HR Update; October 24, 2008
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In this Edition
- UC Reaches Contract Agreement with Police
- UC Reaches Tentative Contract Agreement with PCT
- Computer Skills Training in November
- UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs
- When Your Employee is Off Work, What Can You Ask For?
UC Reaches Contract Agreement with Police
On October 22, the University of California today announced it has reached an agreement with the Federated University Police Officers Association union on a new employment contract for UC’s more than 200 police officers. “UC police officers do a tremendous job for the entire university community and we’re very happy to have reached an agreement that we believe recognizes their quality service,” said John Cammidge, UC interim associate vice president for human resources and benefits.
As with most negotiations, wages were a central issue in the contract talks. The new contract provides for general salary increases ranging from 2 to 8 percent effective October 1, 2008, depending upon the campus and local market conditions. The contract also provides UC police officers the same health and retirement benefits as other UC employees.
UC officials said contract talks were concluded expeditiously due to the collaborative approach and good will that both sides brought to the negotiations. “We greatly appreciate the professionalism that the union’s chief negotiator and campus representatives brought to each bargaining session and their commitment to resolving differences collaboratively,” said Peter Chester, UC’s chief negotiator. “That kind of cooperation and partnership makes a big difference.”
Pending ratification by union members, the new comprehensive contract will be in effect until September 30, 2011. As is customary, the contract will be closed on all issues except wages and a few select items, which the parties will revisit once each year until the full contract is renegotiated in 2011.
For the Spanish version of this communication, visit At Your Service. If you have any questions or would like more information about this or other labor negotiation(s), please contact your local labor relations office.
UC Reaches Tentative Contract Agreement with PCT
University of California officials on October 20 announced that UC has reached a tentative agreement with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees on a new, five-year labor contract for UC’s 11,000 patient care employees.
“Our patient care employees play a vital role in helping UC medical and student health centers deliver top-quality patient care, and we are pleased to have reached an agreement that recognizes their many important contributions to the university and to the state,” said Shelley Nielsen, UC’s chief negotiator for the contract. “We believe the agreement was a fair compromise and one that supports UC’s goal of offering employees competitive wages and benefits.”
The tentative agreement was reached Sunday, October 19, 2008. Once ratified by the union, the agreement will be effective from the date of ratification through September 30, 2012. View the full contract details.
Highlights of the tentative agreement include:
Wages: $127 million in total wage increases over five years, equal to a minimum total of 26 percent for eligible employees, including over $18 million in wage increases ranging from 4 to 15 percent in the first year.
Health benefits: The same excellent health and retirement benefits as other UC employees, at the same cost, with UC paying the vast majority of the benefits costs. Due to a special one-time subsidy UC is employing for its 2009 health benefits, UC employees will see lower premium increases than they otherwise would, with some employees seeing decreases in their net monthly medical insurance premiums. More details
UC is also attempting to settle a new contract with AFSCME regarding UC’s more than 8,000 service employees and hopes a compromise agreement will be reached soon.
Highlights of UC’s current offer for service employees include:
Wages: $20.3 million in total wage increases over the next 27 months, including $11.3 million worth of increases in the first year and increases in minimum wages from $10.28 per hour to $13.25 per hour. Since bargaining began, UC has more than tripled its wage offer in the first year alone for service employees (was $3.1 million in May; now at $11.3 million) and increased its total multiyear wage package by 25 percent (was $16.6 million in July; now at $20.3 million).
Health benefits: The same excellent health and retirement benefits as other UC employees, at the same cost, with UC paying the vast majority of the benefits costs. Due to a special one-time subsidy UC is employing for its 2009 health benefits, UC employees will see lower premium increases than they otherwise would, with some employees seeing decreases in their net monthly medical insurance premiums. More details
Wages for patient care employees are supported by hospital revenues. Because state funding is UC’s single largest source of funding for systemwide salaries, wages for service employees and other campus-based employee groups are impacted by the state budget.
UC and AFSCME began negotiations for patient care employees in August 2007 and for service employee groups in October 2007.
The University of California operates the nation’s largest health sciences and medical training program, and its network of five medical centers and associated facilities represents the fifth-largest health care system in California, and one of the state’s largest providers of health care to low-income, medically vulnerable patients. UC medical centers provide a high volume of quality care - each year, they see 137,000 inpatient discharges, 261,000 emergency room visits, and 3.6 million outpatient visits. They provide a full range of health care services in their communities and are sites for the development and testing of new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.
For more information about these negotiations, visit:
Read more News and Information about the University of California
For the Spanish version of this communication, visit At Your Service. If you have any questions or would like more information about this or other labor negotiation(s), please contact your local labor relations office.
Computer Skills Training in November
Do you or your staff need better computer skills? In November you’ll find Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint, and Visio at Laurel Heights, and a full range of software and systems training in downtown San Francisco.
Click the course name below to learn more and to register. Please share this listing with coworkers and those you supervise.
Computer Software Training - Laurel Heights Campus
Access 2003 1
Nov 24 - 25, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $255
Access 2003 2
Nov 6 – 7, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $255
Excel 2003 1
Nov 3, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135
Excel 2003 2
Nov 7, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135
PowerPoint 2
Nov 17, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135
Visio
Nov 19, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135
Word 2
Nov 10, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135
Word 3
Nov 12, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135
Computer Software Training - Downtown SF
In addition to courses on the UCSF Laurel Heights Campus, Development and Training offers a full range of computer training (Microsoft, Adobe, Web, and programming) in downtown San Francisco at the office of our computer training provider, AcademyX. To learn more, visit Class Catalog and Enrollments. Then use Search Class Catalog to find a course topic or click the big green button, Choose Classes and Enroll Online.
For the complete listing of all upcoming Development and Training classes, visit the course catalog.
UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs
Please pass this on to your colleagues, circulate invitations, post the actual scheduled workshops happening near your location, or otherwise re-broadcast these weekly reminders about our valuable (free) education programs for faculty and staff. Bring your lunch, your questions, your spouse/partner ...
- UC Retirement Plan (UCRP)—UC’s Defined Benefit Plan
- “The Features of UCRP”
- Coming Again Soon
- Refer to these schedules for details and future workshops
- The Future of UCRP
- UC Retirement Savings Plans—the 403(b), 457(b), and DC Plans
- “Enrolling in Your UC Retirement Savings Program”
- October 27, Parnassus, HSW – 303, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- “Determining Your Right Investment Strategy”
- October 27, Parnassus, HSW – 303, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- “Achieving a Sound Retirement”
- October 27, Parnassus, HSW – 303, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- “Understand the How-tos of Fidelity’s NetBenefits Website”
- Coming Again Soon
- Refer to these schedules for details and future workshops
- Arrange to have these workshops at a meeting in your department
- Focus on Your Future!
Usually there can be at least one (or more) workshop(s) per week scheduled at various UCSF locations around town. For more details and listings for upcoming scheduled presentations, please refer to our Workshops and Presentations Schedules menus found at our local UCSF HR/Benefits website.
When Your Employee is Off Work, What Can You Ask For?
Medical restrictions, the length of time the employee will be off work, and whether restrictions are temporary or permanent.
What Can’t You Ask For?
Diagnosis, treatment plan, medications, and medical prognosis.
If the employee is anticipated to be off work for four or more months, the restrictions are unclear, or there are permanent restrictions which would hinder the employee’s ability to do their job, call Disability Management Services. Please refer to our website.
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