Bargaining Update #19: April 25-26, 2002
- New wage offer from UC
- "CAP" retirement contributions -- is it wages?
- Temporary employees being released
- Other issues on the bargaining table
NEW WAGE OFFER FROM UC
CUE and UC bargained on April 25 & 26 at the Riverside campus. On the
second day of bargaining UC made the following wage "offer":
For 2001-2002 UC's offer remains the same: 1% cost of living increase
effective 10/1/01 and NO merits.
For 2002-2003 UC offered the following: NO cost of living increase, but
merits for all those who are eligible (career employees) would be
distributed only on the condition CUE would agree that a satisfactory
evaluation would only earn a half step merit and that UC could delay
the implementation of the merits in order to meet their "budgetary
goals."
This offer is based on UC's assumption that it will receive 1.5% for
staff increases from the state of California. CUE reminded UC
bargainers that only 36% of clerical salaries are paid from state
funds. CUE estimates that of 18,000 UC clericals perhaps 7,500 would
actually receive an increase under this proposal.
(NOTE: 17% of the unit is limited appointments or temps: 18,000 minus
3,100 = 14,900. 20% of those who are merit eligible are topped out:
14,900 minus 3,000 = 11,900. We estimate that at least 1,500 clericals
will not be recommended for merits by their supervisors and that at
least 2,000 clericals will be on probation on 10/1/02, leaving
approximately 8,400 clericals -- less than half the bargaining unit
-- in place to receive merits under UC's proposal.)
CUE has not made a formal response to the offer, but the CUE
bargaining team feels that it is unacceptable, an insult to 18,000
hardworking employees, and in NO way reflects what UC is capable of
spending on clerical salary increases.
"CAP" RETIREMENT FUND
The CUE team raised with UC our concern about the content of their
latest report on bargaining, called UC-CUE Bargaining Update #16. In
it, UC refers to the special retirement account (Capital Accumulation
Provision, or CAP) that they are setting up for all employees, separate
from the regular pension fund.
WHAT IS A "CAP" FUND?
UC states that "Both the University and CUE acknowledge that the
special CAP account equal to 3% of 2001-2002 wages adds to the
clerical employees' total compensation." This is simply not the case.
CUE's chief negotiator restated for the record that the 3% CAP was
never 'offered' to CUE, we were simply informed that UC was going to
set aside the money for all employees and that clericals were included.
We did not object to the CAP, but we never agreed that it added to
overall compensation. CUE asked to see UC's bargaining notes, which
would confirm that CUE had in fact made any such acknowledgment. UC's
chief negotiator claimed that she relied on her memory, not her
bargaining notes.
WHY IS THE "CAP" NOT PART OF A WAGE OFFER -- AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO
RECEIVE IT?
The 3% of one year's salary that UC is putting into this fund is money
that career clericals will get only when they retire or leave UC. The
approximately 20% of our bargaining unit who are limited appointment or
temporary employees are not eligible for the CAP because they do not
contribute to the retirement system.
For the record, CUE disagrees strongly that the CAP should be
considered part of clericals' overall compensation. The CAP is like a
bonus -- it's a one-time payment that is not base-building (that is, it
does not increase our base salaries).
TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES BEING LET GO IN VIOLATION OF THE CONTRACT
CUE also raised strong objections to the fact that some UC temporary
pool employees who have worked in temporary positions for 18 months are
now receiving letters that tell them they are being released because
they are about to convert to career status. The contract language
says:
Individuals in floater (temporary) appointments for a period of more
than eighteen (18) months without a break in service of one hundred
twenty (120) consecutive calendar days, shall be converted to a career
appointment on the first day of the month following completion of the
18-month floater appointment.
CUE is considering how to respond to UC's contract violation in this
matter.
OTHER ISSUES ON THE TABLE
Contract articles discussed at this session included Layoff,
Subcontracting, Grievance and Arbitration, No Strikes, Positions and
Personnel Files.
CUE and UC will meet in Oakland May 2 and 3 to continue discussions.
CUE's Bargaining Team:
- Margy Wilkinson, Chief Negotiator
- Chris Benoit, Lead Negotiator
- Mark Covington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Becky Croll, Davis
- Hilary FitzGerald-Nicholson, Berkeley / UCOP
- Deborah Freeman, San Francisco
- Jody Galluzzi, San Diego
- Elaine Hernandez, Irvine
- Connie McGrath, Riverside
- Joanne Murray, Santa Barbara
- Zoe Sodja, Santa Cruz
- Anita Windom-Jones, Los Angeles
