Our CX Bargaining Team continued to push for the pay that our work deserves in negotiations with the UC last week, April 7 and 8. The UC presented a new wage proposal with some improvements to worker salaries but not enough to meet workers’ needs.
There was also no movement on the critical issue of bilingual pay for those serving patients, students, and other community members in multiple languages. Our Team will keep fighting for the raises and wages workers need to survive and thrive in California!
Our Bargaining Team and the UC also reached a Tentative Agreement on Article 13: Layoffs and Reduction in Time and spoke at length about AI and the impact it can and already has on CX workers. Our Team is working on a new contract article to address AI concerns and to protect our jobs and work. The UC has previously responded to our concerns without much detail or urgency, but now say they are also working on a proposal concerning new technology, including AI.
Proposals and counter-proposals were also made on Article 9: Holidays, Article 10: Hours of work, Article 16: Medical Separation, Article 36: Sick Leave, and Appendix F: Arbitration Panel. If you have any questions about bargaining or our CX Teamsters contract, reach out to your Union Representative!
“We are getting closer to a full agreement with UC, as they’re beginning to understand the importance of steps in our wage proposal to bring our members closer to a living wage, even in retirement. We are working with UC to protect our work & members from AI technology. UC will be proposing a brand new Article on AI technology at our next session.”
Dianna Sahhar
Bargaining Team Member, UC Irvine
Wednesday: Bilingual Blackout Day!
This Wednesday, our CX Bargaining Team is calling on every bilingual CX Teamster to join our weekly Bilingual Blackout Day! We know that our language skills are essential and deserve proper pay. Don’t be fooled by the UC; if bilingual skills are not a requirement in your job description or you are not being paid for your bilingual work, don’t do it.
Get your Bilingual Blackout Day sticker from your Union Representative or steward to join the action!
Not bilingual? You can still help us fight for fairness by signing our petition to UC leadership!
Sign our petition: fair pay for bilingual workers!
This Wednesday:
- No translating at the counter or over the phone!
- No interpreting for supervisors or departments!
- No rewriting documents into a second language!
- No answering emails requiring bilingual communication!
We negotiated bilingual pay into our Teamsters contract. If UC wants to use your bilingual skills, they must pay for it. If UC asks you to interpret and bilingual skills is NOT a job requirement and you are not receiving a bilingual stipend, then you have the right to refuse. You have the right to demand to be paid the bilingual stipend!
