I read most of the comments and I vote No, I invest 15 years of my life for this, we complain about what CUE do for us but I notice who most complain never show up. It's time to fight together because kissing the Regent's ass and thanks them because we have a job not guarantee are jobs. They going to use this excuse to do layoffs so we can do a job of thee people with one miserable salary and remember this THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF MANY YEAS WITH CUT NOT ONLY ONE IF WE NOT STOP THEM KNOW. So we prefers to be fighters or accept Charity I not want to loss my job to, I'm not younger any more but I want to be able to retire one day and be able to survive with my income not to ending homeless.
I agree that in general unions create stability and help provide good benefits and wages. Unfortunately, here at the UC system that has only partially worked. We DO have great benefits. The wages were terrible for what we do even before the current crisis. Now we are taking pay cuts of: 4% furloughs, 2% contribution to the retirement; Cost of living going up without any salary increase to offset it (this IS equivilent to a pay cut!), and I have heard that we will most likely have to start paying much more for healthcare soon (The healthcare is a rumor but a very scary one!). Am I going to quit right now? No. I will hold tight until the economy imroves because at least I have a job, but if there are no drastic changes after that, I will look for other options. I can not afford to support my 2 children by myself on 32K.
I also believe that the university has to negotiate with UPTE, UC-AFT, AFSCME and well as CUE. Combined these unions represent approximately 55,000 UC employees. UC needs us to go along with the plan. Despite their threats of layoffs, I think they also realize the need us to do the day-to-day work of running UC. They can't just get rid of us all.
If the unions form a coalition and all negotiate for some benefits in return for the unions accepting the furloughs, maybe it will turn out ok for us. So much better right now that what is being done to CSU and California state workers. They are def. getting a raw deal.
An anonymous post on July 21, 2009 3:52:00 PM says:
> What if we didn't have a contract > with Article 13 (which spells out > the way lay offs are handled and > protects workers with senority).
I am a relatively junior AA and the people I have worked with who have seniority over me have very little incentive to get anything done. If they are laid off, they can bump anyone less senior to them. They are safe.
If we are asked to respect our union, we must be willing to acknowledge the fallacy of maintaining a seniority-based system, and advocate a merit-based one. And along with that get some support to train up, rather than have people stagnate into the same low-skill position for 20 years. No job should be a retirement home (or a sweat-shop either).
The world has been changing fast, for some time now. We cannot possibly continue to strive to maintain this antiquated system of seniority over merit at all costs.
I am a new AA who is very frustrated that his hard and professional work won't matter when the time comes to lay me off while my more senior colleagues blog all day, never reply to any email, and eventually no-one bothers to ask them to do anything because they know it won't get done, or will be very sloppy, or will require a lot of supervision and hassle ... If there was ever a place where there is competition for who will do the least, this is it. I am living it every day.
(There are quite a few good AAs, I am sure and I wish I worked with them.)
I would be much more willing to support this seniority-based system if someone gave me a good reason why 3 of my colleagues with 9-16 years seniority have done absolutely nothing in the two years I have been here.
If any of us had a business to run, or had to decide who to keep and who to get rid of, would anyone in their right mind retain seniority with no productivity?
There has to be a balance. I don't want to work in a sweatshop, but what I see with all these more senior colleagues of mine cannot be the way forward. Give them some deadlines, some supervision, and some ability to train up. If they cannot get any of that done, why keep them?
This furlough is just the beginning. Almost a decade ago, Business Week noted that government agencies had promised benefits exceeding their ability to deliver. The real estate bubble masked this for a time, and generated higher taxes temporarily. We are entering a period where federal, state, county, BART and local levels are coming up short. The financial reality is a larger mess than State legislatures and UC discussions would suggest. We should be grateful to have a job with benefits. And, we will all be learning to live with less.
What we really need CUE to do for us is - Except the furlough days / pay cut with the guarantee that any CUE represented employee will not be laid off for a period equal to the duration of the furlough / salary reduction plan. We will take the pay cuts, but give us some job security! If we take the pay cuts without the security, I for one will always have the fear of losing my job in the back of my mind.
I think CUE needs to stay out of this...a job with good benefits in today's economy is a blessing!! It is much better than no job at all. I'd much rather bring home a paycheck with a 5% cut than an unemployment check!!
I have one question for those of you who want CUE to fight against the proposed furlough plan...are you willing to volunteer to be laid off in order to preserve the jobs of those who prefer the furlough over layoffs? I seriously doubt it!! And until you are, shut it!! -UCR
Well, CUE can't just stay out of it. Like it or not (and I do like it), clerical workers are part of a collective bargaining unit and we are represented by CUE in all contract negotiations.
Writing snark like "CUE, stay out of it," is not useful. As our representatives they do what WE ask them to do. THEY are US. Like us, they are UC clerical workers who have to live with whatever agreements are negotiated. They do not have any special protections. They will lose pay through the furlough plan and could lose jobs if we, the members of CUE, vote to fight the furlough plan. I'm pretty sure THEY need their jobs just as much as WE do.
Give them your opinion in a constructive manner -- what you have to say may help us all.
It is painfully obvious from these blogs that CUE is not respected by its members or by the Regents, not supported and frankly, an embarrassment (the whole Michelle Obama fiasco). CUE should take this opportunity to show the Regents they know how to negotiate and compromise. CUE's previous outlandish, ridiculous and raged filled demands just fell on deaf ears and will again if another approach is not considered. Why not accept the furloughs for the next 12 months only (overwhelmingly preferred by CUE members)in conjunction with reasonable cost of living increases and step increases at the end of the 12 month term.
It amazes me how some of the people posting on here seem to feel that the institution who we chose to seek employment with is some evil entity who is out to get us. I for one am proud to call myself a UC staff member. Given the current situation our state is in I find the J2 proposal quite fair. I understand the concern that we might not get the salary reduction back after the crisis is over so why can't CUE ask that it be contracted that we get that percentage of salary and something extra back by a date agreed upon by both CUE and the Regents?
PS - I really am a UC staff member and not a Regents big wig in disguise. Quit being so paranoid.
Personally, I'd rather work for 95% of my pay and extra days off than watch my colleagues get laid off, which is exactly what will happen if we do not all do our part in sharing the burden. What right do we have to put ourselves above all the others employed by the UC?
Yes, it sucks that some of you watch money fly out the door on useless things or lazy executives' salaries, but that's not the case in all places. In my part of the UC, I have bosses and middle management who work as hard as I do and who are doing all they can to cut costs in other ways because they don't want any of us to be laid off. Is it fair that the woman a step above me, making $1000 a year more than me should take a pay cut and I shouldn't? Hardly.
Maybe the UC should just lay off the people who insist on keeping their full salary instead of sharing the burden, and save the rest of us the headache of dealing with this.
Wow... some really harsh comments and opinions. I am so surprised that some of you have drunk the UC koolaid- or are you purposely putting your head in the sand? CUE can't butt out or back off, they are REQUIRED to bargain the proposal BY LAW. They are CUE members too and do not stand to work against anyone. But, they are not about to lay down like a beaten dog either. There will be a communication out soon- THEY ARE IN BARGAINING over this as I write. I pleaded for communication on your behalf after reading the blogs for the last few days. I was told that I should let you know that it is coming, but they are unable to get to us until they are out of bargaining sessions. The saddest part of this is that a bunch of you think that UC Executives are an honorable bunch of people! I mean, come on! They just got their bonuses in the fall after they forced budget cuts last year and knew very, very well that the cuts were going to be much deeper this year- basically gave themselves at least as much, if not more, than what they expected would be their cut that they would have to take to "show" the rest of us, that they will be taking the cut too! Not to mention hiring Yudof at 200,000.00 more than the last goon. And his perks are even more than the last guy- at least he lived in University housing and wasn't living in a rented mansion on UC's dime! I don't know if many of you see the kinds of exorbident expenses these kronies have and get reimbursed for all of them! They don't consider that lodging in the 400.00-500.00 range is a problem, nor do they flinch at taking vacation tied into a conference or get full foreign per diem for meals and lodging and possibly pocket money just because it is allowed. They use business class or first class airfare, take limos everywhere, get car allowances up in the thousands of dollars! And mileage to drive in those cars and the maintanence is done at UC! I mean do any of us get homes, cars, mileage, car repairs? How about your airfare paid for and somehow tack on an extra several days to tour the area? If I could figure out how to get someone to pay for my vacation flights, I would go several times a year- all I would have to do is come up with my meals! They get computers paid for, books, magazines, memberships and it goes on and on... They possibly have to pay for their own wardrobe and food and that is about it! They likely have the university pay for their car insurance and utilities! There have been a bunch of increases in the past few months at the executive level also. Read those wages on the sac bee website! Educate yourselves what these people give themselves! Yes, they vote themselves to receive those raises and wages! This is why I say some of you have drunk the UC Koolaid- UC Regents/Executives are no better than those corporations that have gone to jail for unethical behavior- LIKE ENRON! Wake up people. The reason that most of you are saying all the negative stuff is because you are not involved on any level. You want to sit back and complain all the while having a few people try to pull the weight of everyone! Get involved. We are stronger together and weak by back biting each other- and UC loves us to attack within... they don't have to do anything but sit back and watch us and if you don't think that the threat to lay off is a scare tactic, guess again. Yudof is a bully.. maybe you should look up his record- that is why the regents hired him, to cut back and do it as harshly as he has to. Clericals are upset and have every right to be, but I think that the anger is misplaced- it should be at the ones who are doing it to you, UC! Not the ones who are trying to give you a better working condition and better, FAIR wage! Teri
All this information about the executives is not news to many of us and, yes, is unfair and infuriating, and has been for years. But unfortunately it hasn't changed yet and it won't now. You don't have to be drinking the kool-aid to see that. I personally feel that, based on the track record of CUE, whatever the reason may be (maybe AAs can never stand up to UC since we seem to be dispensable) it's hard to expect any good out of this bargaining. Don't assume people are putting their heads in the sand.
This whole thing is really sad, in my humble opinion. We are so busy pointing fingers of blame at each other inside and outside of the union that if a new employee sat down to read all this, he/she wouldn't know what to think. Are the regents evil? Does CUE have my best interests at heart? Yes, we do have great benefits. You would be hard pressed to find comparable benefits anywhere in our area and I suspect just about everywhere else UC has a presence. These are tough times, FOR EVERYONE (some of us more so than others). Everyone needs to shoulder their fair share of the burden. It's what made our country weather through previous storms in its long and proud history and will do so again.
I agree with Teri, UC are no different from any other CEOs like "AIG, ERON, Wall Street's, etc." The BART just received $50 million to improve their systems, and S.F. Police Dept. also received another big lump sum from Federal according to the emails that I received from Barbara Boxer, but still they ALL claimed they are POOR, have to cut staff & services, tighten budget/ expenses, all that BS stuff. They have taken the BENEFITS from us and continue their lavish life-style from our hard-working $$$. They will soon have their DAY/TIME, as these are an OPEN ILLEGAL but POLITICAL ISSUES. JUST PRAY HARD!!!
Teri you sound like a socialist. Isn't that the great thing about our country? That we can get an education and get perks and benefits out of it? I guess we should live like Cuba so everyone feels that they are getting their fair share. I'm not denying that people misuse their power/ privilege but I'd rather have democracy then communism. If you don't like that you don't have the perks then further your education so that you can take a job that provides them.
CUE - Agree to the furlough NOW, lower our dues in proportion to the amount of our salary reduction, lower any CUE paid salaries in the same proportion, and get in there and negotiate a decent contract - keep our benefits intact. Forget strikes - the ones who lose are the employees who do not get paid! The retirement "holiday" is over, we need to fund the plan now! We had the good fortune to have a good fund steward who kept it growing until recently. In the outside world, you do not get the retirement package that UC and state workers get - you get a fixed benefit (no COLA) that might be 50% maximum of your salary and you get to pay part of your health insurance premiums (not cheap!) that go up almost every year. Companies can drop or change retiree health care benefits at anytime. Most companies have dropped their defined benefit (fixed) pension and only have a 401K (403B equivalent) - that's it.
Where are you CUE??? Let's get going with the furloughs- this is not the time to fight. A paying member but I will discontinue the membership, if you try to fight this thing. Let get started.
In my humble opinion, CUE is useless. They hold back the employee. My reclass has been sitting on a desk for the past 3 years. I hope that when our salaries get cut, I hope that the (un)fair share is too. Suck it up and accept and stop acting like a bunch of whiners.
How long does it take to negotiate. CUE update us. Many of us are tired of the stress of all of this. It would be nice to know what to expect...especially with the furlough program to start Sept. 1. I am tired of the rumors and want something definite to plan on.
All the emails we received from the Chancellor's office are depressing and mental harazzing. Pls. read the NEWS from CUE Local 6 website, about Executive hires, raises, perks approved by UC Regents in the July 16, 2009 Interim Actions If UC has no money, how did they finance these massive salary increases? Consider that, if you get a pay cut. I think we should sent all these informations to the Public, to the media how UC has cheat us from behind. SICK!!!!!!
Outrageous salaries and bonuses for executives are nothing new. Though infuriating, the phenomenon is nothing new. What really gets me angry what those covered by CUE get vis a vis people represented by the other unions at UC. Employees covered by these unions have received longevity raises as well as consistent merit raises and cost-of-living raises. As an almost twenty year employee of the campus sector as apposed to the medical center at UCSF, I was also denied the longevity raise which was given to medical center AAs, which in my case would have been equal to about 12%. Today we find out that the medical center employees will be exempt from the furloughs. Can the union do nothing about this? It's infuriating.
"There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, the people who own it, that unless you're free the machine will be prevented from working at all." -- Mario Savio.
According to Leland Yee from the NEWS, UC is having moral corruptions over us, feeding the BIG FAT CATS with 22% raise from our starving children and staff. This should be STOP and STRIKE like the BART employees!
There's a RALLY & PRESS CONFERENCE today @ Noon in front of 513 Parnassus; also VOTE of NO CONFIDENCE for Yudorf @ Cafeteria for today from 7AM-10PM & tomorrow from 7AM-5PM, held by 6 UNIONS, pls. check NEWS under CUE website for other UC schedulings. Thanks!
The CUE Bargaining Team met with UC on August 26 - 28 at the Office of the President at 300 Lakeside Drive in Oakland.
I would like to thank the 4 members of the Berkeley campus that came over; your support is greatly appreciated: Ute Rupp, Michelle Good, Elena Zaslavsky and Linda Morgan; and Loys Everett from UCOP.
During the session the team worked on and gave proposals to UC for the Health and Safety (Art. 8) and Layoff (Art. 13) articles. The CUE team also engaged in more questions with the UC team regarding the Salary Reduction and Furlough Plan.
We are making every attempt to try and gain certain guarantees in regards to the program and its effects, but have been unable thus far to get a guarantee of no layoffs during the life of the program. It is clear to us that even with a guarantee of no layoffs in relation to the salary reduction/furlough program; UC can and will find other reasons to lay off its employees.
We presented UC with an alternative supposal for the salary savings and are still brainstorming other ideas to accomplish the $13M in savings UC is requiring from the CX bargaining unit. On Thursday, members of the team met in a side-bar with Lynn Boland, Shelly Nielson, and Peter Chester (UC chief negotiator) to discuss some alternatives and to discover if the ideas we are considering as alternatives to the UC Salary Reduction/Furlough plan would be seriously considered by UC. If you have any ideas email them to me at: ladyesq2b@yahoo.com
The University has indicated it has prepared to issue temporary layoff notices to CX bargaining unit employees if no agreement is reached before the September 1, 2009 start date for the Salary Reduction/ Furlough Program.
If you receive a temporary layoff notice, we suggest that you immediately do the following: (1) Contact EDD (the Employment Development Department) and immediately apply for unemployment benefits a. https://eapply4ui.edd.ca.gov/ b. By telephone at 1-866-333-4606
(2) Contact your local CUE office immediately;
(3) Contact your state and federal legislators a. http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts/legislators/your_legislator.html
The team is scheduled to meet again on September 10th and 11th at UCOP, 300 Lakeside Drive (in the Kaiser Center building), Oakland, and I encourage members to attend.
Remember to participate in the Vote of No Confidence in Mark G. Yudof sponsored by the UCUC Coalition at the polling locations or by absentee ballot at: http://www.upte.org/vote/
I wish our CUE leadership would distribute bargaining reports in a more timely manner. It's sad that we have to read about it on a blog. Also, judging by the reactions of CUE members at the second brown bag meeting here at UCR, its seems as though the vast majority of CX employees were unaware of any pending temporary layoffs. I for one cannot afford to be reduced by 4% but I can afford even less to be laid off for 11 straight days!
on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:19:00 AM, Anonymous said... ...check NEWS under CUE website for other UC schedulings. Thanks! on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:19:00 AM
UC DAVIS CUE WEBSITE IS EXTREMELY OUTDATED!!!!!!
Last meeting time/place posted was in 2007. Last Local Event was 2005. Last Annual Report was 2001.
How are we supposed to get important, relevant, local news about our union from that?
With this new information of 11 days of the campus close and now we have to take our day off no matter what, that is double hit for those of us who do not have vacation or comp time. It is time to take the furlough deal. I can't afford 22 days off without pay which the majority would be in two pay checks. Please CUE think about this and take the deal, we might have lay offs no matter what.
someone wrote: "With this new information of 11 days of the campus close and now we have to take our day off no matter what, that is double hit for those of us who do not have vacation or comp time. It is time to take the furlough deal. I can't afford 22 days off without pay which the majority would be in two pay checks. Please CUE think about this and take the deal, we might have lay offs no matter what."
You can also look into using START. And work with your supervisor to take START days that coincide with your campus closure so you can mitigate the hit on your take home pay. It will be better than an 11 day consecutive layoff plus also having to use vacation time during "closure" periods.
It was on the News last night that UC Berkeley is willing to spend 3 million to hire an outside Consulting Firm to resolve their UC budget crisis. A lot of $$$ can be saved from furlough/laidoff/ high student fees if they can STOP spending lavishly on unnecessary expenses: top management double-pay; remodel the restrooms like top hotel setting;replacing panels on wall instead of continuous paintings several times per year; changing new hand towel machines, gargage cans several times a year.
We're all struggling as to why CUE has not LISTENED to it's constituents. I've been thinking all along that no way will CUE let this furlough deal go to temporary layoffs - that it would be "union suicide". I think that CUE is in for a pretty big uprising of their members against them. We have represented employees who will lose their homes if they have to take temporary layoffs. This is very selfish of CUE. I believe CUE does not have their thumb on the pulse of it's members paying or volun-told.
Teamsters is much stronger than AFSCME. Nurses still being layoff (CWA union supposed to be strong too!) Pls. vote for Teamsters during these 2 weeks at your location. Thanks!
243 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 243 of 243I read most of the comments and I vote No, I invest 15 years of my life for this, we complain about what CUE do for us but I notice who most complain never show up. It's time to fight together because kissing the Regent's ass and thanks them because we have a job not guarantee are jobs. They going to use this excuse to do layoffs so we can do a job of thee people with one miserable salary and remember this
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF MANY YEAS WITH CUT NOT ONLY ONE IF WE NOT STOP THEM KNOW.
So we prefers to be fighters or accept Charity I not want to loss my job to, I'm not younger any more but I want to be able to retire one day and be able to survive with my income not to ending homeless.
CUE- please support the furloughs!
I agree that in general unions create stability and help provide good benefits and wages. Unfortunately, here at the UC system that has only partially worked. We DO have great benefits. The wages were terrible for what we do even before the current crisis. Now we are taking pay cuts of: 4% furloughs, 2% contribution to the retirement; Cost of living going up without any salary increase to offset it (this IS equivilent to a pay cut!), and I have heard that we will most likely have to start paying much more for healthcare soon (The healthcare is a rumor but a very scary one!).
Am I going to quit right now? No. I will hold tight until the economy imroves because at least I have a job, but if there are no drastic changes after that, I will look for other options. I can not afford to support my 2 children by myself on 32K.
I also believe that the university has to negotiate with UPTE, UC-AFT, AFSCME and well as CUE. Combined these unions represent approximately 55,000 UC employees. UC needs us to go along with the plan. Despite their threats of layoffs, I think they also realize the need us to do the day-to-day work of running UC. They can't just get rid of us all.
If the unions form a coalition and all negotiate for some benefits in return for the unions accepting the furloughs, maybe it will turn out ok for us. So much better right now that what is being done to CSU and California state workers. They are def. getting a raw deal.
An anonymous post on July 21, 2009 3:52:00 PM says:
> What if we didn't have a contract
> with Article 13 (which spells out
> the way lay offs are handled and
> protects workers with senority).
I am a relatively junior AA and the people I have worked with who have seniority over me have very little incentive to get anything done. If they are laid off, they can bump anyone less senior to them. They are safe.
If we are asked to respect our union, we must be willing to acknowledge the fallacy of maintaining a seniority-based system, and advocate a merit-based one. And along with that get some support to train up, rather than have people stagnate into the same low-skill position for 20 years. No job should be a retirement home (or a sweat-shop either).
The world has been changing fast, for some time now. We cannot possibly continue to strive to maintain this antiquated system of seniority over merit at all costs.
I am a new AA who is very frustrated that his hard and professional work won't matter when the time comes to lay me off while my more senior colleagues blog all day, never reply to any email, and eventually no-one bothers to ask them to do anything because they know it won't get done, or will be very sloppy, or will require a lot of supervision and hassle ... If there was ever a place where there is competition for who will do the least, this is it. I am living it every day.
(There are quite a few good AAs, I am sure and I wish I worked with them.)
I would be much more willing to support this seniority-based system if someone gave me a good reason why 3 of my colleagues with 9-16 years seniority have done absolutely nothing in the two years I have been here.
If any of us had a business to run, or had to decide who to keep and who to get rid of, would anyone in their right mind retain seniority with no productivity?
There has to be a balance. I don't want to work in a sweatshop, but what I see with all these more senior colleagues of mine cannot be the way forward. Give them some deadlines, some supervision, and some ability to train up. If they cannot get any of that done, why keep them?
This furlough is just the beginning. Almost a decade ago, Business Week noted that government agencies had promised benefits exceeding their ability to deliver. The real estate bubble masked this for a time, and generated higher taxes temporarily. We are entering a period where federal, state, county, BART and local levels are coming up short. The financial reality is a larger mess than State legislatures and UC discussions would suggest. We should be grateful to have a job with benefits. And, we will all be learning to live with less.
What we really need CUE to do for us is - Except the furlough days / pay cut with the guarantee that any CUE represented employee will not be laid off for a period equal to the duration of the furlough / salary reduction plan. We will take the pay cuts, but give us some job security! If we take the pay cuts without the security, I for one will always have the fear of losing my job in the back of my mind.
I think CUE needs to stay out of this...a job with good benefits in today's economy is a blessing!! It is much better than no job at all. I'd much rather bring home a paycheck with a 5% cut than an unemployment check!!
I have one question for those of you who want CUE to fight against the proposed furlough plan...are you willing to volunteer to be laid off in order to preserve the jobs of those who prefer the furlough over layoffs? I seriously doubt it!! And until you are, shut it!!
-UCR
Well, CUE can't just stay out of it. Like it or not (and I do like it), clerical workers are part of a collective bargaining unit and we are represented by CUE in all contract negotiations.
Writing snark like "CUE, stay out of it," is not useful. As our representatives they do what WE ask them to do. THEY are US. Like us, they are UC clerical workers who have to live with whatever agreements are negotiated. They do not have any special protections. They will lose pay through the furlough plan and could lose jobs if we, the members of CUE, vote to fight the furlough plan. I'm pretty sure THEY need their jobs just as much as WE do.
Give them your opinion in a constructive manner -- what you have to say may help us all.
Join the union so you can vote.
It is painfully obvious from these blogs that CUE is not respected by its members or by the Regents, not supported and frankly, an embarrassment (the whole Michelle Obama fiasco). CUE should take this opportunity to show the Regents they know how to negotiate and compromise. CUE's previous outlandish, ridiculous and raged filled demands just fell on deaf ears and will again if another approach is not considered. Why not accept the furloughs for the next 12 months only (overwhelmingly preferred by CUE members)in conjunction with reasonable cost of living increases and step increases at the end of the 12 month term.
It amazes me how some of the people posting on here seem to feel that the institution who we chose to seek employment with is some evil entity who is out to get us. I for one am proud to call myself a UC staff member. Given the current situation our state is in I find the J2 proposal quite fair. I understand the concern that we might not get the salary reduction back after the crisis is over so why can't CUE ask that it be contracted that we get that percentage of salary and something extra back by a date agreed upon by both CUE and the Regents?
PS - I really am a UC staff member and not a Regents big wig in disguise. Quit being so paranoid.
strike strike strike
strike strike strike
Dear CUE,
What is your position? Please... say something!
Personally, I'd rather work for 95% of my pay and extra days off than watch my colleagues get laid off, which is exactly what will happen if we do not all do our part in sharing the burden. What right do we have to put ourselves above all the others employed by the UC?
Yes, it sucks that some of you watch money fly out the door on useless things or lazy executives' salaries, but that's not the case in all places. In my part of the UC, I have bosses and middle management who work as hard as I do and who are doing all they can to cut costs in other ways because they don't want any of us to be laid off. Is it fair that the woman a step above me, making $1000 a year more than me should take a pay cut and I shouldn't? Hardly.
Maybe the UC should just lay off the people who insist on keeping their full salary instead of sharing the burden, and save the rest of us the headache of dealing with this.
Wow... some really harsh comments and opinions. I am so surprised that some of you have drunk the UC koolaid- or are you purposely putting your head in the sand?
CUE can't butt out or back off, they are REQUIRED to bargain the proposal BY LAW. They are CUE members too and do not stand to work against anyone. But, they are not about to lay down like a beaten dog either. There will be a communication out soon- THEY ARE IN BARGAINING over this as I write. I pleaded for communication on your behalf after reading the blogs for the last few days. I was told that I should let you know that it is coming, but they are unable to get to us until they are out of bargaining sessions.
The saddest part of this is that a bunch of you think that UC Executives are an honorable bunch of people! I mean, come on! They just got their bonuses in the fall after they forced budget cuts last year and knew very, very well that the cuts were going to be much deeper this year- basically gave themselves at least as much, if not more, than what they expected would be their cut that they would have to take to "show" the rest of us, that they will be taking the cut too! Not to mention hiring Yudof at 200,000.00 more than the last goon. And his perks are even more than the last guy- at least he lived in University housing and wasn't living in a rented mansion on UC's dime! I don't know if many of you see the kinds of exorbident expenses these kronies have and get reimbursed for all of them! They don't consider that lodging in the 400.00-500.00 range is a problem, nor do they flinch at taking vacation tied into a conference or get full foreign per diem for meals and lodging and possibly pocket money just because it is allowed. They use business class or first class airfare, take limos everywhere, get car allowances up in the thousands of dollars! And mileage to drive in those cars and the maintanence is done at UC!
I mean do any of us get homes, cars, mileage, car repairs? How about your airfare paid for and somehow tack on an extra several days to tour the area? If I could figure out how to get someone to pay for my vacation flights, I would go several times a year- all I would have to do is come up with my meals! They get computers paid for, books, magazines, memberships and it goes on and on... They possibly have to pay for their own wardrobe and food and that is about it! They likely have the university pay for their car insurance and utilities!
There have been a bunch of increases in the past few months at the executive level also.
Read those wages on the sac bee website! Educate yourselves what these people give themselves! Yes, they vote themselves to receive those raises and wages!
This is why I say some of you have drunk the UC Koolaid- UC Regents/Executives are no better than those corporations that have gone to jail for unethical behavior- LIKE ENRON! Wake up people.
The reason that most of you are saying all the negative stuff is because you are not involved on any level. You want to sit back and complain all the while having a few people try to pull the weight of everyone! Get involved. We are stronger together and weak by back biting each other- and UC loves us to attack within... they don't have to do anything but sit back and watch us and if you don't think that the threat to lay off is a scare tactic, guess again.
Yudof is a bully.. maybe you should look up his record- that is why the regents hired him, to cut back and do it as harshly as he has to.
Clericals are upset and have every right to be, but I think that the anger is misplaced- it should be at the ones who are doing it to you, UC! Not the ones who are trying to give you a better working condition and better, FAIR wage!
Teri
All this information about the executives is not news to many of us and, yes, is unfair and infuriating, and has been for years. But unfortunately it hasn't changed yet and it won't now. You don't have to be drinking the kool-aid to see that. I personally feel that, based on the track record of CUE, whatever the reason may be (maybe AAs can never stand up to UC since we seem to be dispensable) it's hard to expect any good out of this bargaining. Don't assume people are putting their heads in the sand.
This whole thing is really sad, in my humble opinion. We are so busy pointing fingers of blame at each other inside and outside of the union that if a new employee sat down to read all this, he/she wouldn't know what to think. Are the regents evil? Does CUE have my best interests at heart? Yes, we do have great benefits. You would be hard pressed to find comparable benefits anywhere in our area and I suspect just about everywhere else UC has a presence. These are tough times, FOR EVERYONE (some of us more so than others). Everyone needs to shoulder their fair share of the burden. It's what made our country weather through previous storms in its long and proud history and will do so again.
I agree with Teri, UC are no different from any other CEOs like
"AIG, ERON, Wall Street's, etc."
The BART just received $50 million
to improve their systems, and S.F.
Police Dept. also received another
big lump sum from Federal according
to the emails that I received from
Barbara Boxer, but still they ALL claimed they are POOR, have to cut
staff & services, tighten budget/ expenses, all that BS stuff. They have taken the BENEFITS from us and
continue their lavish life-style
from our hard-working $$$. They will soon have their DAY/TIME, as these are an OPEN ILLEGAL but POLITICAL ISSUES. JUST PRAY HARD!!!
Teri you sound like a socialist. Isn't that the great thing about our country? That we can get an education and get perks and benefits out of it? I guess we should live like Cuba so everyone feels that they are getting their fair share. I'm not denying that people misuse their power/ privilege but I'd rather have democracy then communism. If you don't like that you don't have the perks then further your education so that you can take a job that provides them.
CUE - Agree to the furlough NOW, lower our dues in proportion to the amount of our salary reduction, lower any CUE paid salaries in the same proportion, and get in there and negotiate a decent contract - keep our benefits intact. Forget strikes - the ones who lose are the employees who do not get paid!
The retirement "holiday" is over, we need to fund the plan now! We had the good fortune to have a good fund steward who kept it growing until recently. In the outside world, you do not get the retirement package that UC and state workers get - you get a fixed benefit (no COLA) that might be 50% maximum of your salary and you get to pay part of your health insurance premiums (not cheap!) that go up almost every year. Companies can drop or change retiree health care benefits at anytime. Most companies have dropped their defined benefit (fixed) pension and only have a 401K (403B equivalent) - that's it.
Where are you CUE??? Let's get going with the furloughs- this is not the time to fight. A paying member but I will discontinue the membership, if you try to fight this thing. Let get started.
In my humble opinion, CUE is useless. They hold back the employee. My reclass has been sitting on a desk for the past 3 years. I hope that when our salaries get cut, I hope that the (un)fair share is too. Suck it up and accept and stop acting like a bunch of whiners.
How long does it take to negotiate.
CUE update us.
Many of us are tired of the stress of all of this. It would be nice to know what to expect...especially with the furlough program to start Sept. 1. I am tired of the rumors and want something definite to plan on.
All the emails we received from the
Chancellor's office are depressing
and mental harazzing. Pls. read
the NEWS from CUE Local 6 website,
about Executive hires, raises, perks approved by UC Regents in the July 16, 2009 Interim Actions
If UC has no money, how did they
finance these massive salary increases? Consider that, if you get a pay cut. I think we should
sent all these informations to the
Public, to the media how UC has
cheat us from behind. SICK!!!!!!
Outrageous salaries and bonuses for executives are nothing new. Though infuriating, the phenomenon is nothing new.
What really gets me angry what those covered by CUE get vis a vis people represented by the other unions at UC. Employees covered by these unions have received longevity raises as well as consistent merit raises and cost-of-living raises.
As an almost twenty year employee of the campus sector as apposed to the medical center at UCSF, I was also denied the longevity raise which was given to medical center AAs, which in my case would have been equal to about 12%. Today we find out that the medical center employees will be exempt from the furloughs. Can the union do nothing about this? It's infuriating.
"There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, the people who own it, that unless you're free the machine will be prevented from working at all." -- Mario Savio.
Quite a fitting comment....
Direct your comments or concerns to Mary Higging. Send her an e-mail. She is the bargainng rep from SF. It hepls her to have info from us.
Thanks
According to Leland Yee from the NEWS, UC is having moral corruptions over us, feeding the BIG FAT CATS with 22% raise from our starving children and staff. This should be STOP and STRIKE like
the BART employees!
FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW:
There's a RALLY & PRESS CONFERENCE
today @ Noon in front of 513 Parnassus; also VOTE of NO CONFIDENCE for Yudorf @ Cafeteria
for today from 7AM-10PM & tomorrow
from 7AM-5PM, held by 6 UNIONS, pls. check NEWS under CUE website for other UC schedulings. Thanks!
we should have a strike vote let show the uc how much they need us
Local 3 Bargaining Report
The CUE Bargaining Team met with UC on August 26 - 28 at the Office of the President at 300 Lakeside Drive in Oakland.
I would like to thank the 4 members of the Berkeley campus that came over; your support is greatly appreciated: Ute Rupp, Michelle Good, Elena Zaslavsky and Linda Morgan; and Loys Everett from UCOP.
During the session the team worked on and gave proposals to UC for the Health and Safety (Art. 8) and Layoff (Art. 13) articles. The CUE team also engaged in more questions with the UC team regarding the Salary Reduction and Furlough Plan.
We are making every attempt to try and gain certain guarantees in regards to the program and its effects, but have been unable thus far to get a guarantee of no layoffs during the life of the program. It is clear to us that even with a guarantee of no layoffs in relation to the salary reduction/furlough program; UC can and will find other reasons to lay off its employees.
We presented UC with an alternative supposal for the salary savings and are still brainstorming other ideas to accomplish the $13M in savings UC is requiring from the CX bargaining unit. On Thursday, members of the team met in a side-bar with Lynn Boland, Shelly Nielson, and Peter Chester (UC chief negotiator) to discuss some alternatives and to discover if the ideas we are considering as alternatives to the UC Salary Reduction/Furlough plan would be seriously considered by UC. If you have any ideas email them to me at: ladyesq2b@yahoo.com
The University has indicated it has prepared to issue temporary layoff notices to CX bargaining unit employees if no agreement is reached before the September 1, 2009 start date for the Salary Reduction/ Furlough Program.
If you receive a temporary layoff notice, we suggest that you immediately do the following:
(1) Contact EDD (the Employment Development Department) and immediately apply for unemployment benefits
a. https://eapply4ui.edd.ca.gov/
b. By telephone at 1-866-333-4606
(2) Contact your local CUE office immediately;
(3) Contact your state and federal legislators
a. http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts/legislators/your_legislator.html
The team is scheduled to meet again on September 10th and 11th at UCOP, 300 Lakeside Drive (in the Kaiser Center building), Oakland, and I encourage members to attend.
Remember to participate in the Vote of No Confidence in Mark G. Yudof sponsored by the UCUC Coalition at the polling locations or by absentee ballot at: http://www.upte.org/vote/
Thank you,
Stephanie Dorton
Local 3 Bargainer
Thanks Stephanie,
I wish our CUE leadership would distribute bargaining reports in a more timely manner. It's sad that we have to read about it on a blog. Also, judging by the reactions of CUE members at the second brown bag meeting here at UCR, its seems as though the vast majority of CX employees were unaware of any pending temporary layoffs. I for one cannot afford to be reduced by 4% but I can afford even less to be laid off for 11 straight days!
on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:19:00 AM, Anonymous said...
...check NEWS under CUE website for other UC schedulings. Thanks!
on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10:19:00 AM
UC DAVIS CUE WEBSITE IS EXTREMELY OUTDATED!!!!!!
Last meeting time/place posted was in 2007.
Last Local Event was 2005.
Last Annual Report was 2001.
How are we supposed to get important, relevant, local news about our union from that?
With this new information of 11 days of the campus close and now we have to take our day off no matter what, that is double hit for those of us who do not have vacation or comp time. It is time to take the furlough deal. I can't afford 22 days off without pay which the majority would be in two pay checks. Please CUE think about this and take the deal, we might have lay offs no matter what.
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THIS
POLITICAL GAMES, MORE WILL BE FOLLOW, EITHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
IT'S NOT FURLOUGH OR NOT!! CANNOT
TRUST AT ALL.
someone wrote:
"With this new information of 11 days of the campus close and now we have to take our day off no matter what, that is double hit for those of us who do not have vacation or comp time. It is time to take the furlough deal. I can't afford 22 days off without pay which the majority would be in two pay checks. Please CUE think about this and take the deal, we might have lay offs no matter what."
You can also look into using START. And work with your supervisor to take START days that coincide with your campus closure so you can mitigate the hit on your take home pay. It will be better than an 11 day consecutive layoff plus also having to use vacation time during "closure" periods.
It's like furloughing youself.
WHO IS SO DUMP???
It was on the News last night that
UC Berkeley is willing to spend 3 million to hire an outside Consulting Firm to resolve their
UC budget crisis. A lot of $$$ can be saved from furlough/laidoff/
high student fees if they can STOP spending lavishly on unnecessary expenses: top management double-pay; remodel the restrooms like top hotel setting;replacing panels on wall instead of continuous paintings several times per year; changing new hand towel machines, gargage cans several times a year.
INSANE & DISGUSTING!!
7 million to remodel UC cafeteria,
just want to WASTE, WASTE but take
away the poor's $$$ & benefits to
fulfill their greediness.
We're all struggling as to why CUE has not LISTENED to it's constituents. I've been thinking all along that
no way will CUE let this furlough deal go to temporary layoffs - that it would be "union suicide". I think
that CUE is in for a pretty big uprising of their members against them. We have represented employees
who will lose their homes if they have to take temporary layoffs. This is very selfish of CUE. I believe CUE
does not have their thumb on the pulse of it's members paying or volun-told.
Teamsters is much stronger than
AFSCME. Nurses still being layoff
(CWA union supposed to be strong too!) Pls. vote for Teamsters during these 2 weeks at your location. Thanks!
CUE still S U C K s
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