Bargaining Report #29 edit

Furlough Alternate Plans

• Furloughs. CUE has not accepted the University's salary reduction/furlough plan. We have been developing alternatives, one of which was submitted to UC.
  
  The CUE team also submitted a proposal to bargain the effects of the temporary layoffs and curtailment schedule the University has announced.
  
  Our comprehensive proposal requested the following:

  • allow clericals to pay less money based on actual monthly salary and not on annualized salary rates,
  • create a process to deal with unused furlough days,
  • devise equitable terms to deal with the effects of the plan on part-time employees and START participants,
  • mitigate the impact of furloughs on CX employees' workloads, and
  • establish a clear-cut limitation of the duration of the salary reduction/furlough plan to one year.
  
  We believe our alternative proposal will generate the nearly $13zmillion in savings the University demands, while better meeting the needs of employees of the CUE jurisdiction.
  
  In an August 4, 2009 letter, Executive Director of Human Resources at UCOP Lynn Boland indicated that UC is willing to accept alternative proposals to the salary reduction/furlough plan voted on by the Regents, as long as they save $13 million on clerical salaries.
  
  CUE is working diligently to fulfill our legal obligation to negotiate with the University for an alternate proposal giving us guarantees and protections. We await a response from UC to our latest plan.
  
  

• Higher Fabrication. CUE disseminates accurate information to the jurisdiction; unfortunately, the same has not been true of the University. We have filed a complaint to the California Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) regarding some of the misinformation the University has spread, causing a great deal of fear and confusion for CUE workers. The University is devoting a portion of their $8 million media campaign to frighten employees with the threat of temporary layoffs, as a bargaining strategy that puts pressure on the unions (CUE, UPTE and AFSCME) to accept their salary reduction/furlough plan without modifcation.
  
  Don't let their union-busting succeed.
  
  

• CUE Contract | UC Proposal. The University of California offered a new benefits proposal which includes
  • redirecting employee DCP contributions to the UCRP fund [2% of gross monthly salary, minus $19] beginning April 2010.
  • allowing UC to increase medical premiums and auxiliary fees (e.g. parking and transportation) during the life of the contract
  • 0.0% [zero!] salary increases for fiscal 2008/2009 and 2009/2010, reopening salary negotiations for increases in 2011, if the state provides the money. Therefore, the salary reduction could exceed 8-13%.

Future Sessions. The next bargaining sessions are scheduled for

October 21-22 (Wednesday and Thursday)
We encourage bargaining unit members to attend.

For more information, phone CUE at 346-3537.

 
The CUE Bargaining team thank the employees and staff who attended in Santa Cruz, including a delegation of AFSCME employees.

CUE Bargaining Team: Dan Lewis, UCD Anytra Henderson, LBNL Susan Ervin, UCLA Mary Higgins, UCSF Dorthea Stewart, UCSD Linda Michelle Weinberger, UCI Stephanie Dorton, UCB Alexis Talpash, UCR Kimberly Rutherford, UCSC Amatullah Alaji-Sabrie, Chief Negotiator, UCB Jason Rabinowitz, CUE attorney