifthorne said a strong majority of members of the United Auto Workers Local 4123, which represents the ASEs, have called on CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed to provide the fee waivers to ASEs. Currently, teaching associates, graduate assistants and instructional student assistants are the only group of unionized employees or administrators at CSU not receiving a fee waiver benefit.
“This is a deterrent to recruiting the best and brightest,” Clifthorne said. “Our graduate program right now is of high quality, but we’re losing out on the best recruits because they’re all going to go to school where they can get a fee waiver.”
Teaching associates at University of California, San Diego and USD get fee waivers, he added. “It’s a huge competitive disadvantage.”
Clifthorne said the union is also preparing to take further action if an agreement is not reached soon. Members of UAW Local 4123 have voted by a 98.5 percent margin to authorize the union’s bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary.
The Office of the Chancellor responded by saying that that a full fee waiver would be impossible to implement this year.
“It would cost approximately $8 million to $11 million per academic year to implement a full fee waiver,” CSU Public Affairs Communication Specialist Teresa Ruiz said in an e-mail. She added that at the high-end of the estimate, the request would equal a 33 percent increase in compensation for members, which may just simply be too large for the state to handle.
“Given that the budget situation in the state of California is worsening, it does not seem possible that the CSU will be able to grant fee waivers to student employees this year, Ruiz said. “However, the CSU will continue in its good-faith efforts to come to a negotiated agreement with UAW in these challenging financial times.”
