Bargaining update for lecturers

March 9, 2020

Dear colleague:

I write to update on our negotiations with the UC-AFT and our efforts to negotiate a fair contract for you and your lecturer colleagues. We have been bargaining with the UC-AFT for nearly one year, and it is time to bring these negotiations to a close. As you may know, the agreement between UC and the union expired Jan. 31.

Throughout negotiations, UC has offered the union numerous proposals designed to recognize the importance of your role with fair and appropriate compensation, benefits, position responsibilities, professional development, and performance evaluation provisions. We have two more bargaining sessions scheduled for this month, and our hope is they’ll result in an agreement.

We met with the union last week and offered a number of additional proposals that we believe are very fair and address issues of significant importance to our lecturers. Our proposals included the following:

• Improved job security: UC has proposed a career path from a Continuing Lecturer to Senior Continuing Lecturer, and we’ve also proposed greater job security for Senior Continuing Lecturers. Currently, in the event of a layoff, all Continuing Lecturers receive a one year notice or pay in lieu of notice, as well as two years of reemployment rights. UC proposed that once a Continuing Lecturer achieves Senior Continuing Lecturer status, their reemployment rights will be increased to three years, and that, under certain circumstances, a lecturer can count Summer Session courses toward eligibility for a Continuing Appointment. 

• Enhanced paid medical leave: Currently, paid medical leave is extended only to lecturers with 100% appointments. UC has proposed extending it to lecturers with appointments of 66% or greater. Additionally, paid medical leave usage currently is two quarters or one semester in the first 10 years of employment (three quarters or two semesters in the subsequent 10 years), with any partial usage counting as a full quarter or semester of usage. UC is proposing 22 weeks in the first 10 years (36 weeks in the subsequent 10 years), and allowing for usage across multiple quarters/semesters during the 10-year span.

• Increased support for lecturers with children: Currently, UC allows for a reduction in normal duties for up to two quarters/two semesters as a part of active service-modified duties so a lecturer can prepare for and/or care for a newborn child or a child under age five (5) newly placed for adoption or foster care. UC is proposing to increase the allowed time for reduced duties from two to three quarters. 

• Deferred performance reviews due to leave: So as to not disadvantage lecturers’ performance reviews because of approved leaves of absences, UC has proposed giving lecturers the ability to request a deferral of a performance review due to being on an approved protected leave. 

• Retirement benefits/summer session pay: Lecturers are already compensated in the same manner as other academic appointees who teach in summer session. However, they have not been treated the same for retirement benefits. UC is proposing that summer session earnings for eligible lecturers shall count toward contributions made by UC and the lecturer to UC’s Tax-Deferred 403 (b) Plan, in the same manner as other academic appointees who teach in summer session. 

These proposals follow UC’s recent offer to greatly increase compensation for lecturers as follows: 

• Guaranteed compensation increases:
  • 3% annual range adjustment for 2020-2022
  • 2% annual range adjustment for 2022-2025

• Pre-Six Appointees:
  • Effective July 1, 2021 or 90 days following contract ratification, whichever is later, the pre-six appointee salary scale will be increased:
    • In addition to the 3% range adjustment, pre-six appointees who are on the two bottom salary points on the salary scale will receive an additional increase ranging from 2.5%-5%;
    • New pre-six appointees will begin appointments on the higher salary scale. Example: A pre-six appointee at the minimum of the salary scale, on July 1, 2020, will receive a 3% increase and on July 1, 2021, will receive an 8% increase (5% scale adjustment + 3% range adjustment), for a total of an 11% increase over a two year period.
    • Pre-six appointees appointed for a 10^th quarter/7^th semester will receive a higher salary increase (9% rather than 6%) following a positive performance evaluation; Example: A pre-six appointee with a positive performance evaluation in their 9^th quarter of appointment may receive a total increase of 12% (9% performance adjustment + 3% range adjustment) upon appointment to a 10^th quarter.
• Continuing Appointees:
  • At the initial continuing appointment following a positive excellence review, an initial continuing appointee will receive a minimum 9% salary increase (6% is the current minimum); Example: A Continuing Appointee with a positive excellence review, may receive a total increase of 12% (9% excellence adjustment + 3% range adjustment), upon appointment to an Initial Continuing Appointment
  • A career path and review procedures for Continuing Lecturers to be promoted to Senior Continuing Lecturer – including a minimum 6% salary increase on promotion will be established.

• Professional Development Fund: Increased the fund amount by $150 per FTE – 75% increase plus a $25,000 fund rollover per year on unused funds.

We believe our proposals are very fair, and recognize and compensate you for your many contributions to the UC and our students. We believe a contract for you and your colleagues is long overdue, and that you deserve the opportunity to vote on our offers. 

Sincerely,

Peter Chester
Executive Director
Systemwide Labor Relations