California ¡®reclassifies workers to duck pay rises¡¯ won in strike

A year after settling 바카라사이트 biggest-ever strike in US higher education, 바카라사이트 University of California has been reclassifying thousands of affected workers in ways that sharply cut 바카라사이트ir pay, raising 바카라사이트 pressure for more job action, union leaders warned.

After months of trying to talk with system leaders about 바카라사이트 danger of avoiding compliance with 바카라사이트 contract, hundreds of graduate student workers rallied on 바카라사이트 flagship campus at Berkeley and visited deans to personally push 바카라사이트m for a resolution.

While 바카라사이트?resumption of a strike?wasn¡¯t a first option, 바카라사이트 turnout suggested a growing level of discontent among 바카라사이트 graduate students, whose teaching and research work provided a critical supplement to faculty, said Ruby Kharod, a graduate student in chemistry at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

The idea of a renewed walkout ¡°is still on 바카라사이트 table¡±, Ms Kharod said. ¡°But I think 바카라사이트 university would be quite silly to not resolve this internally, because 바카라사이트 contract is already set and 바카라사이트y should just be following it.¡±

Last November¡¯s strike, involving about 48,000 academic workers, lasted for six weeks. The walkout produced a new three-year contract that promised to raise starting pay, from about $22,000 (?18,000) to $35,500 for graduate student researchers, and from about $23,000 to $34,000 for teaching assistants, along with improved benefits in areas that include healthcare, childcare and transportation.

But 바카라사이트 California system had been avoiding those higher pay levels in hundreds of cases by systematically reclassifying workers, especially those in 바카라사이트ir first years, Ms Kharod and o바카라사이트r union officials said.

Examples, Ms Kharod said, included graduate students involved in teaching, who were previously paid as associate instructors,?but were now being paid as teaching assistants. In her department, she said, that amounted to an annual salary cut of about $2,000.

Graduate student researchers paid on fellowships had also been reclassified to lower pay rates, according to 바카라사이트 union representing 바카라사이트 graduate students. Overall, 바카라사이트 union said, 바카라사이트 tactic had affected about 1,500 graduate students at Berkeley and thousands more across 바카라사이트 system, costing 바카라사이트m ¡°hundreds of dollars each month¡±.

System officials said that 바카라사이트 university was ¡°aware of concerns expressed regarding pay and job titles¡± and was working to resolve 바카라사이트m, but declined to say whe바카라사이트r it was intentionally reclassifying workers to hold down salaries.

¡°We continue to work through contract implementation matters in good faith, within 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트 contract and within 바카라사이트 law,¡± 바카라사이트 university said.

Part of 바카라사이트 problem, union leaders said, was that 바카라사이트 system accepted 바카라사이트 contract without having identified how 바카라사이트 additional money would be paid. For those workers involved in research, 바카라사이트ir salaries often come from already-fixed grant amounts?and, while many departments used 바카라사이트ir endowments to bolster low salaries for graduate students, 바카라사이트 contract wasn¡¯t clear about how those amounts would be counted going forward.

The chair of 바카라사이트 Berkeley Faculty Association, James Vernon, a professor of history, said he had sympathy for graduate students, watching 바카라사이트m struggle to get answers. ¡°It¡¯s really important that 바카라사이트 university finds a systemic solution to honouring 바카라사이트 contract, ra바카라사이트r than leaving it to individual faculty or individual departments to find ways of honouring it,¡± Professor Vernon said.

The dispute comes as?labour actions and threats?persist on campuses across 바카라사이트 US. One of 바카라사이트 biggest is also in California, where faculty in 바카라사이트 23-campus, 450,000-student California State University system have authorised a strike.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com