SSAP-UAW, the union that represents undergraduate advisers, is bargaining to stop a return-to-office mandate that would require UC Berkeley’s College of Letters and Science undergraduate advisers to work on campus three days a week, up from once a week, arguing the change would cost workers thousands of dollars a year.
Letters and Science announced that its undergraduate advisers must return to their on-campus offices three days a week, extending their one-day-a-week schedule which has been in place since 2021. A union survey found that the extra commuting expenses would cost advisers an average of $6,738 a year.
Ziva Armstrong, a senior college adviser in the college’s undergraduate adviser office and member of the union’s bargaining team, said the change will have a heavy impact on the unit’s long-haul commuters, who commute from as far as Stockton and Sacramento.
Undergraduate advisers in Letters and Science earned an average gross pay of $6,637 per month in 2024, according to Armstrong.
“(The) cost of living in Berkeley, Oakland and surrounding areas is so high, and many staff are supporting families and can’t afford to live within a close commute,” Armstrong said. “Many of our staff are commuting three hours, or even seven hours round-trip, each day they have to come in, and that is a significant cost.”
According to an SSAP-UAW presentation reviewed by The Daily Californian, titled “Who We Are, Why We Are Here,” undergraduate advisers surveyed by SSAP-UAW commuted an average of 52 miles a day, or an average of two hours. 70% of advisers surveyed said they were likely or very likely to leave if the proposal was adopted.
Armstrong said workers were told that management has no budget to backfill positions, so job losses because of the policy could potentially impact advising availability.
“Our retention, morale, and work-life balance will take a nose dive with increased in-person expectations. This will absolutely crack the foundation of trust and respect (that’s left) in our offices,” the presentation said.
SSAP-UAW is bargaining with the university for a stipend to cover transportation costs and equitably exempt advisers who commute over 50 miles per day.
“We’re still bargaining in good faith, and we’re hoping that they will bargain with us in good faith,” Armstrong said. “We’re still hoping we can come to a resolution that meets both student needs and our own needs, so that we can do our best work with students. Our office has won more than five awards from campus while working our hybrid one-day-a-week schedule”
Sarah Fullerton, acting director of communications in the College of Letters and Science, said in an email the return-to-office mandate will improve access to in-person advising for students.
“This was proposed by OUA leadership in order to provide students with improved access to in-person advising, consistent with student input and advising best practices and will impact approximately 30 staff,” Fullerton said. “The university remains committed to engaging in good faith bargaining with the union regarding these charges”
Armstrong acknowledged that there is demand for in-person services, but said the data the university presented does not show that a move to in-person three days a week is required.
While bargaining continues, advisers will still return to office once a week, according to Armstrong.