My union Bargaining Team is dominated by a caucus called OSWP (Organizing for Student Worker Power) that is taking an approach to bargaining that leans heavily on the old admin caucus model (fast pace, long days in the bargaining room talking with management until 2am or even 5am, lots of sidebars, attempting to settle in the summer, not building a credible strike threat or in this case even a strike vote). This caucus is also closely tied to the professional organizers they hired, who come from business unions and so have imported that model. Word is that many of them are listening to Mike Miller again too... So sad to see this kind of 180 degree turn.
**And here is a great break down of the proposed contract by former Bargaining Team 2013-14 member Amanda Armstrong-Price.
**And here is a great break down of the proposed contract by former Bargaining Team 2013-14 member Amanda Armstrong-Price.
***FYI the straw poll results were 52% yes/48% no.
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UAW 2865 straw poll Myth and Fact
Myth #1: The UC has offered us a 3.6% wage increase yearly for 4 years.
FACT: UC admin has actually only offered a 3%/year for 4 years wage increase. The vote yes members of the bargaining team are being deceptive to make the offer look better than it really is. They have included the $300/year remission of campus fees as a “pay increase”. However, our union has taken the official position back in January that fee remission is not income, and on that basis we opposed Trump’s “grad tax”. Furthermore, nothing is stopping the UC from just raising the cost of campus fees by another three hundred dollars, basically negating this so called “pay raise”. Lastly, if you are eligible to fill out the FAFSA do so, because you will typically automatically receive a grant that will cover the full cost of the campus fee.
Myth #2: If we don't settle now we have to wait a year for a wage increase.
FACT: There is no law preventing the UC from giving retroactive wage increases or a wage increase mid year. The UC is a multi billion dollar complex institution. It has the capacity to do these things.
Myth #3: We are below majority membership so we shouldn’t try to build for a strike.
FACT: Statewide TAs and Associate Instructors are actually above majority (56%). So there is absolutely the ability to have a majority TA and AI strike. Membership numbers are skewed by the lack of undergraduate tutors that have joined our union. Tutors also have far less disruptive capability than TAs and AIs do, so their lack of involvement in the strike, will be much less impactful than if a majority of tutors went on strike but no TAs went on strike.
Myth #4: Other campus unions have gone on strike and gotten a lower offer on wages than we already have, therefore we don't have to and shouldn't strike.
FACT: We are stronger together. Last time we went on strike with AFSCME (in November of 2013) both unions got a better wage increase from the UC because together our strike shut down much more of the university's functioning. ALSO the UC administration is quite racist and it regularly makes AFSCME strike many times and negotiate for nearly two years for a decent wage increase because their members are majority Workers of Color.
Myth #5: The bargaining team has spent countless hours in negotiations already and the UC has given its last best and final offer so we cannot get anything better.
FACT: when we negotiated our last contract our team was driven by the philosophy that real movement happens outside the bargaining room and we build on the ground actions and two strikes to pressure the UC and it worked. It was a better offer than we had gotten in the previous contract, and is a better offer than what we are being offered now. Last time the UC gave its last best offer and then after a strike gave a significantly better offer. It’s not about what the team can win, its about what we as a union can win fighting together. Also: if we settle now we are locked into a contract for 4 years so cannot legally strike to improve our lives and working conditions during that time. Why get rid of our best weapon when we haven't even used it yet?
Myth #6: We should settle for wages now and we have committees to fight non economic issues.
FACT: our wage offer isn't the best we can get (see above) and the committee on disarm/demil isn't actually a committee, doesn't have any power, and isn't actually about disarming/demilitarizing it's about discussing things we already know and have presented to the UC, so its moving backwards not forwards. Our union prides itself on being on the leading edge of fighting for social justice in the US labor movement and we have made many firsts, so lets not accept a step backward on this issue of racial justice while nationally we are in the middle of the biggest racial justice movement since the 1970s.
Myth #7: We should settle now so that we can move on to unionizing GSRs. Not settling now for a few extra bucks is selfish.
FACT: Settling for a contract now when we could win something better is hardly the example we want to set right before trying to unionize GSRs. Also what better way to show the power of a union and get GSRs organizing now than to organize for a strike that many of them will be participating in as TAs, we can then find those leaders and have them head up the GSR organizing. Voting NO now and fighting for more is strategically the best move for both groups.
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