After repeated demands to UC Labor Relations over the last few months, Teamsters Secretary-Treasurer Jason Rabinowitz sent a letter to UC President Michael Drake on Feb. 10 urging an immediate addition of 128 hours of COVID-19-related leave hours to cover workers through the 2021 school year.
UC extended the date through which workers could use the leave hours granted in 2020, but have not added more hours, leaving many workers to use their accrued sick time or take unpaid leave.
“Although the rollout of vaccines and the small decrease in new infections give us reason for optimism, our members and their families are still facing new COVID-19 infections and/or symptoms, schools are still closed throughout the state, and therefore UC workers still have an urgent need to have access to paid leave for coronavirus-related reasons,” Rabinowitz said in the letter.
Teamsters also urged and extension of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) programs systemwide, and immediate implementation of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Standard, which requires employers to continue and maintain an employee’s earnings, seniority, and all other employee rights and benefits if they are excluded from work due to COVID-19 reasons.