After months of advocacy by Teamsters and the Coalition of UC Unions, the UC began the process of issuing a $500 match to the California Hospital and Skilled Nursing Facility COVID-19 Worker Retention Payment program, thus triggering an additional $500 payment for workers from state funds. UC began issuing payments and notices on December 7. Yet not all eligible Teamsters have received the $500 retention payment.
Teamsters met with the University on December 6 and demanded that:
- The University pay all eligible employees in a timely manner.
- The University provide an efficient and speedy process for correcting errors in which eligible Teamsters were not paid the retention payment.
- If the UC neglects to include a qualified Teamsters employee in the state application, the UC will fund the entire retention payment using UC funds.
- Skilled Trades and CX employees who are technically employed by a “Campus” and not the Health System but whose assignment is to Health should be provided the retention payment because they should be eligible under the State Program as a contract employee.
The full $500 commitment from UC will be in addition to the state program providing $1,000 to eligible employees and will trigger an additional $500 state match—meaning each UC healthcare worker will receive a $2,000 total retention bonus if there is adequate state funding. Disbursement and the amount of the state portion of the retention payment will be available in early 2023.
Workers employed from July 30, 2022, through October 28, 2022 at a UC Medical Center, and who were still employed by the UC as of the program record date of November 28, 2022, are eligible for the retention bonus. More information on Eligibility can be found at the Department of Health Care Services.
If you believe you are eligible for the retention payment and did not receive $500 retention payment, contact your Union Representative if your manager was not helpful in resolving the issue.