UC Irvine Teamsters have won a major victory this month after a neutral arbitrator declared that UCI violated our Teamsters contract by charging Teamsters workers $76 per month at two previously free campus lots! The arbitrator’s decision mandates that UCI reduce parking rates at both lots for Teamsters workers (currently down to $10/month), that UCI refund Teamsters charged the $76 rate, AND that they pay interest on any late refunds!
This is a huge win for UCI Teamsters–many of whom drive long commutes every morning to make it to campus–which was made possible by our Union solidarity and Union power!
Our Union filed a grievance against UCI after UCI ended free staff parking at the Verano Place and Palo Verde lots in November 2022. After years of free parking at those lots, which Student Housing and Child Care Services workers depended on to keep their commutes affordable, UCI instituted an outrageous $76/month charge for all employees.
This was a clear violation of our collective bargaining agreement with the UC, which lays out limits on parking increases for each UC campus. At UC Irvine? Our contract allows for an increase of only $10/per month in any calendar year–nowhere near $76. UC claimed they were applying their general employee parking rate to the Verano Place and Palo Verde lots, instead of blatantly violating our Teamsters contract!
Union Reps Karen Paredes-Tupper and Stephanie Aguilar testified during the grievance process, explaining that this parking increase was a huge burden on Teamsters workers and explicitly barred by our contract, and the state agreed. Taking only five days to reach their decision, the arbitrator ordered that UCI make all affected Teamsters whole–and fast!
That’s the power of a Union that never stops fighting for workers!
