Dear UPTE RX-TX Employees,

Below are some pictures from the crowded bargaining room, followed by a detailed report. 

UPTE UCLA Mobilizing Action Report – March 20 Bargaining Session

94 Members attended, of which 89 signed in, working these job titles:
    •    11 Animal Techs
    •    3 Computer Resource Specialists (CRS's)
    •    4 Electronic Techs
    •    5 Lab Assistants (LA's)
    •    2 Lab Mechs
    •    7 Museum Scientists
    •    8 AP’s/99’s
    •    3 Studio Projectionists
    •    5 Scene Techs
    •    40 Staff Research Associates (SRA's)
    •    1 Television Tech

Breaking Down Turnout:
    •    Zone Contacts in Technical Titles brought their people out.
    •    Mobilizing Committee/Building Meeting combination brought out SRA’s and LA’s.
    •    Emails and Phone Call reminders by members and staff helped to solidify commitments.
    •    2 months of preparation and lead-time was invaluable.
    •    We were able to secure release time for 2 large groups. (The Techs and Musuem Scientists from the Vaults and Animal Tech's from DLAM)

5 Member Presentations, 11 individual speakers
    •    2 Studio Projectionists – Delivered letter from Dean about quality work and need for pay.
    •    2 Scene Techs – Spoke of need for market pay, show-call wages and better OT provisions.
    •    2 Animal Techs – Spoke of dreadful pay amongst animal techs, high turnover and how OT is just needed to make a somewhat livable wage.
    •    2 SRAs – Spoke of the corporatization of UC, unfairness of charging PI’s 55% of grant monies and how the money taken from the grants is not going back into research.
    •    1 CRS spoke about how he works more hours than 8 hours per day and how he is not paid overtime. The lead bargainer told him that was okay under the contract and that UC was not accountable to state laws. The CRS responded "I think that is immoral".
    •    Mike Fehr (CRS) – Spoke about the need for market wages and asked the audience "do you want market wages now," which was met with a resounding "YES". This was in opposition to UC's Chief Bargainer's assertion that people  at UC do not expect to be paid market wages.  Mike's conclusion to her was something like "I hope you don't make that mistake again". Mike also spoke about how UC has the money, the $7 billion in endowments and a whole lot more.
    •    Cliff Fried (SRA) – Followed up on the immorality of UC not following state law and mentioned how we, as a union, can negotiate whatever we want.

Other Details:
    •    7 out of 11 of the member speakers were "new speakers," who had never spoken at a bargaining event before.
    •    The Presentations/Impromptu Speakers took approximately 1 hour in time.
    •    The turnout more than filled up the gigantic grand salon bargaining room. The seating capacity of the room is 99.
    •    UC Riverside brought up 2 members in solidarity.
    •    Event host was Max Hechter and coordinated with Rita Kern and Kevin Rooney.
    •    The union provided shuttle service to people located off-campus, which helped bring an additional 10 people to the event.    
    •    In 3 presentations, managers supported their staff, either through letters or in person.
    •    A lack of overtime pay was a HUGE issue brought up by the members.
    •    We had a good combination of "older employees" and "younger employees" turnout to the event. A significant percentage of our younger activists have come into the union by way of our building meetings, which have become a forum in which the union has been able to educate and help members resolve their individual employment problems. 

Their problems most often fall into one of four categories: 

    1. The member did not receive a union negotiated raise, 
    2. They needed help on a reclass or equity, 
    3. Layoffs were an issue in the work setting, or 
    4. There was just some general tension in the work area UPTE was able to help resolve. 

Building meetings are most often lead in a joint effort between activists and staff and have become a setting in which the members come together to push their issues as a collective.