Dear UC clerical employee,

The Coalition of University Employees (CUE) will begin bargaining its first contract with UC soon. First, we need to hear from as many of you as possible about your concerns and priorities.

Below is a survey, which we hope you will take a couple of minutes to complete and return by June 1. You don't have to join in order to fill out the survey. The important information that we gather from these surveys will form the basis of our bargaining positions.

The second step is to make sure every department has a representative on CUE's Contract Support Network. The network members will communicate with the CUE negotiating committee and will keep the clerical employees advised about what is happening in bargaining. Our bargaining unit is huge -- 19,000 of us -- so we need a lot of volunteers to keep communications active and accurate and to show support for our bargaining committee. If you would be willing to be that person, be sure to mark the box inside.

How do contract negotiations with UC work? CUE members will select a negotiating committee, with a representative from each campus, to negotiate with UC's systemwide committee. In addition to putting forward CUE's positions, the CUE committee will analyze and respond to the University's proposals. What will make UC agree to our proposals? It won't be because of the clarity of our presentation or the fairness of our positions. It will be if UC is convinced that there is broad support for CUE's positions - - and the most effective way for clericals to demonstrate this is to become a member.

CUE, a union made up entirely of UC clerical employees, has come a very long way in 2 short years. While many experts predicted that we could not succeed in our campaign to build a new union at UC, CUE won the election in late 1997 with over 62% of the vote. So far, we have succeeded because so many clericals on every campus have been part of the effort. If you want to help CUE bargain a fair contract for all of us please do these three things:

Print out the survey below, fill it out and mail it to: CUE, P.O. Box 618, Berkeley, CA 94701.
Join (YOU SET YOUR OWN DUES RATE!)
Volunteer to be on the contract suport team.

Bargaining Survey

General information

Campus/Lab ___________ Department (optional)_______________________________________

Classification___________________________________

Length of service with UC (total years, all jobs and titles)_________

Are you:

on probation____ casual/temp___ part-time career___ full-time career____

Pay

We believe that in bargaining UC intends to propose revisions in the basic way we get pay increases -- allowing individual supervisors to disregard the current 5% steps and invent pay increase of any size (within a stated range) tied to performance evaluations. Do you think CUE should accept such a change?

yes___ no___

(Employees of LBL should skip the next question)

What form of pay increase is most fair?

Cost of living ____
Annual increase of all pay levels at one uniform percentage____
One time non-base building incentive awards____
The current merit system____
Other_____________________

Comments:

Classification

Is your job properly classified?

yes ___ no ___

If not, do you know the process for seeking a reclassification?

yes___ no___

Comments:

Staffing/Workload

Is short staffing a problem where you work?

yes___ no___

Explain:

Can you suggest a practical solution?

yes___ no___

If yes, what is it?

Does your department accommodate staff members' needs to juggle work and personal/family responsibilities?

yes ___ no ____

Training

What equipment, software or training would allow you to do your job more efficiently?

Have you ever been offered the chance to take classes or workshops to increase your skills?

yes___ no___

Have you ever been denied permission to take classes?

yes___ no___

Health & Safety

Does your department take adequate steps to protect staff from injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome (repetitive stress injury)?

yes ___ no ___

Are you concerned about the air quality at your work site?

yes___ no___

If you have a work related illness/injury, has your department/supervisor been supportive of your need for accommodation.

yes___ no___

If not, please explain.

Performance evaluations

Is your performance evaluation is done regularly?

yes ___ no___

Fairly?

yes___ no___

By some one who is properly trained?

yes___, no___

Are you aware of the standards by which you are evaluated?

yes ___ no ___

Do you think it would helpful to be able to evaluate your supervisor?

yes___ no___

General:

Please rank in order of importance (1 = most important)

Pay increase____
Eliminating non-base-building awards (spot or incentive awards)____
A fairer and more consistent classification process____

Other:

Please rank in order of importance (1 = most important)

work load__
health and safety___
training___
job security___

Other:

What one issue (not necessarily from these lists) is most important to you?

In order to get the things that are most important to you and win a fair contract, what would you be willing to do?

Write letter to a state legislator___
Serve on a committee___
Talk to a coworker___
Pass out material in my department___
Meet with a state legislator___
Join and pay dues___
Meet with the Chancellor___
Make phone calls___
Circulate a petition___
Participate in a rally___

CUE bargaining will be most effective if information can be spread quickly to all locations, and reactions from the campuses can be gotten to the bargaining team. We are setting up a Contract Support Network to spread this information.

___I am willing to be the network contact person for my department:

Name__________________________________________________

Department_______________________________________________________________

Location_________________________________________________________________

Telephone______________________________

e-mail_________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Please mail survey to:

CUE
P.O. Box 618
Berkeley, CA 94701