Lecturers reject final offer from UC system

Deirdre Newman

University of California lecturers, holding fast to their demands

for job security, on Wednesday rejected a take-it-or-leave-it

contract renewal offer from the UC system.

It is now up to the UC system to decide whether it will follow

through on its threat to impose a secondary offer that lecturers

consider to be less beneficial. UC system officials did not return

calls for comment late Wednesday afternoon.

The lecturers, who have been without a contract for more than two

years, contend the offer does not go far enough to deliver job

protections that other “similarly situated” UC employees enjoy,

including not being fired without cause and having seniority

considered when layoffs occur.

“We were trying to move toward recognition that we’re a necessary

part of the university and this is precisely what didn’t happen,”

said Kevin Roddy, president of the University Council of the American

Federation of Teachers. “Both versions of the contract they gave us

further marginalized us.”

Previous charges of unfair labor practices during the bargaining

process resulted in a strike on multiple UC campuses on Oct. 14. The

rejection of this offer might galvanize lecturers to strike again,

Roddy said

“I think this will radicalize a lot of lecturers who thought if

they were quiet, everything would be fine,” Roddy said. “People are

getting frustrated. They’re beginning to join the union.”

The union is also filing another bad-faith bargaining charge

against the UC System.

Systemwide, lecturers teach 25% to 30% of all classes. Throughout

the system, lecturers can work full time and receive regular employee

benefits. Additionally, UC offers three-year renewable contracts to

longtime lecturers, whether part time or full time, according to the

Web site of the UC Office of the President.

The lecturers hoped the strikes would give them more leverage at

the bargaining table. But when negotiations resumed Oct. 21, after a

day of bargaining, the UC system gave the lecturers the

take-it-or-leave-it offer.

The lecturers are hopeful that the UC system will come back to the

bargaining table since an impasse has not been reached on all issues,

said Steve Hopcraft, spokesman for the California Federation of

Teachers.

“We definitely haven’t reached a point where we can’t give any

more and they said, ‘We can’t give any more,’” Hopcraft said. “We

believe it is still possible and that’s what we’re calling for.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.