After many months of negotiations, UC and AFSCME agreed on a contract that, among other things, included new minimum salaries and annual across-the-board increases for UC service workers.

It was a fair and generous agreement. In fact, the union heralded it as "historic."

When the contract was signed, it was understood and agreed that certain implementation details would require further work, including how to define the incremental percentage increases ("steps") within the new salary ranges -- higher minimum salaries squeeze those in brackets above the new entry levels.

The task now at hand, as foreseen when both sides signed the agreement, is for the university and the union to sit down together and work through these details. Since these step structures are not effective until October, there is ample time to work through the details.

However, after just one meeting to discuss the steps issue and potential options, the union has begun circulating literature falsely accusing the university of going back on the contract and threatening UC with public demonstrations.

It is quite unfortunate that this union is once again reviving such tactics. The union agreed to the contract and both sides understood that implementation would require additional joint work.

The university is living up to the terms of the contract and is committed to working through these issues together, at the table, through respectful and productive dialogue.

The university calls upon AFSCME leaders to do the same.