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Armed with signs, flyers, food and a woman in a peanut suit, the Coalition of University Employees Local 3 held a lunch-hour rally on the lawn before Sproul Hall on Wednesday to demand an increase in wages for clerical workers from the university.  

Roughly 50 people gathered, some observing, some participating, as ralliers marched in a circle with signs that read "We Deserve Fair Pay" and "Fair Contract Now!!!" and 'Mr. Peanut' handed out flyers protesting low pay and, of course, little bags of peanuts. 

Though the union held a similar rally just two weeks before, this meeting co-incided with the traditional "Secretary's Day," now dubbed "Administrative Professional's Day," and was marked by talk of a strike. 

"The university is simply not listening," said Nora Foster, the Operations and Reserve Manager at the UC Library. "People at the bargaining table are not offering anything more than the 1 percent raise they've had on the table all year, so we are preparing for a possible strike in May," she said.  

The CUE is seeking a 15 percent pay raise over two years, made up of 7.5 percent this year, and another 7.5 the next. The university's budget for 2001-02 only allowed for a 1 percent increase for each of those years, and 3 percent in deferred compensation--which consists of a yearly investment equal to 3 percent of the employees wages that won't be available until retirement. The CUE claims that the deferred compensation is almost meaningless, because retirement benefits require five years to become vested, while the average clerical worker only stays for three years. 

According to an independent audit by Peter Donohue that was commissioned by the union, UC’ clerical workers make an average of 18-30 percent below market wages. UC spokesperson Paul Schwartz earlier stated that clerical wages only lag 8 to 10 percent. Either way, a total raise of 2 percent over two years would not bring wages up to market, a factor that contributes to a 54 percent annual turnover rate. 

Rising in medical co-pays, parking rates, and an inflation rate estimated at 4.5 percent for this year all exacerbate the financial strain on workers. 

The university has cited tough economic times and reduced state revenue as directly affecting the institution’s ability to provide wage increases, but the audit shows UC has $2.1 billion in “unrestricted funds” left over in its budget, more than enough to cover wage increases. 

The union’s ire was further raised when a top administrator at the Berkeley Extension was given an apparent $50,000 raise this year while eighteen clerical workers at Extension have been laid-off since January. This is in addition to a reported shortage of 22 staff in effect since a hiring freeze last year. 

“UC Berkeley claims to be a premier university, yet Cal [State University] Hayward pays their workers more,” said Foster. “It's a kind of moral imperative for the university to support their workers. It's a standard of decency issue. Clearly, when you have people living in substandard housing, struggling to support their families and going into credit debt, than the university is not valueing us as they claim. They should show their respect by paying us fairly for our work," she said. 

The union has been working without a contract since the end of November, 2001. 

Calls placed by the Daily Planet to the university’s human resources, labor relations, and media relations went unreturned Wednesday.  

E-mail reporter Jamie Luck at jamie@berkeleydailyplanet.net.