UC Apparently Paying Poverty Wages
I've generally not given much credence to the constant complaints by UC workers about how badly they are treated, but I never realized how truly badly they actually are treated. From, "Report Finds UC Wages Inadequate":

UC service workers are not earning enough to cover the basic cost of living for themselves or their families, a report released yesterday claims.

The report, conducted by the National Economic Development and Law Center, showed UC service workers’ wages lag 15 percent behind wages for similar jobs at CSU, and fall 26 percent lower than their counterparts at state community colleges.

The University first offered up "the report’s findings are flawed and inaccurate because it compares wage ranges, rather than reflecting actual salaries of UC employees," but that apparently wasn't a convincing response, so the spokesman continues with this, "The low wage rates are a side effect of the budget crunch, which is something UC cannot control." Somehow I don't think claiming that salaries are completely out of UC's control is going to fly either.

One strategy of the University is to subtly play off the students against the workers, implying that an increase in fees is necessary to pay for higher salaries for these low-wage workers. Then it's increased student fees vs. underpaid university employees. In this dynamic, the salaries for top administrators or coaches are usually ignored.

It's no wonder we get articles with information like this:

UC medical schools’ top executives are receiving $2.4 million in bonuses this year, with not one penny of that sum going toward students or university workers, outraging some UC workers.

As students prepare to pay higher fees for the fourth year in a row, 65 UC hospital senior executives at the Davis, San Diego, San Francisco and Irvine campuses are raking in extra cash.

Seriously, let's have a crappy football team with a poorly paid coach and not have the people who clean our classrooms and work at the cafeteria on food stamps.Email This Post!