Informational Picket. Dr. Callender Meeting With UPTE

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1 UPTE UCLA Local 9119 Bulletin Topics Covered: Informational Picket Dr. Callender Meeting With UPTE Step Increases/Raises for RX/TX effective January 1, 2007 HX Bargaining The HX Contract Has Expired-Status Quo Violations SRA 1 Reclassification Reviews/Raises: UC Union Coalition Pension Issues and Meetings Pension Protection Postcards Health and Safety Committee formed at the Hollywood "Vaults" Film Archives Membership in UPTE is Not Automatic Informational Picket On January 11, 2007, UPTE hosted an informational picket in front of the UCLA Medical Center. The event was a huge success, with a record number of people coming out to support a new HX Contract and to demand HX be included in the UC Union Coalition Bargaining Unit to negotiate the pension. Alongside dozens of employees from the health care unit marched individuals from our RX/TX unit and even some members from our sister unions: AFSCME, CUE and CNA. All in all, between 150 and 250 people came out to voice support for a fair contract. The Informational Picket itself was not the only success of the day. The event was followed by a call from HR the next afternoon, in which we were able to schedule a meeting with the Medical Center s CEO Dr. Callender. More details on this are below. Dr. Callender Meeting With UPTE Last Wednesday, January 17, UPTE met with Dr. Callender on: 1) HX bargaining issues and 2) The move into the new UCLA Medical Center. The meeting was very amicable and we hope it will pave the way for a more productive labor-management partnership at UCLA into the future. Our discussion on HX bargaining was limited to a philosophical conversation on recruitment and retention. Dr. Callender affirmed his commitment to maintaining competitive compensation packages at UCLA. Other members of his staff also welcomed the union s input on these matters and encouraged us to continue to provide them with any information we may have on marketplace discrepancies. In terms of the move to the new hospital, Dr. Callender said that there were no plans for cutbacks or layoffs in the health care unit associated with the relocation. We hope this commitment will pacify some of the apprehension our members have had about the transition. In addition, you should be aware that the opening of the new hospital will require the need to staff both hospitals initially (the old and the new) until operations are fully transferred. Some information

2 and dates on the upcoming move can be found at the following link: Dr. Callender assures us that in the near future more details on the transition will be made available to everyone. All in all, the meeting was very encouraging. Dr. Callender has expressed a wish to continue to dialogue with us and maintain open communication channels, both of which we certainly appreciate. Step Increases/Raises for RX/TX effective January 1, 2007 Effective January 1, 2007, the next step increase raise will be implemented for all non-topped out RX/TX employees. For RX, the value of the increase is approximately 2.0%, for TX employees it will be approximately 2.3%. You should see the increase in the paycheck you get after January 1, If you do not see an increase it is critical that you contact UPTE as soon as possible! Call us at (310) or uptela@netwood.net. The next raises are scheduled for October 1, 2007 for all RX/TX employees and will be in the amount of 3.8%. HX Bargaining We are still bargaining the new contract with UC. Both sides continue to work to try and resolve the differences at the table. Further deliberations continued on increases for each of the job titles at each of the campuses. The sticking point of the package continues to be the pension issue. In December, UC tried to get HX to agree to a five-year waiver on negotiating the pension plan. We rejected that proposal. This last session, UC put forward a two-year waiver on negotiating the pension plan, with a reopener in July The specific waiver language put forward would bar HX from entry into the Union Coalition, but give the health care unit the same benefits package agreed on in coalition negotiations. If the coalition fails to negotiate the pension issue before July 2008, our waiver will expire, and we will reopen deliberations on the pension. The problem associated with this proposal is it takes the HX unit out of the bargaining process for two years. For those two years, HX will effectively have no say on pension negotiations. Our point of leverage is our unity and the fact that all the unions are fighting to protect the pension plan together. If we are not a part of the Union Coalition, the coalition has less leverage by the simple fact that the health care unit will not legally be a part of the process. This will make it easier to erode pension protections. However, if pension negotiations continue on beyond July 2008, then we regain our rights to participate in the negotiating process and effectively lose nothing. Therefore, we would essentially be taking a risk that the coalition would not settle in this timeframe. UPTE Bulletin January 2007 pg 2

3 The leadership is still analyzing the pros and cons of this proposal and more on this will follow. The next bargaining session is set for February 14 th. With the success of our recent actions, UC is now getting an idea of how important this contract is to our members and really hoping to settle soon. If negotiations continue beyond February, it will be up to us to continue our actions, which may include preparing for a strike, to force UC s hand. We will not give in on the pension issue. The HX Contract Has Expired-Status Quo Violations The HX contract was being renewed on a monthly basis with UC as a show of good faith in negotiations. That is no longer the case. The HX contract officially expired last Friday, January 19 th. Being without a contract is extremely difficult for UC. Because many management rights expire with the contract, there is a whole category of Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges that we can file when UC makes significant policy changes. Many management changes in policy that would have been permitted during the contract are now subject to bargaining. What this means is UC can no longer unilaterally make some kinds of changes in policy without UPTE s permission. If they do, it provides grounds for us to file an Unfair Labor Practice. ULP s are violations of law. If a party is found guilty, it can potentially cost them lots of time, money and in terms of their reputation. Please let us know if any of the changes below occur within your worksite. You can contact us at (310) or uptela@netwood.net:. New or changed work rules: includes dress codes, attendance policies, policies, discipline policies, etc.. New or changed performance standards. Parking and transportation rates (including vanpools). Reclassifications. Reorganizations: may include layoffs, subcontracting, changes in who is performing the work, changes in work locations, changes in job descriptions or duties, and changes in the method and manner of performing work. Creation of new positions. Changes related to floaters or limited term employees. Changes in schedules, hours of work, breaks, holidays, etc.. Installation of surveillance cameras or other similar equipment. Changes in the method or manner (or amount) of pay. Changes in health benefits, retirement benefits, types of leave available, domestic partner rights, or any other changes in fringe benefits. Changes in access rights, union leave rights, or any other rights. Any formal or informal, announced or unannounced change in any policy, whether or not the original policy was formal, informal announced or unannounced UPTE Bulletin January 2007 pg 3

4 SRA 1 Reclassification Reviews/Raises: Staff Research Associate 1 s with Two Years Experience in that Title: Are you eligible for a Reclassification and Raise? As you may know, in the RX contract, it is provided that all career appointment SRA 1 s with two years experience in that title are entitled to a reclassification review. If you are reclassified, the new title will bring at least a 5% wage increase. While some Department s have been very good about undertaking these reviews (notably NPI) others have been dragging their feet. UPTE has requested updated information on the status of these reviews. But it is also imperative that you, as an individual, or as a group, ask your Supervisor about the status of your review. If you have questions as to your eligibility for a review or about the process of the review, please do not hesitate to contact UPTE at (310) or uptela@netwood.net. UC Union Coalition Pension Issues and Meetings UPTE, in coalition with the other unions, continues to meet with UC over UC s planned reinstitution of employee contributions to the pension plan. While nobody wants an underfunded pension plan, there are real questions that still need to be answered as to when contributions will have to be reinstituted. Even then, the question will become to what extent and who will bare the burden of those contributions? These issues are inextricably linked to the notion of an employees "total compensation package", which includes wages, health insurance costs, parking and vacation time. UPTE has been organizing department and group meetings around the pension issues. If you would like to organize a group lunch meeting, please call Joe Biegner or Aaron Rosenfield at (310) Pension Protection Postcards A large part of protecting our pensions comes through political action. We have an advantage in this process in that we are a large group of people with a common goal. UPTE, as well as the other affiliates of the Union Coalition, have made it a goal to collect 10,000 pension protection postcards. We are halfway to achieving our benchmark. These postcards are going to be sent to President Dynes and select UC Regents. Specifically we will be targeting John Garamendi, the newly elected Lieutenant Governor and UC Regent. Garamendi was elected with strong labor support and we hope that he will advocate for us and encourage other UC Regents to keep their hands off our pensions. If you have not yet filled out a postcard, please let us know a good time to drop by your worksite. UPTE Bulletin January 2007 pg 4

5 Health and Safety Committee formed at the Hollywood "Vaults" Film Archives Over the past several months, UPTE-members at the Hollywood "Vaults," a film preservation and storage unit of the UCLA Film School s Film Archives, formed an UPTE Health and Safety Committee to raise and address numerous health and safety concerns. With the help of the UCLA Labor Institute s Occupational Safety and Health Department (LOSH), UPTE s Health and Safety Committee was instrumental in pushing the formation of a joint Labor- Management Safety and Health Committee, which worked to address health issues pertaining to heat stress and ventilation. Already, management has purchased an air-conditioner (after five years of refusing to do so), has ordered two fume hoods, and modified work practices to address the ventilation issues. Two UPTE members attended a LOSH training and management has agreed to send the rest of the committee on work time to the next training. If anyone is interested in learning about this process, please contact the UPTE office. Membership in UPTE is Not Automatic The strength of our union stems from the strength of our membership. Becoming a member is essential if we are to become a stronger union and be able to improve the working conditions of the people we represent. If you are not yet a member of UPTE, it is very important that you become a member. Some people think that because the legally required "fair share" fee is automatically deducted from their check, that they are also a member automatically. This is not the case. You must fill out a membership application to become a member. There are no additional fees taken out of your check by filling out an application and it gives you the right to participate in elections and other union votes. If you would like to fill out a membership application, please call the UPTE office at (310) and we will get a membership form to you or you may download one at: In Solidarity, Max Hechter, UPTE UCLA President Rita Kern, UPTE UCLA Vice President UPTE Bulletin January 2007 pg 5