Editorial: UCLA must earn back trust with union following Luskin Center conflict

By Editorial Board

Protesters Thursday demanded the University of California employ union members at the almost-completed UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center, claiming UCLA promised to unionize the jobs, but have yet to formally agree.

Regardless, it’s evident its track record with union negotiations and reluctance to openly commit to unionizing future employment opportunities has fostered distrust among labor advocates. How the university decides to proceed at the Luskin Center can be the first step to rebuild a productive relationship.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 not only demanded the Luskin Center employ union members, but also that employees be afforded higher-than minimum wage, benefits and retirement funds.

In response, the university sent AFSCME a letter Friday claiming the union was circulating misleading information and creating confusion among UCLA students and employees. In the letter, Truc Nguyen, a labor relations specialist at UCLA Employee and Labor Relations, said the university met with AFSCME in January and said it would abide by its collective bargaining agreement with the union and fill positions traditionally filled by AFSCME bargaining unit employees with union members.

The university spokesperson Rebecca Kendall said in an e-mail that UCLA and the union reached an agreement on Feb. 26, 2014 to not contract work at the center to outside workers that is customarily performed by UCLA employees. She said workers at the center will be represented by AFSCME.

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[Source]: Daily Bruin