TA Contract Wins Approval

Approval in December of a new contract for UC's 11,000 academic student employees included a retroactive 1.5 percent wage increase to last fall when the previous contract expired.

The teaching assistants, tutors, readers, and graduate associates represented by United Auto Workers Local 2865 accepted the new contract, which will expire on Sept. 30, 2006, by a vote of 1,682 in favor to 26 opposed. "We are hopeful that this contract signals a new era of productive and cooperative labor relations," said Rajan Mehta, UAW bargaining team member from UC Berkeley.

Under the new terms, teaching assistants' future raises will be linked to Academic Senate faculty merit increases. A 1.5 percent increases for TAs in 2004 and in 2005 would be triggered by faculty merit raises, announced Paul Schwartz, UCOP labor spokesman.

Merit increases are routinely granted to one-third of the eligible UC faculty each year on a rotating basis. This year's faculty quota had received its raise.

"Our instructional assistants play a very important role in helping UC faculty meet the University's teaching needs, and we are pleased to have reached an agreement with the union that acknowledges their many contributions," said Judith Boyette, UC associate vice president, human resources and benefits.

In addition to salary increases, graduate academic student employees who work at least 25 percent time will continue to have 100 percent of their education, registration, and health insurance fees paid. This provision covers future fee increases, too.

The University said the issue of sympathy strikes was resolved to the parties' "mutual satisfaction," and all bargaining-related charges of unfair labor practices were withdrawn. The UAW said new employees will receive a union membership form with their employment papers, and that union representatives will have access to new employee orientations.