Chicago, IL – On September 7, 30 students marched at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to demand the administration open a reproductive health clinic on campus that is free for students and the community.

Despite its roughly $3.6 billion budget, the university hasn’t taken any steps to provide reproductive healthcare for its students. Other demands included access to birth control and an end to the university’s contracts with companies based in heartbeat bill states.

The action, which drew members from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization, denounced, the Dobbs decision and other recent attacks on women’s and reproductive rights.

A member of YDSA addressed the crowd, “They have now had almost a century to codify Roe into law and we are now paying for their negligence,” and that “our bodies and our right to autonomy are not leverage for political elites’ campaigns.”

After speakers wrapped up, a march began from the Student Center to University Hall, gaining marchers as it crossed the campus. Protesters carried signs that read, “Abortion is a human right” and “Fuck the government and the legislators, women are not incubators!” while marching toward the administration’s office building.

At the offices a short speech listed the students demands. Liz Rathburn of UIC SDS made the point that student’s tuition wasn’t just going to the UIC Police Department but that “it isn’t going to the things people need to live, reproductive healthcare, birth control, basic human rights.”

The rally ended with a final round of “I believe that we will win.” SDS at UIC plans to keep the pressure on the administration for as long as it takes to win its demands.

#ChicagoIL #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #abortion #reproductiveRights #AbortionRights

Chicago, IL – 2700 workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago were poised to strike Aug. 23. Last minute meetings between the officers of the union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 and the university president resulted in an agreement to call off the strike.

In a membership meeting held the day before the threatened start of the strike, the elected bargaining committees agreed on bottom lines for going back to the table to finish the three contracts for clerical, service and technical workers. The workers also agreed to a limit of 30 days from the start of bargaining to bring back a final agreement.

Finally, the workers summed up that the administration made a significant new offer because of their fear of the strike. Only preparation to strike made management move, and if an agreement isn’t reached, workers could again be making picket signs.

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC

Two administrative workers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Jennifer Edwards (left) and Jackie Kurzeja (right), testify to members of the Illinois State Senate, Aug. 11. This spring, both workers lost their jobs after many years because of UIC’s practice of replacing unionized civil service employees with non-union academic professionals – workers who are paid more but have one-year contracts. Hundreds of positions have been lost in recent years because of this. This is the key reason that workers at UIC, members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, have voted to strike on Aug. 23.

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC

Chicago, IL – “Nunca hemos tenido tanto respeto de tanta gente,” dijo Sirlena Perry, luego agregó, “y lo hemos Ganado.” La hermana Perry se refería a la campana del contrato para los trabajadores oficinistas de la Universidad de Illinois Chicago, UIC. Ella es la lider del comité negociador y la principal encargada del local 73 SEIU ( Union Internacional de Empleados de Servicios).

Este respeto vino de los miembros de la Unión (sindicato), así como de los empleados que no estan en la Unión, después de que el local 73 y los encargados del mismo llegaron a un arreglo en las negociaciones del contrato. A principios de Noviembre, después de negociar por más de 12 meses, el comité presentó una propuesta de contrato a los miembros para su aprobacion. Más de 450 fueron a votar y solo el 1 por ciento votó en contra de este. Esto fue porque el contrato incluía aumentar la seguridad laboral, así como buenos salarios.

Tal como lo dijo el jefe negociador Tom Terranova, “esta es una Victoria en un tiempo presupuestario muy dificil. Pudimos obtener lo que obtuvimos solo porque nos mantuvimos y dimos la batalla por 14 meses.” Debido a la continua crisis economica, Terranova le anticipó a los miembros, “ para poder estar bien en los proximos 24 meses de este contrato, debemos de seguir haciendo lo que hemos venido haciendo hasta ahora. Y tenemos que involucrar a mas personas.”

El contrato se alarga por 48 meses. La cantidad que cada trabajador recibirá varía – algunos podrán ver tanto como un 24.5% de incremento. Los trabajadores de la Unión obtienen dos incrementos anualmente, en la fecha del contrato y en el aniversario de este. Para el contrato del 2005 y el 2006 solo el incremento de aniversario se ha obtenido hasta ahora. El incremento por el dia del contrato podría todavia que ser negociado (una reapertura de salarios) si el presupuesto estatal entra en crisis nuevamente.

La razón por la cual el contrato tomó tanto tiempo para llegar a un arreglo fue porque la Unión tuvo que pelear en dos frentes – por un contrato y contra la perdida de empleos. Balancear el presupuesto a costa de los trabajadores ocurre en cada estado en tiempos de problemas economicos. Un procedimiento de operacion dado en la Universidad de Illinois Chicago, ha sido la eliminación de empleos que apoyan a la fuerza laboral existente.

El local 73 ha tenido una posición firme en contra de la eliminación de empleos. Las negociaciones se llevaron a cabo mientras primero, estaba la pelea por cortar empleos desde la cúpula. Esto contribuyó a que el Governador la tomara contra la administración de la Universidad de Illinois y su inflada burocracia, lo que eventualmente obligó a la cúpula administrative a congelar sus propios salarios por 24 meses. Esto liberó cientos de miles de dolares, y permitió negociar sobre una suma de fondos más grande.

Los trabajadores de la UIC tuvieron la capacidad de hacer de su lucha una question social. Esto impulsó a los politicos a tomar nuestra posición. “Lo mejor de estos oficiales electos han pasado a ser nuestros aliados,” dijo Perry. “ Nuestras victorias de cabildeo nos han demostrado que necesitamos COPE.” COPE es el Comité de Educación Política. En la reunion para la raticifación del contrato, mas de 275 trabajadores de oficina firmaron para contribuir con COPE.

Segundo, cada corte de empleo iba a ser revisado por equipo negociador, incluyendo Tom Terranova, dandole seguimiento a los trabajadores afectados hasta que estos fueran puestos en vacantes. La forma de hacerlo del local permitió que nada más unos cuantos despidos se llevaran a cabo.

“Lo mejor que pudimos hacer fue haber peleado por cortes de empleos durante las negociaciones del contrato,” dijo Perry. “Le demostramos a los miembros que nosotros estamos en esta lucha para largo tiempo.” El comité negociador del contrato ayudó a organizar la resistencia en contra de los cortes, luego entró de lleno en la batalla por los salarios y el language del contrato. Sirlena Perry lo describió como, “…Los encargados pensaron que nos tenían sobre un barril. Nosotros demandamos por no cortes de empleos, y ellos esperaban que nos conformaramos solo con negociaciones salariales.”

Aumentos Salariales a Pesar de Crisis Estatal

En su lugar, los trabajadores demandaron un contrato justo, incluyendo manteniendonos a la altura de los trabajadores en Urbana. En el campus principal de la Universidad de Illinois, los oficinistas de la union tenían un contrato que continuó por los ultimos 24 meses, y consiguientemente sus salarios habian subido más que los de UIC.

Luz Martínez una nueva activista en la unión y miembra del comité negociador, habló en sus primera negociaciones. “Nosotros merecemos un buen aumento. La cantidad de trabajo ha aumentado en las clinicas. Los administradores de la cúpula se han beneficiado, nosotros debemos beneficiarnos también.”

Cuando los encargados vinieron con la oferta del aumento salarial, Martinez dijo que los trabajadores en las clinicas se lo agradecieron. Ella les dijo que ellos eran a los que se les tenía que agradecer, por tomar acción en su propio beneficio.

Martinez, lo resumió de esta manera: “Los representantes del servicio al cliente en las clinicas no habian estado involucrados en esta unión antes de la lucha por este contrato. Lo que fue diferente es que más personas se informaron al respecto. Cuando hace 12 meses no obtuvimos un aumento salarial, ellos se dieron cuenta que teniamos que luchar por nosotros mismos. Tenian que salir, involucrarse, y ganar esto.”

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #RecortesPresupuestarios #equidadDeSalarios

La crisis presupuestaria del estado ha significado millones de dólares en recortes de la Universidad de Illinois. Los jefes han pasado estas bajas a los empleados en la forma de eliminar puestos. Se amenazan a cientos de trabajos en las tres facultades de la universidad, en Chicago, Springfield y Urbana.

En forma de respuesta, los trabajadores miembros de la unión se han unido con la Organización de Empleados Graduados (GEO), los profesores, los estudiantes, y aliados de la comunidad para derrotar a estos cortes. Entre las recientes acciones hubo un foro donde 150 personas se juntaron para expresar sus inquietudes.

Orador tras orador se levantó para condenar al avaricio de la alta administración, cuyos sueldos han aumentado mucho en los últimos años. Bill Silver, director de división para la Universidad, atacó a la gerencia, mostrando una lista de mas de 20 administradores tan solo en la plantel de Chicago que ganan salarios mas altos que el del mismo gobernador de Illinois.

Lilly Rodriguez, quien trabaja en admisiones en las clínicas dentales, contó del trabajo extra que le han obligado a aceptar: “Hago el trabajo de dos personas, y uno de estos trabajos es de supervisar a tres otros empleados. No me están pagando para este trabajo extra. Es injusto y además los pacientes también sufren, esperando mas tiempo para sus servicios y padeciendo mas problemas con los trámites”.

Greg Hardison, un delegado sindical en aseo del hospital, dijo “Hay dos opciones que puede hacer la universidad. Pueden balancear el presupuesto en nuestros hombros, o pueden recortar salarios arriba. Prefiero la segunda opción”. Hardison declaró a continuación: “No se debe culparles a los trabajadores por esta situación. El estado está en este lío porque los ricos no pagan suficientes impuestos. Ya quieren eliminar trabajos para compensar por el déficit. ¡Que paguen los ricos! digo yo”.

Cabildeo Popular

El 27 de Mayo, 20 trabajadores, miembros del sindicato, viajaron 4 horas a la capital estatal para promover legislación para ayudar a esta situación. La continua batalla en contra de la burocracia excesiva en la Universidad e Illinois-Chicago ya se había mencionado en las polémicas de las elecciones de 2002. En el día del trabajador en 2002, el entonces candidato y ahora gobernador Rod Blagojevich mencionó la Universidad como un mal ejemplo de como los salarios de los altos administradores van creciendo fuera de control. Cuando el gobernador otra vez mencionó los jefes de la universidad en su discurso anual esta primavera, diciendo que los excesos presupuestarios de la administración deben dar marcha atrás.

“Blagojevich estaba enterado de esto porque le habíamos estado proporcionando la información durante años” dijo Sirlena Perry, una secretaria en la Universidad de Illinois, y parte del comité sindical de negociaciones. “Fuimos a Springfield para presionar a la gerencia a que corten mas 'carne de puerco' y no los trabajos en la base”. Tom Terranova, representante de los secretarios para el local 73, dijo “Después del discurso presupuestario [de Blagojevich] los administradores de la Universidad de Illinois declararon que iban a cortar la administración. Pero no fue así. Todos los recortes que se han anunciado han sido de empleados que proveen un servicio directo a los pacientes y los estudiantes”.

El cabildeo por parte del Local 73 no fue común y corriente. Se circuló una carta para las firmas de los representantes y senadores,. Dirigido al gobernador, la carta le exige que diga a la Universidad de Illinois que corte administración, no empleos generales. En seis horas de cabildeo fuerte se obtuvieron 49 firmas. n

Algunos demócratas fingían de tomar la parte de los empleados, pero negaron de firmar la carta. Uno de ellos hasta dijo “no quiero recurrir a la fuerza bruta en contra de la administración”.

Como respuesta los trabajadores levantaron sus puños. Shirley McIntosh, otra trabajadora en el comité de negociaciones le respondió al político liberal, diciendo “Estamos luchando para nuestros trabajos, para nuestra supervivencia, para nuestras familias. Ellos pueden llamarlo fuerza bruta pero nosotros lo llamamos poder de la unión”.

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #RecortesPresupuestarios

Chicago Il.– El nuevo gobernador de Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, anunció que el presupuesto estatal falta $5 mil millones de dolares, una semana despues de tomar las riendas de poder.

Todo mundo pregunta ¿Como sucedió esto? Según la organización “Citizens for Tax Justice”, este deficit se debe a dos cosas: En primer lugar, en Illinois los ricos pagan menos impuestos estatales que en todos los otros estados menos cuatro. En segundo, en una recesión la totalidad de los impuestos que se recogen es menos.

Los empleados de la Universidad de Illinois in Chicago (UIC) saben una tercera causa. Antes que nos azotó la recesión “los jefes celebraban una pachanga” dice Tom terranova, principal negociador para 900 trabajadores secretariales en la UIC representados por el local 73 del Sindicato Internacional de Empleados de Servicios (SEIU por sus siglas en inglés). Hizo referencia a una investigación llevada a cabo para el sindicato por el Centro Para Analisis de Política Económica, que discubrió que los maximos jefes adminstrativos en dicha universidad han aumentado sus propios sueldos mas que los aumentos salariales de los demas empleados universitarios durante los últimos diez años. Para los 1 porciento de los jefes que se encuentran in los niveles mas altos, sus sueldos han subido de un promedio de $150,000 anuales , a $250,000.

Los empleados se molestaron especialmente cuando se enteraron que un poco antes de que lo crítico de la situación presupuestuaria fue hecho público, muchos administradores de alto rango recibieron aumentos del último momento. Luego cuando se hizo la declaración de la crisis, se hicieron tambien llamados para cortar el personal. Los grandes aumentos de los jefes no fueron retirados. Dice Terranova que como respuesta a esta crisis “La Administración de la UIC y sus socios políticos en Springfield desean balancear al presupuesto en las espaldas de los empleados”.

Los empleados en local 73 tienen la respuesta a estos ataques: ¡Que corten la “carne de puerco”!

El 12 de Febrero mas de 100 empleados de la UIC y sus apoyadores desfilaron a la reunión de La Junta de Fiscales. Luz Martinez, una integrante del comité de negociaciones, le dijo a los canales de televisión en español 44 y 66 “La administración ha cortado empleos y ha congelado a nuestros salarios. Ya tenemos mucho mas trabajo que hacer. No es justo que nos niegen aumentos”.

Shirley McIntosh, una delegada sindical, dijo a la conferencia de prensa: “Cuando nosotros sufrimos, los pacientes y los estudiantes que dependen de nuestros servicios, sufren tambien”. Sirlena Perry, otra integrante del comité de negociaciones, agregó “una congelación salarial es una reducción salarial, cuando se toma en cuenta que no se han congelado las cuentas que tenemos que pagan. Se aumentaron los costos de estacionamento, de calefacción, de gasolina, como de todo”.

Se llamó la marcha para aumentos salariales y un contrato justo para los trabajadores secretariales. Ademas las pancartas de los manifestantes condenaron los aumentos absurdos de los jefes.

“Estos administradores dicen que todo mundo tiene que apretar el cinturon para aguantar los tiempos difíciles” dijo Christine Boardman, presidente del local 73. “Pero todo el peso cae sobre los empleados. Los salarios y gastos de la alta administración no han sido afectados”.

La presidente Boardman refería a un escándalo que ultimamente ha sido revelado por la prensa. La Junta de Sindicos ha gastado mas de $500 millones para rentar aviones particulares para llevar sus miembros a reuniones y eventos deportivos. Esto fue una insulta adicional. Pero el problema principal no ha sido estsos privilegios. Es que la inflación de los salarios de los administradores le ha costado $25 millones a la universidad en los últimos 10 años.

En el medio de los cortes presupuestuarios, el local 73 ha luchado para defender a los intereses de nuestros miembros en varias frentes de batalla. Se venció el contrato en Agosto, y en las negociaciones para un contrato nuevo, el comité de negociaciones ha buscado mas seguridad de trabajos y para defender a lo ganado en los contratos en el pasado. El sindicato tambien ha buscado legislación, como por ejemplo que el presupuesto de la universidad fuera revisada linea por linea, para asi identificar mejor los posibles ahorros que podrían dirigirse a los salarios de los empleados.

Como resultado del escándalo público y las protestas, los empeados ganaron la concesión de una audiencia sobre nuestras quejas de las inequidades aquí. Ahora, junto con los esfuerzos legislativos, se ha ganado una victoria inicial. Los empleados secretariales ganaron una continuación de aumentos por escalas para este años. Hace años, este tipo de aumentos fueron un derecho que gozaba todo empleado de servicio civil. A los comienzos de los 1990, fueron eliminados para todos los trabajadores. Los trabajadores sindicalizados lucharon para retomarlos en 1993. Retener estos aumentos por escala significa que la mayoría de los miembros del local 73 recibirán un aumento de 4% en la fecha de su aniversario. Pero algunos miembros del local ya han llegado al máximo nivel y no recibirán ningun aumento por escala, de modo que la lucha para un aumento en un contrato justo seguirá.

Cortes de Trabajos y Ataques a los Derechos por Antigüedad.

Lo que la gerencia dio en cantidades pequeñas, buscan retomar en cantidades grandes. Todavia amenazan con 1,200 empleos cortados en toda el sistema de la Universidad de Illinois. Lo peor es que los negociadores de la administración pretenden eliminar las protecciones para los empleados con antigüedad en el trabajo. Sería posible que los administradores de departamentos despidan empleados con muchos años de servicio para traer a gente nueva.

Local 73 responde con una lucha para salvar a nuestros trabajos. Esto involucra en parte acción por parte de los miembros. Tambien se planea un esfuerzo para poner fin al abuso de los trabajadores de “Extra Help”, o sea empleados temporales que no reciben beneficios y trabajan muchos años sin ser colocados en un puesto permanente.

“La lucha sigue” dice Glenda Searcy, otro miembro del comité de negociaciones. “Estamos luchando para todos nuestros miembros, por seguridad en el trabajo y para un aumeto para todo el mundo. Si tienen que seguir sin aumento, las vidas de nuestros miembros se verán afectados. Tenemos que seguir luchando”

#ChicagoIL #News #BudgetCrisis #SEIU #ChopFromTheTop #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #executivePay #jobCuts

Los gritos y la música surgió fuera del edificio Illini Union en el plantel de la Universidad de Illinois-Chicago el 15 de Mayo, como 100 trabajadores, estudiantes y apoyadores piquetearon a la reunión de la Junta de Síndicos de la Universidad.

Su blanco era los salarios altos que se pagan a los administradores y a unos cuantos profesores. Estas “estrellas” tuvieron que aguantar una serenada por parte del local 73 de Service Employees International Union, inclusive Willie English y delegada principal Judy Jones, a la musica de Elvis Presley, “No eres mas que un perrito”

No eres mas que rico

ladrando constantamente

jamas congelaste tu salario

y no eres ningun amigo mío

Recortes de trabajos y salarios congelados

La coalición está enojada pues el estado tiene una crisis presupuestuaria, y los políticos ademas de los administradores de la universidad pretenden obligar a la clase trabajadora a que pague la diferencia. Según delegada Shirley McIntosh del local 73, quien llegó aompañada por 18 empleados del departamento de cuentas de la universidad, “Hemos estado trabajando mas duro que nunca en los últimos años como se han ido haciendo mas apretados los presupuestos. No es justo que tengamos que aceptar perder nuestros trabajos o una reducción de salario”.

Pero precisamente eso es lo que se está impoiniento a los empleados, los profesores y los estudiantes postgraduados que trabajan en la Universidad. El presidente de la Universidad, Stukel, ha declarado que se van a eliminar a 600 trabajos en 3 planteles de la Universidad. En el Centro Médico en Chicago, ya empezaron a cortar posiciones. “Somos 18 oficiales de admsiones, y van a reducirnos a 6. Será difícil para los que permanecen” dijo Naomi Colon, cuyo puesto fue eliminado en la Clínica Dental.

Se cortaron 18 posiciones mas en el departamento de Siquiatría. En Abril, se elimaron los puestos de 20 profesores de tiempo parcial en el Departamento de Inglés. Extraoficialmente se rumoriza que no habrá ningún aumento salarial en 2 años.

Finalmente, en la reunión de la Junta de Síndicos, se aprobó un aumento de colegiatura de 10%.

¿Porque esta falta de dinero?

Si usted le pregunta al gobernador Ryan, le dirá que es por razón del once de septiembre. En los periódicos dicen que hay menos dinero recibido en impuestos por la situación de la economía.

Nadie está diciendo la mera verdad, que es que en Illinois y en los Estados Unidos, los ricos y las corporaciones casi no pagan impuestos.

El estado tiene gastos, tales como proveer fondos para cuidado de salud para los pobres, educar a nuestros hijos, y pagar los salarios de los empleados de las agencias estatales. Ya que tenemos menos entradas de impuestos, la única manera para compensar la diferencia es que los ricos deben pagar mas.

Ganar y Perder en la Lucha Presupuestuaria

Hubo un mitífn de 5,000 trabajadores en la capital, Springfield, el 24 de Abril. Les dijeron a los politicos que no deben balancear el presupuesto a las espaldas de los trabajadores. Pidieron que se impuesieran mas impuestos a los ricos, como de la herencia por ejemplo.

Dijo Greg Hardison, un delegado sindical que trabaja en la Universidad de Illinois, antes del evento en Springfield “¡Que paguen los ricos!” A gran aplauso, dijo lo mismo Christine Boardman, presidente de SEIU 73.

La lucha por parte de los sindicatos y fuerzas comunitarias fue exitosa hasta cierto punto. Los legisladores y el gobernador tuvieron que restaurar algunos de los recortes que se hicieron este año, y los ricos tuvieron que pagar $200 millones mas. Pero La gruesa de la deficiencia de $1 millon de dolares, lo pagaremos los trabajadores.

Lucha para Justicia e Igualdad

Ya se están formando las lineas de batalla en la Universidad de Illinois. En el mitin del 15 de Mayo, Rodney Teleoman, co-presidente del INI, dijo “ya hemos informado a los directores de los hospitales: Si esperen que vamos a aceptar una congelación de salarios cuando vamos a negociar, vamos a tomar un voto de huelga”. Los contratos de las enfermeras y secretarias se vencen en Agosto.

Los miembros de 73 tienen un mensaje para los patrones tambien: “Cuando se cortan los trabajadores, los trabajadores tienen que hacer mas trabajo, y ademas, los pacientes sufren” dijo Tom Terranova, representante de personal del 73. “Por eso es que el único lugar donde se debe cortar el presupuesto de la universidad es en los salarios de los administradores de rango”.

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIU #IllinoisNursesAssociationINA #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #recortes #aumentoDeCuotaEscolar

Chicago, IL – En la primavera de 2001, 150 empleados de la compañía Sodexho en Chicago votaron a favor de afiliarse con el local 73 del Sindicato Internacional de Trabajadores de Servicio (SEIU). Trabajan en los comedores de los edificios sociales de estudiantes de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago.

Estos trabajos fueron privatizados hace 15 años. Trabajos gubernmentales fueron reemplazados por compañías privadas de afuera. Desde aquel entonces, se han desplomado los salarios y los beneficios han sido reducidos en forma drástica. La Universidad hizo esta movida porque se encaraban con cortes presupuestuarios por parte del gobierno estatal. Trasladaron al peso de la crisis a los hombros de los que menos lo pudieron soportar.

Hace doce meses, Local 73 organizó a los trabajadores de Sodexho otra vez en el sindicato. Se unieron, y en Diciembre, ganaron su primer contrato, con aumentos salariales, mas días feriados, y un mecanismo para resolver quejas.

Ahora, se va a acabar el contrato con la Universidad, y es posible que haya un nuevo patrón en estos comedores. Van a escuchar un mensaje bien claro por parte de estos trabajadores. En las palabras de Keshaunda owens, una cajera en la Illini Union y una activista en el sindicato, “El 15 de Febrero, al enterarnos de quien viene entrando, el mensaje es, 'somos trabajadores del sindicato y nos tienen que reconocer'”. Al no suceder esto, “vamos a empezar a luchar una vez mas”.

En otro nuevo acontecimiento, el local 73 ha discubierto un requisito de que los trabajadores de servicio de comida sean pagado “prevailing wage” o sea un salario a par con lo que se paga en el resto de la industria en el Condado de Cook. Actualmente el salario de comenzar en la cocina del Hospital de la Universidad de Illinois varia tnre $7.50 y 10.80 la hora, mientras que el salario que se paga en los comedores controlados por Sodexho varian entre $6.25 y $7.75 la hora.

Asi que la demanda nueva de los trabajadores es: “Como empleados, vamos a unirnos para luchar para el salario prevalente” dijo la sra. Owens.

Para el movimiento sindical, hay una lección importante tambien. Los empleos en Student Union eran del local 73 hasta que los privatizaron. El liderato nuevo del local 73 entró hace un par de años. “Lo mejor es de luchar en contra la privatización desde el comienzo que tener que re-hacer las cosas” dijo Tom Terrranova, representante del Local 73. “Pero haremos lo que se necesita para que estos empleos paguen un salario decente” agregó.

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #Sodhexo #trabajadoresDeServicioDeComida

“Nos matuvimos firmes, y salimos con el mejor contrato que jamás hemos visto” dijo Willie English, un mayordomo en servicios de plantel quien pertenece al comité negociador del sindicato. “Era una victoria tremenda despues de una batalla dura y larga”.

El comité negociador había instado a la membracia a que lucharan en contra de la discriminación. La controversia mas grande para las negociaciones fue la discrepancia en salarios entre el plantel de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago y los planteles en otras regiones del estado. La mayoría de los 720 miembros de la unidad de servicio y mantenamiento del local 73 en Chicago son afroamericanos y latinos; pero la mayoría de los equivalentes empleados en los otros planteles son blancos anglo-parlantes.

Otros asuntos que se negociaron para el contrato incluyen derechos de antigüedad en el trabajo, y seguridad de trabajo. El local 73 ganó avances importantes en ambas cosas.

Pero al lograr que los salarios en Chicago tienen que ser a par con los de las otras regiones del estado, el contrato producirá un aumento de hasta 30% en los cinco años que cubre el contrato.

Una Victoria Historica

Haber ganado este contrato significa mas cuando nos acordamos de la situación de hace dos años. En la primavera de 1999, los trabajados de “housekeeping” en los hospitales iban a perder sus trabajos con la privatización del nuevo Centro de Cuidado Externo (Outpatient Care Center). La gerencia anunció que los “housekeepers” eran “los peores que jamas hemos visto” y que costaban mucho mantener. Lo que sucedía en realidad fue una campaña por parte de los jefes de la Universidad de aseguarar que los HMO y las compañías de aseguranza podrían sacar mas ganancias de los pacientes. Deseaban compensarse de las perdidas que sufrían de “cuidado manejado” cobrandoles a los “housekeepers”.

El local 73 pudo derrotar a aquel ataque, pero solo fue el comienzo. Desde aquel entonces, la Universidad de Illinois-Chicago ha intentado implementar un plan de privatización tras otro. Hubo una negociación secreta de unir a la los hospitales de la Universidad de Illinois, Rush Presbyterian y del Condado de Cook. Los jefes intentaron convertir a Cuidado Externo (Outpatient Care) en una corporación privada. Cuando esto fracasó, intentaron separar al hospital del Outpatient Care. Esto fue derrotado tambien, y luego el nuevo complot era separar al Centro Médico de la Universidad.

El local 73, la Asociación de enfermeras de Chicago, y otros peleabamos en contra de cada una de estas medidas. El año pasado el local 73 pasó a la ofensiva, con una campaña de organizar a los empleados del servicio de comida “Marriot” en los edificios de estudiantes. Con este contrato hemos llegado al frente para ganar.

Lecciones de la Lucha

Primera lección

La unidad: Hubo momentos en el año pasado cuando el cinismo nos amenazaba con debilitar a nuestra ferza luchadora. Muchos trabajadores no pudieron ver que los dirigentes y personal y el comité negocador estabamos trabajando en serio en la batalla con la gerencia. “No entendieron al poder de la unión, cuando los trabajadores en realidad nos apoyamos mutuamente” dijo Gail Hardison, delegada del sindicato en Housekeeping.

Fue un despertar brutal para la gerencia cuando mas de 400 empleados y personas que los apoyaban marcharon en junio. En todas partes en la unidad, trabajadores no-sindicalizados y de otros sindicatos, administradores, profesores y estudiantes estaban hablando del dinamismo del local 73. Saliando con tanta gente, la membrasía había comprobado que estabamos unidos y que ya no ibamos a tolerar mas abusos.

Segunda lección

Unidad con la Comunidad: La Universidad de Illinois-Chicago ha sido controlado por 35 años por fuerzas ajenas al pueblo de Chicago, es decir, políticos que son de los suburbios y de otras regiones del estado, en su mayoría Republicanos. Las comunidades alrededor de la universidad, en su mayoría afroamericanos y mexicanos, no han tenido mucho que decir sobre la forma en que las riquezas de la universidad son utilizadas. El local 73 ha estado haciendo alianzas con activistas y organizaciones comunales durante varios años.

Las alianzas claves que hemos hecho son con políticos afroamericanos y latinos tales como los senadores estatales Miguel del Valle, Donnie Trotter y la representante estatal Constance Howard. Estos políticos progresistas fueron eligidos en la ola de reformas de los 1980 que vino despues de la elección del alcalde afroamericano Harold Washington. Ellos ayudaron a la lucha del local 73 en contra de la expansión y del racismo en la Universidad.

Tercera lección

A ver la perspectiva mas amplia. El local 73 ha llegado al entendimiento que, como lo expresa delegado del sindicato y empleado del hospital Randy Evans “que La Universidad de Illinois-Chicago es parte de un plan maestro para re-formar al lado oeste de Chicago. Esto se está haciendo en tal forma como para perjudicar a la gente pobre y de clase trabajadora que reside aquí”. Este plan de “Harvard en la Calle Halsted” tambien perjudica a la mayoría de los estudiantes de la institución. La “misión urbana” al comienzo de la existencia de esta universidad supuestamente significaba una oportunidad para los graduados de las escuelas secundarias de Chicago de conseguir una preparación universitaria de cuatro años que les permitiría seguir a los estudios post-graduados.

Sin embargo, el nivel de abandono de estudiantes minoritarios es tan elevado que la mayoría que entran no graduan.

El sindicato ha reconocido la causa común que tiene con los estudiantes que luchan en contra de los aumentos de colegiatura, con los estudiantes postrgaduados que hacen trabajo en la universidad y que desean ser reconocidos como sindicato, con los residentes de las viviendas públicas en esta zona que resisten la destrucción de sus hogares, y con los empleados no-sindicalizados de la universidad, tambien en su mayoría afroamericanos y latinos,, que exigen oportunidades de avanzar dentro de la Universidad de Illinois.

La agrupación de legisladores afroamericanos en la Asamblea General de Illinois tiene planeadas unas audiencias públicas. Estas audiencias no se han hecho porque hay otros asuntos para resolver.

La Lucha Sigue

Se acceptó el contrato el 12 de Septiembre, dias antes de otra sesión de la Junta de Síndicos de la Universidad que hubiera visto otro mitín grande. Activistas religiosos se juntaron para aportar su presión. La coalición “Trabajos con Justicia” ha ayudado a juntar a todos-sindicato,, empleados, estudiantes, comunidad-enn una gran coalición de apoyo.

Cassandra Fuller, integrante del Comité Negociador, que trabaja en servicios de comida, dijo “fue de gran ayuda que los Senadores estatales Del Valle y Trotter nos ayudaron. Todo mundo sabía que la Universidad de Illinois disponía del dinero necesario. Los legisladores les proporcionan los fondos pero a nosotros nos negaban los salarios iguales. La amenaza de que los legislatodores tomaran acción en el asunto fue lo que empujó a la gerencia de conceder, de otra manera “Todavia hubieramos sido sentados en la mesa de negociaciones” dijo Fuller.

Un asunto pendiente entre la gerencia y el sindicato es el uso de trabajadores temporales. Casi 1000 personas trabajan en la Universidad como empleados de “ayuda extra” o de “900 horas”. La lucha a favor de dichos trabajadores seguirá adelante. Un trabajador de servicios de plantel, Elmo Alejandro, dijo “No es justo la cantidad de trabajo que hacen esos empleados sin beneficio alguno”.

Durante el pasado año, el local 73 y la gerencia han estado en un combate total. Local 73 y su presidente Christine Boardman están comprometidos a seguir con esta lucha. “A base de este contrato, queremos aumentar al número de delegados sindicales tanto como la fuerza del sinidcato”, dijo Bill Silver, el negociador principal. “Tenemos que parar al abuso de trabajadores temporales por parte de la Universidad de Illinois-Chicago.

Haber ganado este contrat representa un verdadero paso adelante para los empleados de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago, pero las prácticas de la gerencia en el pasado nos enseñan que estamos en una tregua temporal en una guerra que sigue.

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #PuertoRico #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #equidad

Chicago, IL -“I feel about UIC like Kanye West said about George Bush: You don’t care about Black people,” snapped Lou Jones, state representative from Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. She was confronting administrators at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) about charges of neglect by Black and Latino medical students.

In recent years, the UIC College of Medicine has failed a growing number of Black and Latino students. The Urban Health Program (UHP) was created after protests in the 1960s because there were almost no oppressed nationality students in the university’s professional schools (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Public Health and several others). The Urban Health Program is charged with recruiting students from under-represented communities – Black, Mexicano/Chicano, Puerto Rican and Native American. UHP’s other mission is helping them get through their professional degree programs.

Rep. Jones’ comment came at a Dec. 15 hearing held by state legislators in response to complaints from UHP students. At the hearing, Kadijah Kazembe, a fourth-year medical student and chair of the UHP student council, spelled out the students’ concerns. “The last two years in the College of Medicine, the retention rate is down and the attrition rate is up. This came after UHP lost two effective staff members: a skills specialist who was fired from UHP, and a recruiter who resigned under duress. And now, the associate dean has been fired.”

Today, the number of Black medical students at UIC is 9% at and Latino medical students make up 10%. But Blacks are 15% of the state population, and Latinos are 13%. On top of this racist difference, Blacks and Latinos are dropped from the College of Medicine at a higher rate. This has led to calls over the years for the Black and Latino communities to have more power over the UHP program.

State Representative Connie Howard also criticized UIC’s administration. She had chaired a similar hearing in 1998 after medical students brought complaints against the College. Thirteen UIC medical students that year had also filed a Federal Civil Rights complaint against the College. They became known as the U of I Nine because of the original group in the complaint. In that hearing, the legislators from the Chicago area had placed a number of findings on the administration. “I’m not happy to be right back here,” Howard declared.

The consensus among students and their allies in the community is that UIC only does the right thing when they are forced to by protests. Representative Howard was critical of the University because of the number of failures among UHP students, but also because she and the other representatives hadn’t been informed. “The University has to let us know,” she finished in her statement.

UIC Chancellor Sylvia Manning defended UIC’s track record. Currently the state funds for UHP are in the hands of the deans of the colleges. Dr. Arturo Menchaca, a member of the UHP Community Advisory Council, characterized this as “fragmentation.” He testified that the problem required putting UHP, including its funding, under the central control of the executive director. “We created the UHP executive director position, which was designed to be equal with the deans, but that idea has not been realized.”

Representative Monique Davis praised the medical students who had brought the issue back to the forefront. “You are following in the tradition of James Meredith, the young Black man that demanded entrance to the University of Mississippi in 1962. And the administration at UIC is like George Wallace, the segregationist governor of Alabama, who stood in the doorway of the University of Alabama to tell Black students they could not come in.”

#ChicagoIL #News #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #UrbanHealthProgramUHP

“They want us to learn to live with less.” That’s how Denise King sees it. King had just finished marching outside the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois the same day as the settlement offer was presented. She was one of 22 workers from UIC who had traveled to the university’s Springfield campus to confront the Board of Trustees.

In addition to the clerical and administrative group, 400 technical workers at the university’s medical center have also gone without a contract raise for more than two years. Besides wages, workers are seeking language that gives them job security against replacement of civil service jobs and equal wages for workers on all campuses of the university.

University’s Racism, Sexism Hit

Joining the Local 73 members, a student activist from UIC appeared at the Board meeting. Sussan Navabi of Students for a Democratic Society spoke during the public comment section. She accused the university of having a history of discriminatory employment practices. This came to the attention of students when 35 prominent faculty members published a letter addressed to UIC Chancellor Manning. They criticized the drawn out contract negotiations for the nearly 2000 workers, mostly Blacks and Latinos, and mostly women.

Sussan explained that letter “… prompted me to do some research into the history of inequality at UIC – two things which don’t belong in the same sentence, but unfortunately have and continue to.” The Board had to sit through a list of examples of discrimination, including the 35 years that Black and Latino workers at the campus in Chicago were paid $1 or $2 an hour less than the mostly white workers in the flagship campus in Urbana.

Local 73 members, together with members of the Graduate Employees Organization from UIC, and supportive faculty members from the Springfield campus, cheered Sussan’s remarks, and then marched outside, chanting and singing.

Diana Perez, another clerical worker from UIC, was fired up after the action. “This was my first protest, but I’m prepared to come out again, and to keep fighting.” On the trip back to Chicago, Denise King continued, “We just got equal wages five years ago. Now they’re not offering us enough to stay up with the cost of living. It’s unacceptable.”

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #strikeAuthorizationVoter #jobSecurity

Now, workers at the University of Illinois are being told that the coming year’s budget will likely be cut. The explanation is that the crisis in the state’s economy is continuing to affect revenues. The politicians in Springfield are passing this crisis along to the workers.

We are being told to do more work and to expect less reward in wages and benefits. Our healthcare costs are increasing, the state threatens to reduce what it puts into our pensions and the university administration is planning another round of job cuts.

Administrative workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago joined SEIU Local 73 this year and are demanding better raises. They want step increases – sometimes called anniversary raises or longevity increases. These provide a measured way of moving from the starting salary on through the salary range to the top of your pay grade.

Samella Wright, a member of the administrative bargaining committee, expressed her feelings about working at UIC, “We’re not being paid for our value. In my department, without my work, accounting deadlines would be missed. So I stay late to complete it, or take work home on the weekend. Our value should be recognized and reflected in our paychecks.”

These workers see a double standard here – big raises for the boss, and pennies for the workers – and they don’t like it.

Administrative Workers Demand Steps!

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #executivePay #wageDisparity

The story was invented by the bosses at UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago) as an excuse to privatize the custodial work in three buildings on campus. But after workers rallied and lobbied their representatives in the state legislature, management had to agree to a one-year moratorium on outsourcing. This freeze on outsourcing will include existing buildings and those scheduled to open, notably the new College of Medicine Research Building.

State Budget Crisis Forms Backdrop to Contracting Out

The state budget is tight again this year, and the administration at UIC looked to balance their books on the backs of workers. The bosses in Facilities Maintenance know they can pay private cleaning workers $9.00 an hour with few benefits. Building Service Workers at UIC, after years of struggle, make over $14.00 an hour. Already, in a number of new buildings that have opened in the past 9 years on the Chicago campus, outside companies are being used. When they threatened to contract out the existing buildings, English, who is also a union steward with Local 73 SEIU (Service Employees International Unions), said, “It was the foot in the door for privatizing all our jobs. We had to stop it.”

Bill Silver, Division Director for Higher Education for Local 73, explained, “Since 2001, at least 75 positions have been cut from Building Services. Everyone left has been doing two or three peoples’ work. UIC has saved several million dollars a year from these cuts. That’s bad enough. Now they’re threatening the jobs of the people that have already given extra. It’s just not fair.”

In March, management announced their intent to contract out three existing buildings. The announcement came as a surprise to the union. “We had never received any indication from management that there was any problem with the work in those buildings,” said Silver. By late May, the workers had scored a victory by beating back this attack. This came about when Local 73 President Christine Boardman and Bill Silver met with University of Illinois president James Stukel.

That meeting resulted in an agreement to work together to win more money from the state for UIC. One effort will be an amendment to restore funding cut from the previous year’s budget.

The moratorium on outsourcing came because of the strength of the union, shown last year in its efforts to cut bloated administrative salaries; and shown this year in the unity of the workers in opposition to the privatization threat. Local 73 also laid the groundwork when they helped launch a coalition with the Illinois Federation of Teachers to fight for more money for higher education.

Workers and Allies Rally Together

The unity needed to win this agreement came through mass protests by Local 73 workers, together with allies that included other unions. SEIU allies in the state Senate also introduced a bill to ban privatization at state universities.

On April 14, over 120 workers and students marched to the office of UIC Chancellor Manning to deliver a letter opposing the privatization move. Most of these workers were from the second shift, who came in hours early to march. The spirited march gathered strength as it moved across campus, right as students were spilling out of classrooms. An entire writing class fell in line behind the marchers and interviewed dozens of workers about the reasons for the protest.

At the same time, on the Medical Center campus, over 100 Building Service Workers, hospital housekeepers, transporters and other workers showed their solidarity through a ‘Purple Day,’ by wearing purple armbands. “Purple is SEIU’s color, and Purple Day was a big success,” reported Greg Hardison, a steward in Hospital Housekeeping and one of the organizers.

The plan for the armbands was hatched by lunchtime meetings in the hospital cafeteria. “We met right where management could see us,” said steward Randy Evans, after 65 workers finished conferring. “The workers needed to be informed about the union’s efforts against contracting out our jobs.”

Other Unions Under Attack

Mike Malone, business agent for Local 726 of the Teamsters was among those who joined the Local 73 rally and march. Local 726 represents movers and drivers at UIC, and they have been threatened with outsourcing as well. Two weeks earlier, Local 726 workers had joined a picket line called by Teamsters Local 705 to protest scab movers handling UIC work. Local 705 had called an unfair labor practices strike against UIC for contracting out to a private firm that was unionized, which then subcontracted to a scab outfit. As a result of the Teamsters joint picket, UIC has backed off, and the departments that were using the outside movers are having the work done in-house.

Over 50 Teamsters on campus signed a petition in support of Local 73’s fight against privatizing, as did 65 members of the skilled trades unions. They too are being kept out of the new buildings that are going up on campus.

“We Can’t Rest.”

Local 73 steward Tawanda Vaughn addressed the rally at University Hall to, “Thank the students, graduate employees and the other unions that have rallied with us today. We will remember and support you in your struggles as well.”

Jeff McCaster, also a steward, spoke at a lunchtime meeting to report back to workers on the west side of campus. “We can’t rest. We got people moving, we have to keep them moving.” Looking ahead, he went on, “We should bring the work back in-house that has been privatized already. And we should demand they hire back more people.” This idea was warmly received by the second-shift workers in the lunchroom.

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #privatization #outsourcing #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC

Chicago, IL – “We have never had so much respect from so many,” proclaimed Sirlena Perry. “And,” she said further, “we earned it.”

Perry was referring to the victory in the contract campaign for clerical workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She is a leader in the negotiating committee and assistant chief steward for Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

This respect came from union members, as well as non-union employees, after Local 73 and management settled contract negotiations. In early November, after bargaining for over a year, the committee brought a contract proposal to the members for ratification. Over 450 came out to vote, and only 1% voted against it. This was because the contract included increased job security and good wages.

As Tom Terranova, chief negotiator put it, “This is a victory in a very tough budget time. We were able to get what we’ve got only because we held out and fought hard for 14 months.” Because of the continued crisis in the economy, Terranova prepared the members, “In order to do well over the next two years of this contract, we have to keep doing what we’ve been doing, and more people have to get involved.”

The contract spans four years. The amount each worker will receive varies – some could see as much as a 24.5% raise. Union employees get two raises a year, on the contract date and on their anniversary date. For the 2005 and 2006 contract years, only the anniversary date raises have been decided. The contract raises may yet have to be negotiated (a wage reopener) if the state budget is in crisis again.

UIC: A Union Fortress

One of the reasons that the contract took so long to settle was because the union had to fight on two fronts – for a contract and against job cuts. Balancing the budget on the backs of workers happens in every state in times of economic troubles. A standard operating procedure at UIC has been job eliminations for support staff.

Local 73 made a big stand against job cuts. Negotiations were delayed at several points while the union focused on protecting jobs. The main task was forcing the university to chop from the top. The governor took the University of Illinois administration to task for a bloated bureaucracy, and eventually we forced the top administration to freeze their own salaries for a second year in a row. This freed up hundreds of thousands of dollars, so the pool of funds being bargained over was larger.

The UIC workers were able to make their fight a social question. This compelled politicians to take our stand. “The best of these elected officials have become our allies,” said Perry. “Our lobbying victories showed that we need COPE.” COPE is the Committee On Political Education. At the contract ratification meetings, over 250 clerical workers signed up to contribute to COPE.

Second, every job cut was reviewed by a negotiating team, including Tom Terranova, following the affected workers until they were placed in vacancies. The approach taken by the local resulted in only a handful of actual layoffs.

“The best thing we did was fighting around the job cuts during contract negotiations, “ said Perry. “We showed the members that we are in this fight for the long haul.” The contract negotiating committee helped organize the resistance to the cuts; then flowed right into the battle over wages and contract language. While describing the situation, Sirlena Perry said, “management thought they had us over a barrel. We demanded no job cuts, and they expected us to be humble in wage negotiations.”

Wage Gains Despite State Crisis

Instead, the workers demanded a fair contract, including keeping up with the workers in Urbana. At the downstate campus of the university, union clerical workers had a contract that continued through the last two years, and so their wages had moved higher than the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Luz Martinez, a new activist in the union and member of the bargaining committee, spoke up in her first negotiations. “We deserve a good raise. Our workloads have increased in the clinics. The top administrators have benefited; we should too.”

When management came across with the wage offer, Martinez said that the workers in the clinics thanked her. She told them they were the ones who should be thanked, for taking action for themselves.

Martinez summed it up this way: “The customer service representatives in the clinics had not been very involved in the union before this contract fight. What made the difference is more people got informed. When we didn’t get a raise last year, they realized we had to fight for ourselves. They had to come out, to get involved, to win this.”

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #wageParity #jobCuts

The state budget crisis has meant millions of dollars cut from the University. The bosses have passed this along to the workers as position eliminations. Hundreds of jobs are being threatened at the three campuses of the University of Illinois (Chicago, Springfield and Urbana).

In response, the union workers have joined together with the Graduate Employees Organization, faculty, students and community allies to beat back the attacks. Recent actions have included a speak-out where over 150 gathered to express their bitterness. Speaker after speaker rose to condemn the greed of the top administrators, whose salaries have ballooned over the last ten years. Bill Silver, SEIU Division Director for the University of Illinois, pounded management, showing a list of over 20 administrators at the UIC campus alone, who each make higher salaries than the governor.

Lillian Mercado, who is a customer service representative, rose to tell of the workload she has taken on. “I am doing the job of two people, and one of those jobs is to supervise three other employees. I'm not being paid for this extra work. It's unfair and the patients suffer too, with longer waits and more problems in handling their paperwork.”

Greg Hardison, a steward in hospital housekeeping, said, “There are two choices UIC could make. They could balance this on our backs, or they could chop from the top. I prefer the second option.” Hardison went on to say, “Working people can't be blamed for this crisis. The state got in this mess because the rich people don't pay their share of taxes. Now they want to cut our jobs to make up the shortfall. I say, make the rich pay!” The crowd applauded with approval.

People's Lobbying

On May 27, 20 workers drove the four hours to the state capitol to press the legislators to act. The ongoing battle against the bloated bureaucracy at UIC had already become an issue in the governor's election last Fall. On Labor Day 2002, then-candidate for governor, Rod Blagojevich, had singled out the university as an example of excessive pay for administrators and out-of-control growth in the number of top bureaucrats. When the governor announced his budget proposal in May of this year, he again singled out the University of Illinois bosses, and told them in his speech that their excesses had to be reversed.

“Blagojevich knew about this because we had been exposing this problem for years,” said Sirlena Perry, a secretary at UIC and a member of the clerical bargaining unit. “We went down to Springfield ourselves to put more pressure on management to cut the pork, not the jobs at the bottom.”

Tom Terranova, Local 73 representative for the clericals at UIC, said, “After the budget speech, UI management made public statements that they would cut administration. But that's not what happened. All the job cuts that have been announced so far are from employees involved in providing services to patients and students.”

The lobbying undertaken by Local 73 was not your run-of-the mill effort. A letter was circulated for signatures by state representatives and senators. The letter, addressed to the governor, urged him to tell the University of Illinois again to cut top salaried administrative positions. In six hours of button-holing politicians, 49 signatures were obtained.

Some of the Democrats pretended to be on the side of the workers, but wouldn't sign the letter. One of them even said, “I don't want to resort to brute force against this administration.”

In response, the workers raised their fists to celebrate their battle. Shirley McIntosh, another clerical worker in the bargaining committee, responded to the liberal politician, saying, “We're fighting for our jobs, for our livelihood, for our families. They may call it brute force, but we call it union power.”

#ChicagoIL #News #BudgetCuts #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC

Chicago, IL – The state of Illinois is $5 billion in the red, according to new governor, Rod Blagojevich, who made the announcement one week after he took office in January.

Everyone is asking, “How did this happen?” According to the group Citizens for Tax Justice, the state budget shortfall happened because of two things. First, rich people in Illinois pay lower taxes than in all but four other states. Second, in a recession, fewer taxes are collected overall.

Workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) know a third reason. “The bosses were having a party,” says Tom Terranova, chief negotiator for the 900 clerical workers at UIC who are represented by Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union. He was referring to a study the Center for Economic Policy Analysis did for the local, which found that, over the last 10 years, UIC’s top administrators raised their own salaries far above the wage increases for workers. For the top 1% of the bosses, average pay had risen from $150,000 10 years ago to over $250,000 now.

Employees were especially upset to learn, just before the budget crisis was made public, that many top administrators were given last-minute raises. Then, when the crisis was announced, it came with calls to cut service workers’ jobs. The big raises for the big bosses were never undone.

In response to this budget crisis, Terranova states, “UIC management and the politicians that are their partners in Springfield have wanted to balance their budgets on the backs of workers.”

The workers in Local 73 have a response to these attacks: “Cut the pork!”

Chop From The Top!

On Feb. 12, over 100 UIC workers and supporters marched on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees meeting. Luz Martinez, a member of the union negotiating committee, told the Spanish language TV stations 44 and 66, “Management has cut staff and froze our wages. We have much more work to do. It’s not right we should have no raises.”

Shirley McIntosh, a union steward, spoke at the press conference and said, “When we suffer, the patients and students who depend on our services suffer as well.” Sirlena Perry, another member of the negotiating committee, said, “A pay freeze is a pay cut, when you consider that our bills aren’t frozen. Our parking fees went up, gasoline and heating bills went up, like everything else.”

The rally was called to demand wage increases and a fair contract for the clerical workers. In addition, workers’ signs condemned the top administrators’ obscene raises.

“These administrators say that everyone has to tighten their belts to get through hard times,” said president Christine Boardman of Local 73. “But the burden is falling on the workers. Top management’s salaries and spending haven’t been affected.”

President Boardman was referring to a scandal that had broken in the press. The Board of Trustees spent over $500,000 in recent years chartering private planes to travel to meetings and sporting events. Although the main problem isn’t these perks, the news added insult to injury. The main problem is inflation of top salaries, which have cost the university $25 million over the last 10 years.

Union Successful in Saving Anniversary Raises

In the midst of this budget crisis, Local 73 is fighting to defend our members’ interests on a number of fronts. The contract expired in August, and in bargaining for a new contract, the negotiating committee has sought job security and to defend past gains. The union has also pursued legislation such as a line item review for the University’s budget, so that savings could be identified and then redirected to wages for workers.

As a result of the public outcry and the protests, workers won a hearing for our complaints about the inequities. Now, together with the legislative efforts, an initial victory has been achieved. The clerical workers won a continuation of ‘step increases’ for this year. Years ago, step increases were part of every title for civil service workers, but then they were eliminated for all workers in the early 1990’s. In 1993, union workers fought and won to get them back. Keeping step increases means most Local 73 members will get a 4% raise on their anniversary date. However, some members are already on the top stop and won’t get a step increase, and so the fight for a fair contract raise will continue.

Job Cuts and Attack on Seniority Rights

What management gave with a teaspoon, they are preparing to take away with a shovel. There are still 1200 job cuts threatened throughout the statewide University of Illinois system. To make matters worse, the UIC bosses’ negotiators are trying to eliminate the protection for senior workers. This would make it possible for department managers to cut people with longer years of service, in favor of newer hires.

Local 73 is responding with a fight to save our jobs. Part of this will be more actions by the members. Also planned is a legislative effort to stop the abuse of Extra Help Employees – who are essentially temporary workers who receive no benefits and work for years without getting permanent positions.

“The struggle continues,” said Glenda Searcy, another bargaining committee member. “We’re fighting for all of our members, for our job security and for a raise for everyone. Our members’ lives will be hurt if they have to go without a raise. We have to keep on fighting.”

#ChicagoIL #News #BudgetCrisis #SEIU #ChopFromTheTop #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #executivePay #jobCuts

Chicago, IL – 150 workers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) marched against job cuts and layoffs, Aug. 8. Members of Local 73 Service Employees International Union who have had 75 positions eliminated since October 2001, were protesting the announcement of the next round of cuts.

Large crews of workers came from the hardest hit departments, like Business Affairs. Four union sisters from the Psychiatry clinics rose at the rally to testify about the attacks. These customer service representatives told the story of a co-worker who was sick, but was pressured to come to work, where she then fainted.

“Since the cuts, we are so short-staffed, they told her she had to be there,” reported Juanita Beltran. “What was worse, when she passed out, we called the supervisor. She didn't even ask, 'How is she?' Her first words were, 'Who's going to cover for her?'”

Jose Flores is a window washer. Management wants to contract out his job. “They say they don't need me, but they will still have windows to clean,” he explained to Telemundo Channel 44, a Spanish language television station. “I know they'll pay workers from outside a lot less.”

Scandal: Despite Budget Crisis, Big Raises for Top Managemen t

In the days before the rally, a newspaper in the downstate city of Champaign Urbana exposed the administration. Top officials at the university have been caught acting like Enron executive Ken Lay.

The Champaign Urbana CityView newspaper reported that top officials gave themselves hefty raises last year. Their raises went through in August 2001. A few weeks later, departments were informed that they would have to give back some of what they were budgeted for the school year.

The raises were quietly awarded to the top administrators while they were preparing to cut teachers and workers!

Christine Boardman, president of Local 73 SEIU, said at the rally, “This management has acted like the corporate criminals at Enron.”

Contract Negotiations Underway

Since the Aug. 8 rally, contract negotiations have started for Local 73's clerical members at UIC. The nearly 1000 workers are threatened with a two-year wage freeze. Local 73 is also bargaining for hundreds of service workers at the Urbana campus. They are also faced with management's claim that there is no money for raises.

At the protest, Tom Terranova, chief negotiator for the UIC clericals, drew a line in the sand, stating, “This is unacceptable for our members who have bills to pay, children to feed and rent to pay for. A wage freeze is a pay cut when you remember that everything else goes up. We won't go backward.”

Many members echoed this sentiment. “In 1997 [the year of the last contract], we just won pay equity,” said Sirlena Perry, a member of the bargaining committee. Perry was referring to the victory over racist pay differences that Chicago workers had suffered. SEIU Local 73 had to fight two fierce contract battles – for clerks in 1997, and for service workers in 2000 – to win equal pay. Prior to that, the University of Illinois had paid the mainly African-American and Latino workers in Chicago up to $2.00 an hour less than it paid the mostly white workers in Urbana.

Management has come to the negotiating table looking for more than just a wage freeze. They have a package of proposals that aims to weaken the union overall. “The union has grown much stronger in recent years,” said Ron Lee, Local 73 representative. “It's a compliment to us that they are attacking us.” he added.

Changes in November

Two important speakers at the rally were allies of the workers, State Senators Miguel Del Valle and Donne Trotter. Del Valle introduced Trotter, and said that he is in line to be the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee if the Democrats win in November. Trotter told the rally, “I see every U.I. budget, and I can tell you, there is plenty of money for workers to get a raise. When I'm chair of Appropriations, UIC's budget has to go through me! I will challenge the high salaries of these administrators!” he finished, to roaring agreement.

“If we [the Democrats] win in November, will the struggle be over?” Del Valle asked the workers. “No! Only one thing can keep this arrogant administration in check. You.”

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #executivePay #jobCuts

Chicago, IL – Music and chanting rose outside the Illini Union building on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), May 15, as 100 workers, students, and supporters marched on the Board of Trustees meeting.

The target was the high salaries paid to administrators and a handful of faculty. These rich “rock stars” were serenaded by the members of Local 73 Service Employees International Union, including Willie English and chief steward Judy Jones, to the tune of Elvis Presley's “Hound Dog”:

You ain't nothing but a rich man

Crying all the time

You ain't nothing but a rich man

Crying all the time

You ain't never froze your wages

You ain't no friend of mine!

Job Cuts and Wage Freezes

The coalition of groups is angry because the state has a budget crisis, and the politicians, along with University administrators, are aiming to shift the crisis onto the backs of working people. According to Shirley McIntosh, Local 73 steward, who came along with 18 coworkers from the Patient Accounts department, “We have been working harder than ever in recent years as budgets have gotten tighter. It's not right for us to face losing our jobs and having our wages frozen.”

But that's exactly what is coming down on workers, faculty and graduate employees. University of Illinois President James Stukel has stated that 600 jobs will be cut from the three campuses. At the UIC Medical Center, job cuts have already started. “We're 18 admitting officers, and they're only going to have 6. It'll be tough for those left,” said Naomi Colon, whose position was eliminated in the Dental Clinics.

Eighteen more positions were reported cut in Psychiatry. In April, nearly 20 adjunct professors in the English Department lost their jobs as well. The unofficial word on wages is that workers should expect no raises for 2 years.

Finally, at the Board of Trustees meeting, a 10% tuition increase was passed.

Why is Money So Tight?

If you ask Governor Ryan, he'll say it's because of Sept. 11. If you look at the business pages, you'll read that there is less taxes being collected because there is a slowdown in the economy overall.

No one is telling the real truth: in the state of Illinois, even more than most states in the U.S., rich people and corporations pay almost no taxes.

The state has expenses – such as helping fund health care for the poor, educating our children, and paying the wages of the workers in state agencies. There is only one way to make up the difference now that less taxes are being collected. Those who have been raking it in over these years should have to cough it up.

Wins and Losses in the Budget Fight

5000 workers rallied at the state capitol on April 24. They told the politicians not to balance the budget by attacks on workers. They called for more taxes on the rich, like the tax on the estates that multi-millionaires leave to their children when they die.

Greg Hardison, a UIC union steward, said it best at the Local meeting before the Springfield rally – “Make the rich pay!” Local 73 President Christine Boardman, at the rally, echoed this message, and the crowd roared back its approval.

The fight by unions and community forces was partially successful. The legislators and the governor had to restore some of the cuts proposed earlier this year, and the rich took a $200 million hit. But the bulk of the billion-dollar budget shortfall will be at the expense of working people and the poor.

Struggle for Fairness and Equality

The battle lines are being drawn at UIC. At the May 15 rally, Rodney Telomen, Illinois Nurses Association co-chair said, “We've already informed the hospital directors: if they tell nurses to expect a wage freeze when we go to bargain, I predict we'll take a strike vote.” Both nurses and clericals have contracts that expire in August.

Local 73 members have a message for the bosses as well. “When jobs are cut, workers have more work to do. Plus, patients suffer,” said Tom Terranova, Local 73 staff representative. “That's why we said the only place to cut in UIC's budget is the top administrators' salaries.”

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Chicago, IL – In the spring of 2001, 150 Sodexho food service employees at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) voted to join the Service Employees International Union Local 73. They work in the cafeterias in the student union buildings.

These jobs were privatized 15 years ago. Civil service jobs were replaced by outside companies. Since then, wages have plummeted and benefits have been slashed. UIC made this move because they were facing budget cuts from the state. They shifted the burden of the crisis onto the backs of the people who were least able to afford it.

12 months ago, Local 73 organized Sodexho workers back into the union. They united, and in December, won a first contract – with wage increases, more holidays, and a grievance procedure.

Now, Sodexho's contract with UIC is expiring, and there could be a new boss in these dining halls. They'll hear a clear message from these workers. In the words of Keshaunda Owens, a cashier in the Chicago Illini Union and union activist, “On Feb. 15, when we find out who's coming in, the message is 'we are union and they need to recognize us.' If they don't, we'll start the fight over again.”

Another development is that Local 73 has discovered a prevailing wage requirement that applies to food service workers. It says UIC must pay all these workers the same wage that other food service workers in Cook County are making. Currently, starting wages in the kitchen at the UIC Hospital are between $7.80 and $10.80, but starting wages at Sodexho's dining hall cafeteria are between $6.25 and $7.75.

This is the new demand of these workers. “As employees, we're going to unite and fight for the prevailing wage,” said Owens.

For the labor movement, there is an important lesson here. The student union food service jobs were in Local 73 until they were privatized. Local 73's new leadership came in a few years ago. “It's better to fight privatization up front than to go back to the task,” said Tom Terranova, Local 73 representative. “But we'll do whatever it takes to make these decent paying jobs,” he added.

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #Sodhexo #foodServiceWorkers

Chicago, IL – A year of struggle has brought success for workers in Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). On Sept. 17 and 19, nearly 400 workers came out to overwhelmingly ratify a new contract.

“We stuck to our guns, and came up with the best contract we've seen!” said Willie English, a building service foreman and member of the negotiating committee. He summed it up, “It was a terrific victory after a long, hard-fought battle.”

The negotiating committee successfully rallied the members in a fight against discrimination. The biggest issue for the negotiations was the wage differences between UIC and the downstate campuses of the University of Illinois system. Most of the 720 members of the Service and Maintenance unit of Local 73 at the University of Illinois in Chicago are Black or Latino. Most of the University of Illinois employees who work downstate are white.

Other issues in the contract negotiations included basic seniority rights and job security. Local 73 made important gains on both of these as well.

But it is the achievement of equality with the downstate workers that will result in raises of as much as 30% over the 5 years that the contract is in force.

Historic victory

Winning this contract takes on more significance when one looks back two years. In the spring of 1999, hospital housekeepers were faced with privatization of their jobs in the new Outpatient Care Center. Top managers announced that the housekeepers were “the worst ever seen,” and that they were “high maintenance.” What was really going on was a drive by the UIC bosses to make the hospital and clinics more profitable for the HMOs and insurance companies. They wanted to make up financial losses from managed care by taking from the housekeepers.

Local 73 beat back that attack, but it was just the opening bell. Ever since, UIC has tried one privatization scheme after another. Bosses held secret talks to attempt a big merger of UIC, Rush-Presbyterian, and Cook County hospitals. The bosses tried to declare the Outpatient Care Center a private corporation. When both of these were beaten back, they resorted to separating the hospital from the Outpatient Care Center. This was defeated, but then their new scheme was to separate the medical center from UIC. Local 73, along with the Illinois Nurses Association and others fought each of these measures.

In the last year, Local 73 began an offensive, which started with organizing the Marriott food services in the student buildings. With the new Service and Maintenance contract, the local has come from behind to win.

Lessons from the fight

1st Lesson

Unity. There were moments in the past year when cynicism threatened to weaken our fighting strength. Many workers couldn't see that the union officers, staff, and the negotiating committee were serious about the battle with management. “They didn't understand the power of the union, when workers really stick together,” said Greg Hardison, steward in housekeeping.

Management got a rude awakening when over 400 employees and supporters marched in June of this year. Everywhere on campus, non-union workers, those in other unions, administrators, faculty and students all were talking about the dynamo that Local 73 had become. By coming out in such numbers, the membership had proved that they were unified, and weren't going to take it no more!

2nd Lesson

Alliances with the community. UIC has been run for 35 years by forces from outside Chicago – suburban and downstate, mainly Republican politicians. Communities surrounding UIC, mostly Black and Mexicano people, have had very little input into how UIC's wealth is used. Local 73 has been building alliances with community activists, organizations, and leaders in recent years.

The key alliances have been with Black and Latino politicians, such as state senators Miguel del Valle and Donne Trotter, along with state representative Constance Howard. These progressive politicians came into office during and following the wave of the electoral reform movements of the 1980's that produced Chicago's first Black mayor, Harold Washington. They helped lead the fight against UIC's expansion and racist mistreatment of the community. Their joining together with SEIU made a powerful team.

3rd Lesson

Seeing the bigger picture. Local 73 has come to understand, in the words of union steward and hospital housekeeper, Randy Evans, “UIC is part of a master plan to reshape the West Side of Chicago. This is being done to the detriment of the poor and working people that live here.” This “Harvard on Halsted” movement also harms most students at UIC. The “Urban Mission” that launched Circle Campus (UIC's old name) was supposed to provide Chicago Public School students with a chance at a four-year education leading to graduate and professional school.

However, the attrition rate of these mostly minority students is so high that most who enter UIC do not graduate.

The union recognizes our common cause with students fighting tuition increases; with graduate employees demanding to be recognized as a union; with residents of public housing in the area who resisting the destruction of their homes; and with the non-union employees, also mainly Black and Latino, demanding opportunities for advancement within UIC.

The Illinois Black Caucus is laying plans for legislative hearings at UIC. These hearings are still pending, because while one issue has been settled, there are many others that need to be addressed.

The struggle continues

The contract was settled days before a Sept. 12 Board of Trustees meeting that was to have been the scene of another massive rally. Religious activists were coming together to put pressure there. The coalition Jobs With Justice helped bring everyone – workers, students, community, and religious activists – together into an ongoing alliance.

Cassandra Fuller, negotiating committee member and food service worker, said, “It was great help that Senators Trotter and del Valle were coming out for us. Everybody knew that UIC has this money. The legislators appropriate the funds to them, and we were being denied equal pay.” The threat of involvement by the legislators pushed management to act. “Otherwise, we would have still been sitting at the negotiation table,” said Fuller.

One issue that remains between the union and management is the employers' use of temporary workers. Nearly 1000 people work at UIC as “extra-help” or “900 hour employees.” The struggle for these workers will continue. One building service worker, Elmo Alejandro, commented, “It's not fair the way these workers work for so long and aren't offered benefits.”

Over the past year, management and Local 73 have been locked in combat. Local 73 and its president, Christine Boardman, are committed to continuing the struggle. “Off of this contract, we want to increase the number of stewards as well as build more political muscle,” said Bill Silver, chief negotiator. “We have to stop UIC's abuse of temporary workers.”

The settlement of this contract represents a real step forward for UIC workers, but if the past practice of UIC management is a guide, this is a temporary truce in an ongoing war.

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