I am delighted to announce that the UC Office of the President (UCOP) and
the Coalition of University Employees (CUE) have reached an agreement on UC's proposal to increase the wages of our lowest paid clerical employees.
This is an important first step toward increasing the wages of all of our lowest paid employees. I am hopeful that UCOP and unions representing about 500 UC Santa Cruz custodians and food service workers, and about 100 technical workers, will reach a similar agreement soon.
Last September, I set aside campus funds to raise the wages of all our lower-paid workers. The agreement reached Thursday means low-wage clerical workers at UCSC will receive wage increases retroactive to October 1, 2006. These increases will raise the minimum annual salary to $25,000 and provide equity increases from 1 to 4 percent--depending on salary level--to individuals making between $25,000 and $35,000 a year.
Then, beginning April 1, clerical employees who earn less than $40,000 a year will receive additional raises as described in the UCOP and CUE agreement.
We are very pleased to accomplish this important first step. An announcement of a similar wage increase for an additional 450 lowest paid employees not represented by a union will also be announced shortly.
Additional information is available from Staff Human Resources or Labor Relations at 459-2980.
