Tutors, graduate assistants and TAs on campus may have their college fees waived thanks to an unfair labor practice suit the United Auto Workers plans to file this week.
The UAW is filing the suit against the California State University system with the California Public Employment Relations Board, said Scott Clifthorne, international representative at UAW. The union originally represented automotive workers, but as it expanded, the name stayed the same.
The union represents more than 6,000 academic student employees in the CSU system, Clifthorne said. The waiver would apply to about 4,000 graduate assistants, tutors and TAs statewide who work a certain amount of hours, 200 of whom are Chico State student workers.
"The average graduate assistant earns $11 an hour, but only get $1.80 an hour with student fees," Clifthorne said.
A UAW member has talked to student employees at Chico State, telling them about what the union can do for them, said senior Becky Dedeker-Winston, a Japanese and philosophy tutor at the Student Learning Center.
"I am on the fence about how I feel about this," Dedeker-Winston said. "I don't think it's going to go through with all the current economic hullabaloo."
President Paul Zingg did not want to speculate on the outcome of the negotiations, which may start Friday, he said.
"All union contract matters are handled centrally at the CSU chancellor's office," Zingg said. "The main reason, as I understand it, for the system's opposition to this waiver is financial."
The chancellor's office did not respond to calls before press time.
The Student Learning Center took a 20 percent cut, which includes decreasing the number of tutors from 60 to 46 and not being able to get whiteboards, said Christine Connerly, coordinator of tutorial programs at the center.
"It would be great if the students could get waivers," Connerly said. "It would definitely make the job more appealing."
The union represents the University of California system, which provides fee waiver to their student employees, Clifthorne said.
"We very much hope the CSU will negotiate in good faith this Friday, but at this point we are forced to take these steps with (Public Employment Relations Board), the labor councils and our membership," said UAW 4123 President James Banks in a UAW press release.
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