Summary:
CUE has proposed accepting 47 contract articles from other UC contracts, then moving on to bargain as quickly as possible a few remaining issues in order to bring contract negotiations to a timely conclusion. President Atkinson and UC have not yet agreed to the CUE proposal but will inform us of their decision in the October bargaining session.
At our September 8-10, 1999 bargaining session, CUE representatives presented UC's labor relations team with a comprehensive proposal to accelerate negotiations. For most CUE-UC contract articles, CUE proposed to accept contract language representing the best employment practices already contained in other UC contracts. Upon agreement in each of these areas, CUE proposes to move to bargain as quickly as possible on a few remaining issues which are of particular importance to the clerical unit: fair wages, protection from discrimination, respectful treatment, and rights on the job.
On September 10th, after three days of extensive discussion, CUE and UC representatives reached agreement to accept 40 of 47 articles proposed for adoption from current UC contracts. UC negotiators emphasized that their agreement constituted only "an agreement to recommend acceptance" by the UC administration. UC's Sharon Hayden also stated her recommendations "are generally effective." (Clerical employees have a right to expect nothing less from UC's chief negotiator.) She indicated that UC would confirm its acceptance of its bargaining team's recommendations within the first two weeks of October.
CUE also proposed an overall settlement for seven (7) remaining contract articles that, although based on language UC has already accepted in other employee contracts, the UC bargaining team had still not accepted for clericals. UC bargainers stated they were hopeful this CUE proposal could be a basis for agreement of these issues, as well, but they were unprepared to provide a definitive response at the bargaining table. We will await the UC response to this proposal in early October, as well.
Confirmation that President Atkinson and his administration have accepted these agreements will enable rapid negotiation and settlement of the important remaining issues of fair compensation, protection from discrimination, respectful treatment, and rights on the job. We believe our comprehensive proposal is sensible and reasonable. The settlement outlined in our negotiations will be good for the University and good for clerical employees. It will lay the foundation for the constructive labor management relations that CUE seeks and President Atkinson claims he wants.
But please make no mistake: The progress we have made so far, though encouraging, can still unravel. UC has resisted confirming final agreement to anything! Administration movement toward an acceptable agreement has come only in response to growing unity and mobilization of clerical employees. To bring this contract home, we will need to increase active evidence of clerical support for CUE's proposals.
HOW CAN YOU HELP BRING HOME YOUR CONTRACT?
1) Join CUE! If you haven't already done so, bring in a colleague.. Growth in CUE membership is the strongest message we can send that clerical employees are determined to secure a fair and equitable contract.
2) Support the CUE mobilization campaign. Please respond with a "YES!" when a CUE member or organizer from your campus asks you to join other clerical employees in demonstrating your support for a good contract CUE is organizing support actions throughout UC over the next weeks -- and months, if necessary -- until our contract is finalized. Our hopes for early settlement of a good contract depend on your support!
In unity, we can win the Raises, Rights, and Respect UC clerical employees deserve!
CUE's Bargaining Team:
- Kris Amaral (San Francisco)
- Christine Benoit (Riverside)
- Debbie Ceder (Santa Barbara)
- Jennifer Goodheart (Santa Cruz)
- Lyn Kelly (Los Angeles)
- Robin Luczak (San Diego)
- Linda Moser (Davis)
- Joanne Murray (Santa Barbara)
- Cynthia Norman (Irvine)
- John Randolph (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab)
- Margy Wilkinson (Berkeley)
- Mark Blum (Chief Negotiator)
