University of California officials announced today (July 10) that the Public Employment Relations Board, the state agency responsible for overseeing collective bargaining for public sector employers, has issued a complaint against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, for bad-faith bargaining in its negotiations with UC for new contracts for patient care and service employees, for failing to give adequate notice of a planned strike, and for encouraging employees to participate in a strike against UC facilities even though their absence from work would clearly endanger the public's safety.

In a note to UC earlier today, AFSCME stated that it is calling for service employees to strike UC facilities throughout the state Monday, July 14 through Friday July 18.

The complaint was issued in response to a UC unfair labor practice charge against AFSCME. A copy of PERB's complaint is available at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/PERBcomplaintreAFSCME.pdf.

UC officials also announced today that the university has requested that PERB obtain a court-ordered injunction against the union's announced strike, and PERB has agreed with UC's request. UC is expecting a ruling on the requested restraining order by July 11.

Although the union maintains this action is a strike of service workers, PERB's complaint states that the union's encouragement of patient care employees' participation in strike-related activities poses a serious threat to the delivery of care to UC patients.

These actions come after the union's rejection of numerous UC proposals, the latest of which include minimum wage increases of 26 percent over the next five years for patient care employees, and increases in minimum hourly rates for service employees from $10.28 to $11.50 or $12.00 depending on location. UC has also offered to transition these employees to a step-based salary structure, which was proposed by the union, and to continue to provide them the same high quality health and pension benefits offered to all UC employees, at the same cost as other employees.

"We believe our proposals are fair and responsive to many of AFSCME's expressed concerns, and we urge the union to resolve these negotiations," said Howard Pripas, executive director of labor relations at UC. "We regret having to take legal action, but we have an obligation to protect our patients, our students, and the communities that rely on UC for vital services."

This is the second time PERB has agreed to seek an injunction against an AFSCME strike. In May, PERB supported UC's request for a restraining order against AFSCME's announced strike involving patient care employees, which the union ultimately rescinded (www.ucpatientcaretechs.com/index.php/bargaining_archive/33.html).

AFSCME represents approximately 11,000 UC patient care technical and 8,000 service employees.

More information about these negotiations can be found at:
www.ucpatientcaretechs.com
http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies_employee_labor_relations/collective_bargaining_units/service_sx/bargaining_update.html

For more news and information about the University of California: www.universityofcalifornia.edu