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UC makes new offer to lecturers

By David Scharfenberg Daily Planet Staff
Thursday October 24, 2002

The University of California made a comprehensive contract proposal to its roughly 1,600 lecturers Wednesday in an aggressive bid to end a 2 1/2-year-old labor dispute over job security, wages and arbitration procedures. 

UC gave the University Council-American Federation of Teachers, which represents the lecturers, until Friday to respond to the offer. Union officials, reached Wednesday, had not yet reviewed the proposal. 

The university and union took part in a state-mediated negotiating session in Sacramento on Monday and Tuesday. The university informed the union Tuesday that it was prepared to issue a comprehensive settlement, according to union President Kevin Roddy. 

But Roddy chastised the university for putting forth a full settlement rather than continuing to negotiate a mutually beneficial contract. 

“We really feel this is a betrayal,” he said. “We were still handing them articles to look at.” 

University officials defended their actions. 

“We’ve been bargaining for two years and we think that’s more than sufficient time to discuss the issues,” replied university spokesperson Paul Schwartz.  

Schwartz would not speculate on what UC would do if the union rejects Wednesday’s contract offer. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” he said.  

One option the university would have is declaring an official “impasse” in negotiations. If the state determines that a true deadlock exists, it would begin a “fact-finding” process and recommend a contract to both sides. If the university and union reject the state solution, the university would have the power to impose a final contract. 

University lecturers, unlike professors, cannot get tenure. They operate on one-year contracts until they complete six years of service. At that point, they are eligible for a three-year contract. 

The university hires lecturers to focus on teaching courses, while tenure-track professors are expected to spend significant portions of time conducting research. 

The university’s two-year contract proposal includes an increase in minimum salaries for lecturers from the current $28,968 to $35,868 for those with less than six years experience and $40,200 for those with more than six years experience in 2002-2003. The salaries would increase by about $1,500 in 2003-2004. 

Union negotiator Rebecca Rhine said the increase would affect only a small number of lecturers who make less than the proposed $35,868 minimum. 

Rhine said the union has asked for about $2,000 more in all salary categories and claimed that the $2,000 jump would affect more lecturers on the lower part of the pay scale. 

Schwartz said he could not confirm how many lecturers would be affected, but argued that a $7,000 jump in minimum salaries marks a significant upgrade. 

The university, in a press release, said that the new contract also included improved job security for lecturers with more than six years experience and expanded eligibility for health and retirement benefits. 

Because union officials had not yet reviewed the latest offer Wednesday, they could not comment on the job security and other measures. But, they said if the Monday and Tuesday negotiating sessions are any indication, they are not confident about the university proposal. 

 

Contact reporter at scharfenberg@berkeleydailyplanet.net