June 16 Bargaining Update

Angry about UCLA’s initial wage offer? You are not alone!

Our Skilled Trades Bargaining Team met with UCLA on Thursday, June 16, to demand fair and equitable wage increases. Members from Housing and Facilities Management joined our team and delivered a strong message to UCLA that our Bargaining Unit needs fair and equitable wage increases across-the-board. Members addressed the high rate of inflation and housing costs, as well as increases in gas and food prices. We talked about the importance of maintaining job standards, and UCLA’s inability to recruit qualified employees given UCLA’s wage structure and the competitive job market in the Los Angeles area.

In response to questions from our Bargaining Team about how UCLA came up with its wage proposal, UCLA management stated they looked at other UC campuses, LA County and nearby cities. LA’s cost of living is approximately 15% higher than the rest of the state according to bestplaces.net. Why is UCLA making comparisons with geographical regions in other parts of California rather than just public entities in the LA area? To our question about Hero Pay, for which other employers have used the American Rescue Plan funds to recognize and reward their workforce for their essential work during the COVID-19 pandemic, UCLA management responded that it was “negotiable.”