UC system tells AFSCME it’s making “last offer” on wages, benefits
Photo: Spencer Brown / SFBT File 2010
Seeking to put a stop to long-running contract talks with AFSCME, the union representing roughly 13,000 hospital workers in the University of California system, UC has made what it calls its “last offer on wages and benefits.”
The dispute covers patient-care workers at five UC medical centers, including UCSF Medical Center, UC Davis Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center and hospitals at UC Irvine and UC San Diego.
Dwaine Duckett, UC’s vice president for systemwide human resources and programs, issued a statement late Wednesday saying the university had informed the Oakland-based American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees of its move.
The two sides have been negotiating since June 2012, the UC system said. University officials say they’ve offered “fair proposals” including “reasonable pension reform,” which the union has refused to consider.
Eight other unions, representing 14 labor units, “already have agreed to these reforms,” UC said.
The union agreed that negotiations have stalled, but blamed “dangerous and reckless priorities of top UC Administrators.” Kathryn Lybarger, AFSCME’s president, called UC’s stance a “full frontal assault” on the collective bargaining process, AFSCME workers, students, patients and taxpayers — although UC officials say they’re trying to protect taxpayers by reining in expensive union pensions.
Noting that Janet Napolitano — a past political ally of labor-friendly President Barack Obama — will take office soon as UC president, Lybarger said Napolitano “couldn’t pick a better time than now to stand up for basic fairness and call for real sacrifice from UC executives,” who the union characterizes as overpaid and unconcerned with safe patient care at UC’s medical centers.
AFSCME held a two-day strike in May at all five UC medical centers and an unspecified number of student health centers.
Overall, AFSCME Local 3299 represents 22,000 service and patient care workers at the University of California’s five medical centers and 10 campuses.
[Source]: San Francisco Business Times
