UCLA Daily Bruin
Feb. 3, 2006

A study released Thursday by a labor union representing University of California employees has found significant gaps between the salaries of UC and California State University service workers.

The study, conducted by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, found that some low-level service workers at the UC make up to 26 percent less than their counterparts at CSU. On the other end of the salary scale, the study found that some UC executives make up to 73 percent more than CSU executives.

But LaKesha Harrison, president of the AFSCME Union Local 3299, said that in both systems, executives were making more and more money while lower-level employees were making less and less.

"It's all about fairness," Harrison said. "If you're going to give to people at the top, you should give to people at the bottom as well."

Harrison and union spokeswoman Faith Raider said the wage gaps between executives' and service workers' salaries severely affect low-level workers in both systems.

"Service workers are not earning enough to pay for basic necessities like food and health care," Raider said. "It's surprising to find out that UC workers are so far behind (in terms of salary)."

However, UC spokesman Noel Van Nyhuis said the union's view of the situation is flawed, adding that the higher quality of UC executives and administrators justified the higher salaries.

"We are competing for talent," he said. "There is just no comparison."

But according to Harrison the issue is less about compensation and more about consistency.

"This is not to say that the chancellors are not worth whatever they make," she said. "But you have to be fair to everybody. Service workers are underpaid."

Van Nyhuis said that while gaps may still exist, "last year (the UC) came to a new three-year contract for all service workers that included wage increases across the board."

He added that the UC has hired a consultant to assess wages, and has implemented a long-term plan to raise wages for all employees.

"The UC is generally at market-level in terms of total compensation when you factor in things like health benefits," he said.

The UC has recently come under fire from legislators and interest groups for some of its compensation policies, including accusations of unreported bonuses and salary increases for top executives.

Harrison noted that while the discrepancy affects the workers themselves most directly, it may impact students to some degree as well.

Raider said that in light of student fee increases, the UC should prioritize its expenditures.

"Student fees have been increasing exponentially, and student services have been cut," she said. "While the executive salaries have been going up, everyone else at the UC has been suffering under the illusion of a budget crunch."

Raider said she thinks the wage gap exists partially because of accountability issues.

"There has not been much accountability or disclosure to the legislature and the (UC) Board of Regents," she said. "The executives have been working behind the scenes to get their salaries up to market value. They should be doing this for the whole system."

In response to the study, over 2,000 of the 18,000 workers represented by AFSCME have signed a petition asking the state legislature to examine the wage gap.

"People need to be aware that workers know this is going on," Harrison said. "We don't have the money to fight (the universities), but we do have the people power."

The petition will be presented to the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee on Feb. 8.