University of California officials announced today (June 13) that the Coalition of University Employees union has made its first movement since negotiations began one year ago toward a compromise on wages in their latest proposal to the university. However, the union continues to demand increases that are not financially realistic given the lack of state funding to the university.
 
CUE's latest proposal includes a demand for increases in 2004-05, a year in which UC received no funding from the state for systemwide raises. Further, the overall proposal far exceeds the state funding promised under the compact with the governor for future years, and is much larger than the wage offer accepted by the university's service workers in April.
 
"It is somewhat encouraging that the union has finally started to compromise about wages," said Howard Pripas, UC director of labor relations. "Although, their demands are still not realistic given the level of state funding we hope to receive, it is a step in the right direction."
 
The university has extended the deadline for its most recent wage proposal to the union to June 23, which is the last day of the next scheduled bargaining session. The UC proposal is substantially equivalent to the wage proposal accepted by the service worker's union.
 
The university suggested that the union join in seeking a neutral state mediator to help resolve remaining issues; the offer was rejected by CUE.
 
The university has been bargaining with CUE over a new contract for one year, and the union informed the university that it intends to hold an unlawful strike June 13-15. The university informed CUE that the costs associated with the strike could result in delayed implementation of the increases.
 
For more information about the university's proposals and these negotiations, go to:

http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies/labor_relations/bargaining_updates/cx/bargaining_update.html