Student-Worker Strike Repercussions - Part 21 (Collection)

According to the Daily Cal, UC is trying to collect back wages it paid to student-workers strikers. As blog readers will recall, UC's payroll system wasn't capable during the strike of cutting off pay to strikers.

Following last fall’s academic strike, United Auto Workers, or UAW, members are receiving overpayment notices from the UC Office of the President, or UCOP. Tanzil Chowdhury, unit chair of UAW 2865 at UC Berkeley and graduate student research assistant in the material science engineering department, said UAW members began receiving letters about overpayment notices two weeks ago for about $2,000 per worker.

“We did not get any direct notice from the university that this was happening,” Chowdhury said. “(UCOP) sent notices out eight months after we were on strike and have not provided options that don’t financially burden members, have not provided real accounting for the numbers requested and no system to dispute the amount requests.” The UAW is currently evaluating how many workers have received notices, he added.

Chowdhury alleged that UCOP’s response indicates that the overpayment notices are not being requested in a lawful manner. “In the context of numerous contract violations since we have signed our contracts and our attempts to make sure they are followed, the University has done widespread retaliation attempts,” Chowdhury alleged. “(We) can not help but read this as another part of the retaliatory puzzle.” ...

According to a statement by UC spokesperson Ryan King,  the UC is in full support of unionized employees’ right to engage in legally protected actions. As a public employer, workers cannot be paid for work that is not performed, according to the statement. “Consistent with this obligation, the University sent letters to employees who didn’t perform assigned work over the strike period, and the amount they owe the University for pay they received while not working,” King said in the statement.

According to the statement, the letters give employees options for repayment. Payments can be spread out over a year for any amount greater than $100. Emergency loans and advancements on individual’s financial aid can be made available, King added that employees are “encouraged” to inquire into possible financial assistance. In addition, employees have the option to contact UCPath to discuss alternate repayment options, according to King’s statement...

Full story at https://www.dailycal.org/2023/08/11/wages.