Pink slips issued at three campuses due to 'lack of work'
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Teamsters Local 2010 has been fighting hard to protect our jobs from layoff or other loss of income. We were successful in winning paid administrative leave, and preventing any layoffs of our CSU members, through the last fiscal year. For the current fiscal year, we have continued to oppose layoffs, and pushed for additional federal and state funding for California higher education in light of economic losses due to stay-at-home orders and distance learning. We presented CSU with a comprehensive proposal on alternatives to layoff.
Unfortunately, CSU refused to bargain this proposal on a statewide basis, and while we have so far avoided layoffs at most campuses, a few campuses have initiated layoffs. Therefore, our Union will continue to take action to oppose any layoffs of our members.
California Governor Gavin Newsom instructed CSU and UC to use some of their unrestricted reserves in addition to the state emergency funding to avoid laying off workers. Even though the CSU campuses have the money to keep workers on-the-job right now, including close to $2 Billion in reserves, and plenty of work to be done on deferred maintenance, our Union has received notice of workers being laid off due to “lack of work” at CSU Sonoma, Monterey Bay and Fullerton.
Teamsters Fighting Layoffs in Multiple Ways
We sent a letter Aug. 27 to CSU Chancellor Timothy White with another formal request to negotiate a “framework to prevent and mitigate layoffs for our members at the CSU” which includes a proposal on reassigning contracted-out minor capital projects to Unit 6 Skilled Trades workers and prohibiting new contracts by the CSU or its auxiliaries for work that can be performed by University staff.
Associate Vice Chancellor Christina Checel responded on Sept. 2 that “each campus makes its own decision about the workforce it needs to maintain its operations and that the Chancellor’s Office does not direct campus layoffs or determine if there is a lack of work on any particular campus.”
View the entire letter to Chancellor White by clicking here.
We started a petition to Chancellor White and CSU Monterey Bay President Eduardo Ochoa expressing “no confidence” in CSU Monterey Bay Vice President for University Personnel Natalie King and demanding that she be removed from her leadership position. King is responsible for the unnecessary layoff of essential personnel at CSUMB. Her lack of leadership and dishonesty about the Monterey Bay financial situation trickles all the way down to the management teams of different divisions on campus.
Click here to sign our petition and share it with your colleagues, friends and family.
Teamsters members will speak to the CSU Board of Trustees Sept. 22-23 on the effects layoffs will have on workers and the long-term employment capabilities of the CSU and their campuses.
Contact your Steward or Union Rep if you would like to address the Trustees.
Given that CSU is justifying layoffs with a supposed lack of work, it is more important now than ever for everyone to protect and fight for our work.
In light of the CSU’s recent refusal to discuss alternatives to layoffs, we ask members at all CSU campuses to document ongoing or new trades work contracted to outside companies, including work contracted out by CSU non-profit Auxiliaries. Please report contracted-out work to our Union Stewards so that they may file appropriate grievances.
View the Contracting Out language in Article 4 of our Union contract by clicking here.
