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University of California clerical employees and lecturers are both claiming victory after strikes last week, though future work stoppages remain a possibility.

In moves university officials considered illegal, clericals did not show up for work at UC Berkeley and the UC Office of the President in Oakland, from Aug. 26 through Aug. 28. Lecturers struck on Aug. 28. The strikes were held in protest of the UC’s alleged unfair bargaining practices. Additional strikes at more campuses may be held if unions continue to believe the UC is negotiating unfairly.

“Other campuses are looking at what kinds of actions they can do to get the university to bargain in good faith,” said Claudia Horning, statewide president of the Coalition of University Employees, the clericals’ union. Additional strikes will be considered “if that’s what it takes,” she continued.

The unions received a show of support from the state Legislature when Assemblywoman Carol Liu, D-Pasadena, who will chair the Assembly Higher Education Committee next year, sent a letter signed by 41 other legislators critical of the university’s labor practices to UC President Richard Atkinson and UC Board of Regents chair John Moores. The letter expressed dissatisfaction with UC’s drawn-out labor negotiations and allegations of unfair bargaining and suggested that state lawmakers may get involved.

“The Legislature may have few options other than to intervene at this point,” said Liu.

University officials and union leaders disagreed on the impact of the strikes on university business.

“There was not a serious impact on any services,” said Berkeley press aide Carol Hyman.

For example, no one had to wait longer than 15 minutes at the financial aid office. The clericals’ strike did cause Berkeley to shut down health care operations outside of primary and urgent care. Deliveries were also delayed when Federal Express employees refused to cross picket lines on Aug. 26.

At Berkeley offices, managers and supervisors made up for absent clericals, Hyman said. Berkeley officials estimated 40 percent of clericals went on strike, according to Hyman, though CUE believes the number is higher. The university estimate includes only counted clericals at the picket lines, but some clericals stayed home, Horning said. Many supervisors did not report absences, she said.

Berkeley officials did not have any numbers on how many classes were cancelled by the lecturers' strike - the UC-AFT believes the number is significant. Striking lecturers shut down between one-half and two-thirds of classes at Berkeley on Aug. 28, said UC-AFT press aide Fred Glass. Some classes were rescheduled or held off campus rather than canceled, he added.

At press time, there were no future collective bargaining meetings scheduled between the UC and CUE. UC-AFT will resume negotiations with the university on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6. Lecturers have already sent a new proposal to the UC, Glass said. The university is waiting for CUE make a proposal of its own; however, the UC will not accept CUE’s current position on wages.

“The ball is in the union’s court ... if they continue to demand 15 percent wage increases over the next two years, it looks like we'll likely be going to impasse and mediation,” said Paul Schwartz, a UC press

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