University of California officials and the union representing 9,000 UC service workers at hospitals and college campuses continue to be at a stalemate the week after a statewide strike, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Here are 10 things to know.
1. The UC service workers, who are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, began a three-day strike May 7 over issues such as wages, healthcare premiums and job outsourcing. Members of the University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA and the California Nurses Association joined the walkout in support beginning May 8.
2. Medical centers hired replacement workers and rescheduled elective surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments during the strike.
3. Now that the strike is over, UC and AFSCME Local 3299, which represents custodial services, groundskeeping and security workers, remain at an impasse, with no negotiations scheduled, according to the report.
4. One key issue of contention is workers' pay. UC spokesperson Claire Doan has said the university stands behind the recently imposed 2 percent, across-the-board raise for service workers for fiscal year 2017-18, according to the report, which cites a previous statement. "AFSCME will need to return to the bargaining table with UC in order to negotiate any additional increases as part of a multiyear contract," the statement reads.
5. The union has lobbied for annual wage increases of 6 percent over three years. UC told Becker's Hospital Review via statement it cannot support that increase because it is twice what other university employees have received, and it is unable to justify the raise amount to taxpayers.
6. Other issues of contention include healthcare premiums and union job outsourcing.
"Our top priority has been and continues to be the outsourcing of our jobs," AFSCME 3299 spokesperson John de los Angeles said, according to the report. "The UC has failed to acknowledge that is even an issue, which is a huge problem if they want to get together and talk with our negotiators. UC really needs to acknowledge our biggest concern, which is outsourcing."
7. The Sacramento Bee cites a 2017 state report that revealed UC campuses have signed outsourcing contracts for various services, including janitorial and security. According to The Sacramento Bee, the union asserts those contracts negatively affect market wages overall.
8. In response to the union's assertions and the strike, Ms. Doan said: "Labor is the largest single expense in UC's budget, and AFSCME service workers are already paid at or above market rates. UC feels that it is highly inappropriate that AFSCME is now using a strike as a negotiating tactic. This is after union leaders rejected, without conducting a vote among their members, UC's proposed multiyear wage increases [3 percent annually for four years] and excellent health and retirement benefits."
9. As far as the job outsourcing issue, UC noted its last labor contract with the union does not allow UC to lay off any AFSCME-represented employee due to a sub-contracting decision. UC also addressed its reasoning behind service contracts.
"Service contracts provide the university with the flexibility to meet key, specific needs that would be inefficient, impractical or infeasible to address with work by permanent UC employees," the school said. "UC locations contract out for services when, among other reasons, there is a need for short-term or temporary staffing needs (cleaning dorms during semester breaks), special expertise or experience (cybersecurity), and services and equipment not available or not regularly performed internally (responding to a campus water main break)."
10. Mr. De los Angeles said next steps are yet to be hashed out by the union, according to the report. If a strike is considered, the union would have to provide a minimum 10-day notice.
Read The Sacramento Bee's full report here.
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