2008 Woodie Awards
UAW, CSU at odds over fee waiver
Cheyenne Lee
Issue date: 11/1/06 Section: News
California State University (CSU) has decided not to provide any fee waivers for academic student employees-represented by United Auto Workers (UAW) local chapter 4123-for the 2006-07 academic year, citing insufficient funding. The union declared this a violation of the CSU contract.
The contract states only one reason in which CSU can decide not to provide fee waiver benefits-insufficient funding.
"Despite the fact that the University has received millions of dollars in excess of what they anticipated they would receive, or even asked for in this year's budget, the University claimed that they did not receive sufficient funding," the union said on their Web site.
Impasse requests have been filed with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) from both sides. The request must be accepted by PERB before a neutral mediator can try to resolve the dispute. Should that fail, a neutral fact-finding panel, also appointed by PERB, will hear arguments from the parties and then issue a non-binding report.
But the union can still strike even after this report is issued. The bargaining committee of the UAW is already authorized by the members of the union to call a strike.
The contract requires "the waiver of full State University and campus fees for bargaining unit employees with a 25 percent time base appointment in a given term, or who work 160 hours per semester (110 hours per quarter)."
This contract also states that those eligible includes "all full-time or part-time permanent staff, full-time probationary staff, full-time management, and part-time permanent staff. This includes executives, full time employees, and tenured/probationary faculty who have at least 6 years of full-time experience. Public safety officials are also eligible, along with skilled trades and academic professionals. Graduate students employed as graduate assistants or teaching associates can be approved."
Other benefits employees receive are health, vision and dental. CSU also runs other programs, including the Health Premium Conversion Program (TAPP), the Flex Cash Program, the Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA) and Dependant Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA). Life insurance is also offered up to $50,000, along with retirement benefits and 401K, 403B and 457 plans.
The contract states only one reason in which CSU can decide not to provide fee waiver benefits-insufficient funding.
"Despite the fact that the University has received millions of dollars in excess of what they anticipated they would receive, or even asked for in this year's budget, the University claimed that they did not receive sufficient funding," the union said on their Web site.
Impasse requests have been filed with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) from both sides. The request must be accepted by PERB before a neutral mediator can try to resolve the dispute. Should that fail, a neutral fact-finding panel, also appointed by PERB, will hear arguments from the parties and then issue a non-binding report.
But the union can still strike even after this report is issued. The bargaining committee of the UAW is already authorized by the members of the union to call a strike.
The contract requires "the waiver of full State University and campus fees for bargaining unit employees with a 25 percent time base appointment in a given term, or who work 160 hours per semester (110 hours per quarter)."
This contract also states that those eligible includes "all full-time or part-time permanent staff, full-time probationary staff, full-time management, and part-time permanent staff. This includes executives, full time employees, and tenured/probationary faculty who have at least 6 years of full-time experience. Public safety officials are also eligible, along with skilled trades and academic professionals. Graduate students employed as graduate assistants or teaching associates can be approved."
Other benefits employees receive are health, vision and dental. CSU also runs other programs, including the Health Premium Conversion Program (TAPP), the Flex Cash Program, the Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA) and Dependant Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA). Life insurance is also offered up to $50,000, along with retirement benefits and 401K, 403B and 457 plans.