Laboratory layoffs under review

Friday, 4/11/97

Laboratory layoffs under review

Charges of unfair labor practices

by UCLA usher hearings

By Hannah Miller

Daily Bruin Contributor

Last December’s layoffs of the entire staff of the UCLA clinical
laboratories are now facing review on unfair labor practice
charges.

In response to charges made by the union, the Public Employee
Relations Board (PERB) issued a complaint against the university
March 14. Hearings will begin in early May.

"The board has looked and seen that there’s some validity to our
complaints," said Eddie Acosta, organizer for the Union of
Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE). "Now the university
must defend itself."

When the pink slips went out to 220 employees at the end of last
year, administrators had announced a rehiring process to place
laid-off employees in positions elsewhere at the Medical Center.
Arguing that restructuring the labs was necessary to maintain
cost-effectiveness, administrators projected a maximum loss of 30
to 40 full-time positions.

The rehirings were completed March 31. UPTE argues that those
rehirings have been done in a selective and unfair manner, removing
some employees from jobs that they are qualified for and refusing
to recognize seniority rights.

Administration claims that rehirings could not be done with
respect to seniority. "The job descriptions in the laboratories
were all rewritten, at a much higher level of qualifications,"
Clinical Laboratory Manager Debra Cobb explained.

"Of the 40 people who weren’t rehired, a little over half of
those were rehired into other positions or casual positions," said
Acosta. "They were told to train the people filling their
jobs."

In its complaint, UPTE also accuses the university of
discriminating against employees active in the union and
withholding relevant information about the restructuring.

Administrators deny both of these charges. "We’ve had an ongoing
dialogue with the union," Human Resources Director Mark Speare
said.

"We have listened to their input and will continue to consider
their input," he added.

Administrators claim that 153 of those laid off were rehired
into comparative positions, or given promotions, with 21 others
having taken demotions or retirement.

Barbara Freed is one of those 21. "After 20 years, it’s ‘you’re
out, that’s it, goodbye,’" said Freed, a Clinical Lab Technician
(CLT) laid off from the former Hematology Lab. Freed reapplied for
two CLT positions, plus to an HLT position, one rung lower on the
job-qualification ladder.

"I was told I wasn’t qualified to be an CLT. I was told I wasn’t
a team player," Freed said. "You can guess how that feels."

Freed, along with several other employees in the laboratories,
have filed individual grievances against UCLA. In the meantime,
Freed says she’s taking unemployment benefits and trying to find
work elsewhere.

The layoffs came during the merger of two sets of clinical
laboratories: The Anatomic and Clinical Pathology labs.

Acosta said that UPTE is looking into legislative efforts to
block hospital ‘restructuring.’ The union is taking a cue from the
recent efforts within the state legislature to question the
upcoming merger between the Stanford and UCSF medical centers.

The layoffs came shortly after UPTE had completed a union card
drive within the labs. Administrators claim they had no prior
knowledge of the card drive.

A PERB ruling against UCLA could require the university to
compensate employees for lost pay or reinstate them into their
original positions. A ruling is not expected for several
months.