Following up on the first bargaining session on November 15-16, our bargaining team started the New Year strong by again sitting down with the University on January 10-11 to ensure that our Teamster public safety workers at UC are fairly paid and properly staffed. We continued to make clear that this is necessary to ensure that our members can continue their crucial work keeping UC campuses across the state safe.
During the session, the University responded to our counter-proposal and accepted some changes we proposed while rejecting others, so there is more work to be done. However, we made good progress towards reaching an agreement. Significantly, the University compromised on its original salary step and placement proposal and put a significant amount of money on the table in raises for our Dispatchers across the state. This would be on top of the proposed step structure allowing annual advancement through 6 steps, which is substantially better than the current step structure.
“Our team is working hard to reach an agreement that is fair and honors the service of Teamster dispatchers who keep our campuses safe,” said Jason Rabinowitz, Teamsters Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer.
We are working to set up another bargaining session soon and further updates will be forthcoming. You can view a list of the main points of the University’s proposal and our counter-proposal here.
University Proposal 2
Below are the key points of the University’s second proposal:
- A salary step structure for Dispatchers with 6 steps and 5% increments between the steps (compared to 7 steps with 4% increments in their initial proposal). Proposed new language to place current Dispatchers on the new salary schedule at the step that equals or is the next highest step based on the dollar value of the Dispatcher’s current salary.
- Proposed essentially the same CTO language from the FUPOA contract to replace as in their original proposal. Rejected our counter-proposal changes including language allowing Dispatchers the ability to choose between CTO and premium pay for each overtime assignment and a 240-hour annual accrual maximum (as opposed to a 60-hour accrual maximum).
- Rather than their original proposal to delete , the University proposed keeping the existing language, which allows for overtime pay based on consecutive days of work without a day off, with the added exception that the subsection would not apply in the event of a declared emergency.
- Had no proposals for Records Personnel again.
Teamsters Counter-Proposal 2
Our second counter-proposal in response to the University’s second proposal detailed above included the following:
- Accepted the six-step salary schedule for dispatchers with 5% increments proposed as a compromise by the University. The added language gives the campus Chief of Police discretion to allow a Dispatcher who missed a step increase one year due to an unsatisfactory performance evaluation to make up that step if they have a satisfactory or better evaluation in the next year.
- To address the internal equity issues that would be created by the University’s step placement language, we proposed that on top of the University’s dollar value placement, a Dispatcher would receive an additional salary step for every 2 years of service in a University Dispatcher title.
- Made clear that the University could offer additional step increases above the ones specified in this language if they chose to.
- Proposed our own market rate top steps for Dispatchers and Leads by campus along with training, POST certificate, and shift differential pay in line with what the University Police Officers receive. Training pay provisions would apply to Dispatchers and Records Personnel.
In response to the University again pushing the same language for campuses that offer CTO, we proposed allowing a Dispatcher to choose between CTO and premium pay every biweekly pay period. With the University pushing to align Dispatcher CTO with what’s in the FUPOA contract, we proposed a holiday bank for hours worked on designated holidays to supplement CTO accrual in line with what the campus Police Officers receive.