Teamsters Propose Break, Meal Period Penalty Pay for CX Workers

• Prohibits the UC from requiring healthcare employees to work during break/meal periods;
• Allows these employees the option to waive one of their meal periods for shifts over 10 hours;
• Requires the employer to pay to the employee 1 hour of penalty pay for each workday that one or more meal period is not provided, and 1 hour for each workday that one or more rest break is not provided, with penalty pay calculated at the employee’s regular rate of pay. You can learn more about SB 1334 by visiting our website>

Because all workers should have guaranteed breaks and meal periods, our Union proposed the same protections for campus-based employees. We hear all too often how understaffed the UC is and how our hard-working public safety dispatchers and records personnel, teachers, veterinary, food service workers, and others are forced to work overtime, required to come in early or stay late without pay, work through their breaks and/or meal periods, take breaks/meal periods at their desk, or are required to take a phone with them when they go to the restroom. This is unacceptable.

The UC flatly rejected our proposal for campus employee protections plus they did not agree that break/meal periods had to be 100% uninterrupted or duty free for healthcare workers. The UC also insists that meal waivers could be revoked by the manager at any time, and that requests to waive meal periods or requests to combine breaks would not be subject to the grievance and arbitration process. The UC also says that penalty pay should be calculated at the employee’s base rate, not the regular rate as defined by the law.

Help us send a message to the UC that meal and rest breaks are essential to function at the level required by a world class university system. Ensure campus worker health and safety! No takeaways for CX healthcare workers! Meal and rest periods are essential worker protections that reduce accidents, improve productivity, and promote employee well-being!