Casual No More
The University of California employed thousands of workers as “casual” employees, with no benefits or job security. Finally, with AFSCME’s support, the workers have gained “career” status.
By Susan Ellen Holleran
LOS ANGELES
Dora Herrera seethed with frustration. “When my children got sick,” she recalls, “I had to go to the county hospital and apply for emergency medical care. We could wait there for eight hours just to get an inoculation.”
For the past 12 years, Herrera had been without health insurance — even though she had been working full time for an employer that’s a household name, the University of California at Los Angles (UCLA). She labored without paid leave, pension or dependable hours.
Now Herrera is celebrating. After years of second-class citizenship, and a union struggle in which she was actively involved, she is finally on the “career” track. Herrera just received a $5,000 retro-active vacation check; she was also credited for back sick leave and pension coverage.
CALIFORNIA GOLD. The University of California is one of the largest employers in the state, with campuses from Davis to San Diego. When Local 3299 surveyed workers throughout the system, hundreds responded that they were classified as casual, although they worked full time and had years of university service.
Last April, Local 3299 decided the inequity must end and organized the temporary workers to fight back. The local realized that the existing situation threatened its own — career — members’ job status and welfare.
STANDING TALL. It took courage for these workers to speak up. They had no job security, no protection from retaliation. With support from their career co-workers, however, they circulated petitions and marched on their bosses to demand respect and jobs with standard benefits.
In Los Angeles, the local organized a large public forum attended by nearly 100 casuals, who went public and exposed the system. Many workers, Herrera among them, told their stories to a panel that included California legislators. “We were very happy,” she declares, “because we were saying something we had never been able to say before.”
The outraged lawmakers, who authorize funding for the university, ordered hearings in Sacramento and called for an audit of this part of the workforce. Simultaneously, the issue was being discussed in 3299’s ongoing contract negotiations with UC. After months of direct member action and organizing, both parties agreed on a plan to promote casual employees into the career ranks. It is based on years of service and working hours.
The new career employees will also receive retroactive credit for vacation and sick leave, pension plan coverage, and the 6.3 percent increase Local 3299 won for UC’s service and patient care/technical units.
ENDING THE BOUNCE. Respect was the main thing Mario Fuentes wanted to gain for himself and his co-workers. “I got involved,” he says, “because some supervisors treated us like Ping-Pong balls, bouncing us from place to place” without job security or a guarantee of regular hours.
Now the workers have job protections, and know they won’t be alone if their rights are violated.
FOR SORE EYES. Not long ago, Antonio Garcia was ready to quit his five-year, food-service job. His hours had been cut, and he could not depend on bringing home a living wage.
Garcia also needed an eye operation. “The medicine and treatments are so expensive here that I had to go to Mexico,” he says. The surgery failed, and Garcia returned there for a second — not totally successful — operation.
Today, he is looking forward to having insurance, “hoping to go to the doctor right away to take care of my vision problems and get new glasses.”
Throughout the UC system, hundreds of employees can show how their families have suffered from the lack of benefits, dependable working hours and job security. On Jan. 1, 2001 — as career employees — they are finally being recognized for the value of their work. After all, they make UC run.
