UPTE union, university finalize bargaining, await ratification

By Marcelle Richards
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The University Professional and Technical Employees union has
finalized contract negotiations with the university after filing
and dropping an unfair labor practice charge.

The contract includes a 4.5- to 5-percent raise, career status
to casual workers after 1,000 hours and “improved
language” to minimize subcontracting at the university.

The contract will not be released until July 17 and must still
be ratified by union members in a vote July 27.

“We’re very pleased with the settlement, a movement
has been made forward,” said Daniel Martin, system-wide
director of UPTE.

Union members said the most imposing difficulty they faced was
the delay in action.

The bargaining process was initially scheduled to conclude at
the May 21-22 meeting between UPTE and UC representatives.

But opposing stances on the language in the contract delayed
matters, said Kimberly Mc Alpin, UCLA labor relations
specialist.

The inclusion of firefighters at the Lawrence Berkeley
laboratory as a new group under UPTE’s constituency caused
problems in the approval of the contract, she added.

UPTE benefits and stipulations will now extend to firefighters
since UC agreed to accept the terms.

“I’m satisfied with the contract,” Mc Alpin
said. “There was give and take on both sides. It just took
awhile.”

However, some union members feel the negotiations were postponed
due to what they saw as the university’s inaccessibility.

“The main obstacle was the UC held onto the money as if it
were theirs … and the university’s stalling tactics at the
table,” said Cliff Freed, vice president of the local UPTE
chapter.

The union said negotiations were further inhibited by late or
non-present university representatives at meetings. Mc Alpin said
she was not aware of the problem and that relations between the two
parties are strong.

“I’m not going to go down that road,” she
said. “We should just keep up good relations rather than
pointing fingers.”

Until the new contract is approved by members in a secret ballot
meeting, the old contract will remain in effect.