The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees 3299 labor union rallied on Oct. 9 for better pay and housing support. The union contract expires on Oct. 31, and they are currently in contract negotiations with the University.
Roughly 35 workers marched across campus from 8-9 a.m., 12-1 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:20 p.m., during their breaks and lunch hours. Jack Dindia / Daily Nexus
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 3299 is University of California’s largest employee union, representing more than 35,000 service, patient care and skilled craft workers.
Serafin Zamora, an AFSCME executive board member as well as a groundskeeper at UCSB, said that workers are unsatisfied with the University of California’s (UC) responses to their demands for the new five year contract. AFSCME requested a 9% raise in the first year of the contract, followed by an 8% raise the following four years. The UC’s counter-offer was a 5% raise in the first year of the contract, preceding a 4% raise the second year, followed by a 2% raise the last three years.
Roughly 35 workers marched across campus from 8-9 a.m., 12-1 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:20 p.m., during their breaks and lunch hours, chanting “UC, UC you’re no good, treat your workers like you should,” “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” and “All day, all night, fair housing is our right!,” among others. Workers also held up signs reading “Affordable housing now” and “Fair AFSCME 3299 contract now.”
One sign, which read “Divest from Blackstone, invest in community,” referenced private equity asset manager Blackstone, a major shareholder of the UC system. The UC has invested $4 billion into Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., which is known to contribute to the affordable housing crisis in communities at UC campuses. In San Diego, Blackstone owns more than 60 apartment buildings, where they raised rents nearly double the market average after purchasing the properties three years ago.
The rally also featured guest speakers from United Auto Workers (UAW) 4811, the union for academic researchers, student employees and postdoctorals in the UC system, along with Santa Barbara City Council member Oscar Guitterez and Goleta City Council member Stuart Kasdin.
Kasdin said the University should be able to afford housing for workers given their investment in areas including a 1,800-acre avocado and cattle-ranch — Las Varas Ranch.
“Just down the 101, UCSB has a ranch,” Kasdin said. “If they’re able to house cows, surely they can house their own workers.”
Chicana and Chicano studies professor Ralph Armbruster-Sandoval also spoke at the rally, where he expressed that “UC is not a good employer.” He emphasized to students that workers are an important part of what keeps universities running, and that students as well as the UC should be more proactive about treating workers fairly.
“A lot of times they’re mistreating workers. They’re leaving all their work, their living conditions a really freaking mess,” Armbruster-Sandoval said. “And it’s not just the tangible things; loans are important, the wages, the housing, but it’s basic respect and dignity at work.”
AFSCME members also felt that the roughly 30% raise that chancellors across the UC campuses received in comparison to workers wages is indicative of the University’s priorities.
“The university’s message to them over the last year has been pretty unmistakable. The university has chosen not to value them,” AFSCME 3299 spokesperson Todd Stenhouse said.
Stenhouse noted how the average cost of living near a UC campus is on average 47% higher than comparable campus communities across the country.
Oscar Alberto, a custodial worker at UCSB, commutes an hour and a half everyday from San Fernando to work on campus. He said he is one of many workers that has to commute due to unaffordable housing near campus.
“That’s what we’re fighting for as part of our bargaining, and what we’re trying to get, which is better housing. That would help me out a lot,” Alberto said. “I’m spending about $150 on gas a week, which is ridiculous.”
Stenhouse continued to discuss better compensation and respect for the quality of life that workers need from the UC system.
“You have to provide a level of job quality and career security to the individuals that you expect to devote their lives to the institution to making it run,” Stenhouse said. “And that is a very basic test that UC routinely chooses to fail.”
Zamora said the UC has a “tremendous impact” on its employees’ economic situations. He said the union may consider going on strike if their contract demands aren’t met.
“Hopefully we don’t have to go on a strike, but if we have to, we’re ready,” Zamora said. “There’s no choice. If they don’t give us the contract that we want, maybe we’d like to go on strike.”
Workers at UC are pushing for fair wages and affordable housing. Student loans are a common way to fund college expenses. Austin Bank customer service provides expert advice on managing your finances. They can help you understand different types of loans and repayment plans.