Police Dispatchers Win Salary Improvements

Our UC Public Safety Dispatchers voted overwhelmingly to ratify the tentative agreement with 88.1% voting yes!

This new side letter will dramatically improve our Dispatchers’ salary structures across the UC system and bring our members more in line with other Public Safety Dispatchers in agencies across California. Our Dispatchers will also receive significant raises as a result of this agreement over the next two years, starting with increases resulting from placement on the new salary schedule effective June 2, 2019. These changes are critical to addressing the low and stagnant pay that has led to severe staffing, recruitment, and retention issues for our Dispatchers across the UC system.

Some of the key changes we won in this agreement include:

  • Immediate raises upon placement on the new salary schedules for those below the top of their salary range
  • Yearly step increases of 5% in addition to 3% across-the-board increases
  • Top step in five years
  • Significant improvements to dispatcher salary ranges
  • Higher starting wages to better recruit dispatchers
  • New contract language allowing campuses to develop training pay and holiday banks
  • Per diem dispatchers that may only be used to address staffing shortages and provide relief for our overworked dispatchers
  • Protection of our right to strike with minimum staffing levels to protect public health and safety
  • All Dispatchers, including those at or above their salary range maximums, would receive guaranteed raises through the end of the current CX contract

We will be working to address the University’s refusal to discuss improvements for our UCPD Records Personnel. During negotiations our team proposed training and shift differential pay improvements along with language to develop new pay structures for Records personnel, all of which the University rejected. At every bargaining session the University rejected all our proposals for our Records personnel, proposed no changes themselves, and made clear they had no interest in even discussing the issues our Records personnel face. We are currently evaluating our options to determine our next steps.

This victory is the result of our Dispatchers standing together and taking action for many years leading to a side letter during our 2016 CX-unit negotiations. It then took Dispatchers gathering petitions and taking our message to the September 26, 2018 UC Regents meeting to get the University to stop stalling and bargain with our Union over the pay and staffing issues that were undermining our members’ ability to provide for their families and keep the UC community safe.

“Our Teamster Dispatchers stood together and stayed strong to win this agreement, which recognizes their critical work keeping our campuses safe,” said Jason Rabinowitz, Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Negotiator.

This agreement is a major victory for our Teamster Dispatchers and sets the tone as we look toward future bargaining at UC and CSU. It shows our power as Teamsters and that when we are persistent, united, and willing to take action we can make real change. This victory is only the beginning and we are eager to continue fighting for fairness for all of our Teamster Brothers and Sisters.

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