University representatives met with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local Union 3299 (AFSCME) on January 25-26, formally starting negotiations on new bargaining agreements for the Patient Care Technical and Service units. UC and AFSCME have worked together for several years, and the University looks forward to negotiating another collective bargaining agreement that supports our workforce and the institution’s mission.

During the first two days of negotiations, UC and AFSCME discussed important topics like additional holidays for our employees, dispute resolution processes, and employee benefits. The University will continue to meet in the coming months, with the next negotiation sessions set for February 5 and 6.

Items proposed by the University during the Jan. 25-26 session included:

•    Article 9: Grievances – adding an alternative dispute resolution process to the systemwide grievance process, supporting efficient resolution of complex disputes.
•    Article 11: Holidays – adding Juneteenth to support our employees and align practices across our workforce.
•    Article 12: Hours of Work - improving stability in new and existing work assignments
•    Article 35: Seniority - updating terms to clarify the seniority status of Per Diem employees
During the first session, AFSCME also proposed several articles focused on healthcare, parking, the disciplinary process, and other issues. UC will carefully review the union’s proposal, its interests, and the cost and feasibility of the proposed terms.

The UC is dedicated to making fair proposals that reflect the critical services you provide. UC’s proposals are not designed to be a “starting point” but rather reasonable offers that represent our valued employees. We’ll provide up-to-date information so that you understand what we are doing and why.