Casual worker policy change under review by committee

By Timothy Kudo

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Yamirah Saleem is like many lower-paid adult employees at UCLA.
She’s a minority, a mother of two, she enjoys her job at
Hedrick Dining Hall, and she’s a casual worker.

“I like the students. Even the ones who came in during
summer hugged me goodbye. I’m a people person, so I like
dealing with the public,” she said. “I just like being
at UCLA.”

Saleem started her job on Aug. 6, 1999 and just days short of a
year later, on Aug. 4, 2000, she was told that she was taking a
“break in service” or what is more commonly known as
being laid off.

“I asked my manager why he couldn’t wait until we
closed on the 18th. And he said because they sent out this paper
saying when I take my break,” Saleem said. “I thought
it was very clever to have my last day before it was a
year.”

Unlike many casual workers who receive their expected one-day
break after a year, Saleem is in the midst of a month-long break
““ a minimum created by Sam Morabito, associate vice
chancellor of business and finance, to prevent abuse of the casual
worker policy ““ a sign of the university’s examination
of the issue.

The change in policy, which occurred in the past several months,
also includes term limits for how many times a casual employee can
be re-hired after a break in service.

By giving employees such a break, the university is able to work
around its policies and can avoid giving them full-time employee
status and the benefits associated.

Along with Morabito’s decision, Chancellor Albert
Carnesale set up an advisory group to examine the issue.

“I share concerns that have been raised about some of the
university’s policies and practices regarding the employment
of casual workers,” Carnesale said in a statement. “At
my request an advisory group of administrators and faculty was
formed and was asked to review these policies and practices and, as
appropriate, to make recommendations for change.

“I have asked the group to conduct its work
expeditiously.

“Any changes in UCLA policies and practices regarding
casual employment ““ and I expect that there will be some
““ will be announced following full consideration of the
advisory group’s review and recommendations,” he
continued.

Casual workers exist in the university for short-term jobs, but
recently the use of casual workers for as much as five to seven
years has become a cause celebrated by union organizers.

“We use casuals for two primary purposes,” said
Michael Foraker, director of housing. “In the summer we use
casuals for seasonal work and then beyond that they are used to
fill in hours that need to be covered with vacant career
positions.

“They are not intended to be on the payroll as a
substitute for career employees,” he added.

The reasons for long-term casual employment remain unclear,
though some union officials have said it’s the
university’s way of sidestepping collective bargaining
agreements.

For workers like Saleem and other casuals at UCLA, the
uncertainty of a job that can be terminated at at any time would be
frightening if it wasn’t so certain.

“A lot of people asked me why I’m still
there,” Saleem said. “It’s hard to really find a
job (where) you wake up and like going to in the
morning.”

“I had been there almost a year and I wanted to
continue,” she continued. “I didn’t plan on being
there for a year and then just leaving.”