Dear colleague,

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As you may know, for the past six months we’ve been working hard at the bargaining table with the Teamsters union for a new contract for UC’s more than 11,000 clerical employees, and we want to be sure you have accurate information about what UC is offering.

Highlights of UC’s proposals:

  • Wages: UC is offering a multi-year contract spanning six fiscal years that would give clerical employees a total pay increase of 18 percent by the end of the contract (3 percent increase per year, comprised of across-the-board and performance-based increases). 
  • These proposed wage increases are in addition to the 22.5 percent increases UC clerical employees received under the last five-year contract. 
  • The proposed 3 percent annual wage increases over the next six fiscal years would ensure that the salaries of clerical employees remain market-competitive, and are consistent with increases given to other represented and non-represented employees.
  • Benefits: Affordable quality health benefits, and retirement benefit options that offer the choice between a traditional (defined benefit) pension plan and a 401(k)-style (defined contribution) plan. Very few employers offer this kind of choice.

We believe our proposals have been fair, and recognize the contributions of our hard-working clerical colleagues.

UC is disappointed the Teamsters continue to reject our proposals, and now are asking clerical employees to support a premature and potentially unlawful one-day strike next month — under California law, strikes conducted before the completion of the full bargaining process, including impasse and fact-finding procedures, are potentially unlawful.

In our view, a strike will do little to bring our two sides closer together, and will unfairly inconvenience our students and patients. The best way to resolve our differences is at the bargaining table.

You can be assured we will continue to work hard to reach a fair agreement that recognizes our clerical employees’ dedication and contributions, and conclude these negotiations as quickly as possible to lock in the pay increases we are offering.

Sincerely,

Dwaine Duckett

Vice President of Human Resources