HR Update; Friday March 16, 2007

In this Edition

Bargaining Update - Tentative Agreement Reached, Ratification Pending

UC has been bargaining with the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union since April 2006 on a new labor agreement for UC Health Care Professionals. The University and UPTE reached tentative agreement on February 15, 2007, and the University is currently awaiting the results of UPTE’s ratification process.

The University appreciates the invaluable contributions UC Health Care Professionals make on a daily basis. In addition, HX employees, managers and supervisors have demonstrated great patience throughout the 11 month bargaining process. The University and UPTE bargaining teams have worked hard to deliver this tentative agreement to HX employees, and in the interest of reaching an equitable tentative agreement in as timely a manner as possible, UC made a number of critical compromises. This tentative agreement maintains attractive compensation and benefits for healthcare staff, and includes a number of improvements beneficial to UC Health Care Professionals.

The Union plans to put the tentative agreement out to the membership for a vote during the week of March 26, 2007.

If Ratification is Not Reached

If HX employees vote against ratification of this tentative agreement, the University and UPTE must return to the bargaining table in order to continue the bargaining process as outlined in the labor relations act (HEERA). Without a ratified agreement, the already lengthy bargaining process will continue and, if necessary, the parties will have to go through the impasse procedures which include mediation and fact-finding. HX employees will not receive the wage increases or other improvements outlined in the tentative agreement below while the bargaining process continues without bi-lateral agreement on those provisions.

Primary Elements of the Tentative Agreement

The primary elements of the tentative agreement are as follows, they are provided in order to help UC Health Care Professionals make an informed decision on ratification:

Duration - A five-year contract (7/1/06 - 6/30/11) with wage increases outlined for the first three years of the contract and a provision to re-open the contract in 2009 to negotiate compensation, health benefits and pension.
Compensation - Maintenance of the zone salary structure in Year 1 (effective upon ratification); transition to a step-based salary structure in Year 2 and range increases and step movement in Year 3.
Implementation of Wage Increases - While the University will strive to implement the increases as soon as is possible, the University is required by the terms of the agreement to provide the wage increases within 120 days of the date of ratification, also known as the effective date of the contract. In any event, employees will receive the increases back to the effective date of the agreement. This means that if the contract is effective on April 1, 2007 and it takes the University until July 1st to implement, the employees will not only receive the increase going forward but each employee will receive payments covering the increased wages from April 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007.
Lump Sum Signing Bonus - $1000 lump sum payment to all HX employees who are in the bargaining unit on the date of ratification.
Ongoing Equity Discussions - The University and UPTE have agreed to meet on a systemwide basis regarding equity concerns for the bargaining unit later in 2007 and again for local campus discussions in 2008 and 2010.
Health and Welfare Benefits - For calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009, the University’s maximum monthly rates of contribution for health and welfare benefits for HX employees will be the same as those for other staff employees. The parties will engage in bargaining on health benefits in 2009 for calendar years 2010 and 2011.
Pension - Effective upon ratification of this tentative agreement, the HX Unit will have the opportunity to fully participate in the negotiation process for potential pension contributions with an HX representative at the RX and TX bargaining table(s.) HX employees will pay the same contribution to the UCRP as RX and TX employees (who are also represented by UPTE) through June 30, 2009. The parties will engage in bargaining on this issue in 2009 for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011.
Other Improvements/Changes -
- Overtime - A supervisor shall ask for volunteers before assigning overtime, when practicable.
- Shift Charge - Established Shift Charge role with pay differential of $1.25 per hour for those temporarily assigned shift charge duties for an entire shift.
- Appointments - The University shall notify the employee of conversion from limited appointment to career status.
- Special Per Diem Rights - Student Health Center Per Diem employees who work 750 hours within a 12-month period will be eligible for special per diem rights.
- Professional Development - UC will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requests for educational leave, including requests for more than 12 hours of internet/home study. Upon an employee’s request and at UC’s discretion, an employee may be cross-trained on new equipment within his/her department.
- Respectful and Fair Treatment - New article added to the contract similar to the article in other staff contracts.

Compensation at UCSF/UCSFMC

Year One - Effective upon ratification
- Range adjustment and salary increases of 4% for most classifications with the following exceptions:
  - 8% range adjustment and salary increases for the Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Cytotechnologist and Audiologist classifications
  - 7.5% range adjustment and salary increases for the Pharmacist classifications.
- Maintenance of the zone structure and movement to the next-higher zone for eligible employees
- Increases to Pharmacists night shift differentials
- On call differential for Dietitians and Clinical Social Workers
Year Two - Effective July 1, 2007
- Transition to a step-based salary structure
- Salary increases of 4% for most employees, then placement on the matching, or next highest step in the new salary range
- Salary increases of 5% for employees in the Clinical Laboratory Scientist and Cytotechnologist classifications, then placement on the matching, or next highest step in the new salary range
Year Three - Effective July 1, 2008
- Continue step-based salary structure
- Salary increases of 2% for most employees (by virtue of increasing the value of each step)
- Salary increases of 3% for employees in the Clinical Laboratory Scientist and Cytotechnologist classifications (by virtue of increasing the value of each step)
- One step increase (approximately 2%) for satisfactory or better performance

Reaching agreement entails compromise by both sides and this tentative agreement clearly illustrates the respective parties’ efforts and willingness to compromise. The University remains hopeful that this tentative agreement will be ratified, so that UC Health Care Professionals may reap the benefits of their patience and continued dedication to their work.

Online Ethics Briefing Scheduled to Launch on April 11, 2007

An online Ethics Briefing, required for all UC employees, will be launched on April 11, 2007 at UCSF. The purpose of this Briefing is to familiarize all UC employees with the Statement of Ethical Values and Standards of Ethical Conduct, which were adopted by the UC Regents in May 2005.

The online Briefing—developed by the Office of the President with a vendor, Workplace Answers—can be taken on any computer with Internet access. As a UCSF employee, you will soon receive an email with a personalized link that will direct you to the briefing. Please complete it as soon as convenient.

The Briefing, which takes about 30 minutes to complete, was rolled out in November to employees at the UC Office of the President locations and for Designated Officials at all UC locations. It will be introduced at all the other UC locations over the next two months.

The purpose of the Briefing is to familiarize all UC employees with the Statement of Ethical Values and Standards of Ethical Conduct, which were adopted by the UC Regents in May 2005.

Visit the UC Ethics Website for updates, the history of the Statement of Ethical Values and Standards of Ethical Conduct, links to UC policies and ethics resources.

A classroom version of the training will be offered for employees without computer access.

Guidelines for the Purchase and Use of Cellular Phones and Other Portable Electronic Resources

Business and Finance Bulletin (BUS) - 46

In March 2006, the University implemented a new policy establishing guidelines for the purchase and use of cellular phones and other portable electronic resources (BUS - 46). The policy specifically describes appropriate circumstances for the purchase and service support of University electronic communication devices for use by employees outside of the workplace, provides guidance on the use of electronic resources and equipment for an employee’s home use, and establishes procedures for documenting the use of University provided cellular phones and reimbursement of any non-incidental personal use of such devices.

Recently, the following changes were made to the policy:

The employee usage agreement (Appendix A) concerning the use of Electronic Communications Resources has been revised to state that an employee furnished with electronic communications equipment, e.g., a cellular phone, “will exercise appropriate care and caution when using the equipment.”
The “Employees Responsibility” section describes the expectation that employees avoid using a cellular phone or any other type of electronic communications equipment under any circumstances where such use might create or appear to create a hazard, such as operating a motor vehicle. The policy has been revised to exempt emergency personnel (e.g., police, fire, traffic enforcement, environmental health and safety, health care and disaster response personnel) from this requirement, as well as any other employee who uses a cellular phone for emergency purposes.
The “Reimbursement of Business Use” section has been revised to permit the reimbursement of Internet and similar services purchased by an employee when it would not be practicable or cost-effective for the University to purchase such services separately. The policy in full can be found on the web.

For further information, contact your Labor and Employee Relations Analyst.

Finance Day 2007

Focus on Your Future. Mark Your Calendars. Tell Your Colleagues.
Are Your Ducks All in a Row? Are You Retirement-Ready?

Finance Day-2007 is scheduled this year for Tuesday, April 17th 2007 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., in our Millberry Union Conference Center at Parnassus Heights. This event provides both faculty and staff employees an opportunity to learn more about University-sponsored programs which can help them provide for: their future economic security; a leisurely retirement; their children’s education; the purchase of a primary residence; etc.

Focus on your future-come to Finance Day. You will have an opportunity to: meet one-on-one with representatives from numerous UC-sponsored companies; ask questions; gather information; and walk away more “retirement-ready” than you were before. There will also be several Featured Presentations related to your retirement readiness. Free rubber duckies while supplies last. See the flyer for more details. View/print/post/circulate the pdf flyer for Finance Day-2007.

How to Control your Anger Before It Controls You

Anger is an emotion we have all felt. Anger is in fact perfectly natural however, many of us were taught as children to stifle it. Anger can be felt as a short-lived experience or an annoyance that can becomes exacerbated into a full-blown rage. Anger that is habitual can damage your health, disrupt your relationships, jeopardize your career, and negatively impact your mental health. Throughout this article, I will present a brief definition of anger, a developmental overview on the nature of anger, followed by useful strategies in learning better ways to handle and express your anger.

What is Anger?

When we become angry our body responds biologically. Typically a physiological response happens when we feel angry. Often, our heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure rise, stress hormones are released and our adrenaline kicks in. In more extreme cases, you can feel out of control.

We can experience anger when certain events in our world turn out differently than we have planned. It is a subjective view on how we think people should behave towards us. When they don’t behave as we anticipate or want, anger can be the result.

Anger is also connected with other feelings such as frustration, hurt, disappointment, shame, worry, and embarrassment. Accessing these deeper feelings underneath your anger can be a challenge without the appropriate skills or help of a professional.

Developmental view of Anger

The above describes how anger works well until the age of about three or four years of age when we realize there are other views, separate from our own. Unfortunately, some of us haven’t learned to manage our anger, leaving us a victim to it all of our lives. For example, some individuals have learned unhealthy responses to anger from childhood and carried those responses into adulthood. Examples of unhealthy responses to anger include withdrawing, doing nothing (passivity ), while others will behave in ways that include yelling, throwing things, criticizing, and ignoring others. In more extreme cases, anger can lead to rage and acting out violently where one loses control. Additionally, some individuals use angry feelings as a way to justify their abusive behaviors towards others. Feelings of anger can also be used as a weapon to intimidate and give someone power and control over another person, usually through creating fear.

The Nature of Anger

Anger is a response to internal conflict, and / or environmental (external) stressful events. An example of anger induced internally occurs when we feel we’ve lost control, feel vulnerable, with or without the occurrence of an external event. Losing your keys on the way to work, or your car not starting when you have to be somewhere important, are common external events that can trigger feelings of anger. The instinctive way to respond to anger is through aggression. Developmentally speaking, early childhood adaptive responses often were accompanied with aggressive feelings and behaviors which allow us to defend ourselves when we feel under attack. Therefore, a certain amount of anger is necessary for our survival. However, the degree to which we express our anger is a critical component to consider.

We all experience feelings of anger from time to time, and some of us become more easily irritated and annoyed. In the above examples, a range of responses can result, including anger. Some of us get in the habit of placing blame for our angry feelings onto others. This is where we blame others for our own anger, even if it seems unjust. Some of us deny our own anger because we are either embarrassed, or not comfortable in expressing how we feel. Learning to recognize and accept our own anger allows us to deal with and express our anger responsibly. Below, you find some strategies known to be helpful for coping with your anger.

Strategies for Coping with Anger

Acknowledging what makes you angry instead of denying or placing blame, leads to self understanding.
Breathe deeply from your abdominal and not from your chest. This will lower your heart rate, pulse and calm you down.
Slowly, repeat a soothing word to yourself such as “relax,” or “calm down,” as you breathe slowly.
Incorporating non-strenuous exercises such as walking or yoga can relax not only your muscles but clam your mind in the process.
Changing your immediate environment can be helpful. Sometimes our surroundings can cause us to feel irritated or trapped. Taking a break allows for you to reassess the situation. It’s important to remember to make a time to talk about the situation when everyone involved has calmed down. Plan how you are going to remain calm when your conversation resumes.
Limit caffeine intake as much as possible.
Identify triggers and warning signs of anger. For example, knowing your hot buttons or what makes you tick is an important tool to have. This will aid you to recognize the situations that make you angry.

To help further understand any of the above strategies, or put them into practice, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program at UCSF provides confidential assessment, counseling, and referral services that support the well being of both the individual and the organization. Please contact us at (415) 476-8279 or visit our web site.

References:

American Psychological Association Website, Retrieved February 12, 2007 from http://www.apa.org/topics/topicanger.html

We Heard You: Expanded Computer Software Training Sought

In December many of you completed a brief survey asking for feedback on computer software training you need and receive. Development & Training is using that feedback to guide us as we contract for expanded computer software training services.

Over 50 of you completed the survey. Key findings included:

You learn in different ways - short classes, longer classes, independently at your desks
You want and need training in a wide variety of computer applications
You currently use not only our current provider (CIBER, Inc.), but several other vendors as well to get full range of training you need
Many of you have not used, and may not know about the variety of computer software training provided by our current vendor, CIBER Inc., both at UCSF and at the CIBER’s downtown classroom.

With your feedback at the forefront, we are currently re-bidding the computer software training contract. We will select the vendor who can provide the most cost-effective combination of:

Wide-ranging curricula (office productivity, design & media, and computer professional training)
Varied training delivery modes: classroom training of different lengths, online training, tutorials
Training customized to department/unit needs
Classroom training available both at UCSF and at the vendor’s own site
Training for both PCs and Macs
Outstanding customer service
Training available at significant savings over public rates.

Our current software training contract with CIBER has been extended through June 2007. An extensive line-up of on-campus spring classes will be open for enrollment on March 19th (http://training.ucsf.edu/). Also, because you are a UCSF employee, you can attend any of the classes CIBER offers at their downtown SF location at a reduced rate. For more information about all of CIBER’s offerings, on campus and downtown, contact our CIBER representative, Jennifer Murray at 875-1885 or .

Thank you again for helping Development & Training to provide you with top-quality computer software training.

The Chancellor’s Award for the Advancement of Women

The Chancellor’s Award for the Advancement of Women presentation ceremony will be held on Monday, March 26 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in Toland Hall. Chancellor Bishop will present awards to 3 members of the campus community. They are Dixie Horning, Executive Director of UCSF’s National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health; Maureen Shannon, nurse midwife, family nurse practitioner, and doctoral student, School of Nursing; and Carroll Estes, Emerita Professor and Founding Director, Institute for Health and Aging in the School of Nursing. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony. If you have questions, call 476-4223.

2007 Chancellor’s Award for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and/or Transgender Leadership

Dear Colleagues:

I write to request nominations for the annual Chancellor’s Award for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and/or Transgender (GLBT) Leadership. This award recognizes contributions to the advancement of GLBT communities at UCSF. Three individuals - one faculty/academic, one staff, and one student/resident/fellow/postdoctoral scholar - will be selected to receive this award at a special ceremony on Monday, June 11. Each recipient will receive $2,000. Individuals who meet one or more of the award criteria - whether or not they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender - are eligible to be nominated. The criteria and nomination form are available on the Office of the Chancellor website.

I encourage you to take the time to nominate the outstanding faculty, staff and students with whom you are associated who meet these criteria. Nomination must be returned to the GLBT Leadership Award Committee, c/o Robin McCartney, Box 0402, or faxed to 476-9634 by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 2007.

Sincerely,
J. Michael Bishop, M.D.
Chancellor

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