Take that, supporters!

And here comes the backlash!

More speakers aren't speaking, because of union protests. Unfortunately for the union, most people seem to be blaming them or their allies, rather than the university. It's even worse because the union had the opportunity to get what they wanted.

Nunez offered the union a deal last week whereby he would add a line in the state budget allotting additional state funding for the purpose of increasing the university janitors' pay.

UC officials said they were disappointed that the union rejected Nunez's deal, but union workers said they wanted a stronger commitment from campus administration.

"The problem is if it gets in the budget it could be line-outed at any moment," said union organizer Debra Grabelle. "What we want is a commitment from UC Berkeley that they are going to fix the problem no matter what."

Stronger commitment? How does that stronger commitment taste? I mean, I assume you can eat it, or buy food with it, like you could with a pay raise.

Backlash here, here, and here.

Normally, a union uses its collective power to say "Hey, if you don't give us what we want, we'll fuck you up!" This time, though, the union used its collective power to fuck over some of its biggest supporters, at essentially no cost to the university. Way to go!

posted by Beetle Aurora Drake 5/15/2006 12:49:00 PM #
Comments (4)

. . .

Comments:

The backlashers seem petty and selfish, that's all I can say. If they really think that a boring speech is some big highlight of graduation, and would value that over standing in solidarity with the undervalued workers on this campus who deserve a living wage, then those disrepected-feeling backlashers probably should have been disrespected.

Also, the Daily Cal letter-writer who considered himself politically aware had never even heard of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, only the second- or third- most powerful politican in California. That's right, he's *so* politically aware ... Ugh.

# posted by  jimf : 1:13 PM, May 15, 2006

 

So do the union folks, for turning down an actual wage increase and for targeting their supporters. They clearly thought the boring speech was important enough to picket.

# posted by  Beetle Aurora Drake : 1:19 PM, May 15, 2006

 

They didn't turn down a wage increase -- it wasn't guaranteed by the university.

It was only something that Nunez promised would be in the budget, as it says in the article you quoted, which could be lined-out by the governor.

# posted by  jimf : 2:00 PM, May 15, 2006

 

Twelve bucks an hour starting aint bad, for janitorial work. Plus, as I understand it, they get UC benefits, which are quite good. (Never underestimate the value of good benefits.)

I also think that AFSCME has a no-strike clause in their contract, which would seem to include those pickets.

http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies/
labor_relations/bargaining_updates/sx/agreement.html

Yes, the Bay is expensive, and even twelve bucks an hour is tight if you've got a family. But I also think that unions lose some of their credibility when they pull stunts like this. These guys are not living in Dickensian misery. Pushing for higher wages is fine. AFSCME acted like a bunch of idiots though, and I think they deserve to get a little backlash out of it. They need to get smart about their organizing, rather than just giving in to their lefty impulses.

# posted by  Anonymous : 8:24 PM, May 17, 2006

 

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