The HX bargaining team met for four days in Los Angeles. A lot of work was accomplished, including reaching tentative agreement on 10 articles. We had excellent and informative presentations by several HX members. UC's provided UPTE with their "conceptual" compensation plans.

And UC has agreed to give us a "Fair and Respectful Treatment" article.

The language is the same as we had originally proposed and is used by the RX/TX units.

This was a lot of work, but we all feel that it was a very productive and successful session.

We "tentatively agreed" on the following articles: Agreement, Access, Hours of Work, Job Posting, Medical Separation, Positions, Professional Development and Educational Leave, Resignation/Job Abandonment, and Workplace Committees.  Some of the issues that got resolved successfully were:

• when overtime work is needed, part-time career employees who volunteer will be chosen over per diems. And HX employees will be chosen over employees from another job title or another department. Management will ask for qualified volunteers for any available overtime, before assigning individuals.
  
• we bargained for and received stronger language for professional development leave requests. And leave may be granted for non-UC sponsored courses. HXers will be granted 12 hours of home study professional development time, and be allowed more hours on a case by case basis. *we will also be able to request cross-training on all new equipment within a department.
  
• staffing issues are now included in labor-management workplace committees.

We are now allowed 2 employees, rather than one, at these meetings.

They informally presented their benefits plan. They want to begin to divert 2% of our salaries from our mandatory DCP fund to the retirement pension fund. For salaries over $94,000, 4% of pay will be put into the pension plan. This would begin July 1, 2007.

On July 1, 2008 UC has proposed an additional 1% taken out of our salaries (a pay cut!) that would go into the pension plan.

UC presented a conceptual outline of what they intend to give us for compensation. Again, this was informal (i.e. not in writing) and did not include any actual proposed numbers. Basically they want to keep the present zone system for the first year of a 3 year contract. They plan to make several range adjustments to make them more in line with how people are actually being paid. Some titles will get entirely different amounts within the current range.  They intend to that medical center employees and campus based employees will be on the same salary range.

However, UC wants to maintain the right to give certain locations and/or job titles equity increases at their discretion. They also intend to eliminate the incentive award program for campus based employees and roll a .5% increase into salaries. On July 1, 2007 a step system would be introduced over a 5 year period. The salaries of each step will have around a 2% increase. However UC did not say how many steps they plan to propose. Each campus would have its own step system; they may build in a cost of living increase. No one advances to the next step unless they have at least a "meets" performance evaluation.  Obviously, we have many problems with UC's compensation proposal, conceptual or not. We will continue to fight for our compensation proposal.  Remember, this is just the first introduction of their compensation plans.

We still have lots of time and room to bargain for something much better.  A lot depends on our mobilizing efforts.

We had a Cytotechnologist, a Physician Assistant, 3 different Clinical Social Workers, and a Genetic Counselor make presentations. These presentations, along with the co-workers who came in support of the presenter, are really important in informing UC as to who the HX unit is and what we do for UC.  Most of the presentations did not mainly argue for more money or talk about how poorly they were paid. Instead they discussed what exactly they did for UC, how much doctors and the rest of the medical team rely on their work; how cutting edge much of it is; how their work often saves UC money; and how professional they are in performing their work. Everyone on both sides of the bargaining table learned a great deal) and were very impressed. Again, it is very important to have people come to these bargaining sessions. This is our chance to tell UC what we do, how hard we work, how responsible and dedicated we are and how we deserve a better contract and compensation from UC than we have received in the past.

Our next bargaining session will be September 27 and 28 in Sacramento.  Please let your local president or bargaining rep know you would like to make a presentation or have an idea for one. You don't have to be employed at UC Davis to make a presentation, other campus representatives are welcome.

We really need to hear from some Pharmacists. You are the third largest group of HX employees and dangerously overworked - come, tell UC about it!

Your bargaining team,
Bob Dawson (BK), Wendi Felson (SF), Larry Freed (IR), Sue McCormick (DV),
Sheila Stittiams (SD), Ellen West (CWA Dist 9), Cindy Yuge (LA)