BY DANA DiFILIPPO
The Cincinnati Enquirer
About 850 office workers at the University of Cincinnati announced Monday that they will file a federal labor complaint against UC alleging wage discrimination, which could threaten more than $100 million in federal grants.
The Service Employees International Union-District 925 (SEIU) aims to file the gender- and race-bias complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). That office enforces anti-discrimination laws governing workers when federal contracts worth $10,000 or more are involved.
The move comes one day after union members representing UC's 1,900 faculty members authorized a strike and nearly a month after the office workers waged a one-day strike.
"Of course, we have no desire to cause UC to lose its federal contracts," said Debbie Schneider, SEIU's regional director, "but we believe that with that as a possible outcome, UC might start to take our concerns more seriously."
UC President Joseph Steger couldn't be reached. But UC spokesman Greg Hand said the university has survived past discrimination claims. "We have a history with (the OFCCP) and we've always been in compliance," Mr. Hand said.
UC's $100 million in federal contracts involves research grants, student aid and instruction.
Most of the $79 million UC spends on research projects, and $13 million of student aid, is federally funded, Mr. Hand said. Some instruction also is federally supported, he added.
On Monday, Richard Trumka, the AFL-CIO's national secretary-treasurer, said the union will make UC "a poster child" for the pay-equity movement nationally.
In August and September, about 140 of UC's office workers filed wage-discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Union leaders said Monday they may strike again if their demands aren't met.
Members of the American Association of University Professors authorized a strike Sunday, protesting the administration's refusal to raise their salaries.
