What is a UC contract appointment?
A UC contract appointment is an appointment for up to a 4-year duration, with a possible 1-year extension. UC policy says they may be appropriate for projects with specific objectives and defined outcomes, special salary requirements, short-term funding, or to fill a temporary need. People with contract appointments are UC employees with UC benefits.
How does the ComMaS-UAW contract affect UC contract appointments?
In our tentative union contract, we address the common UC practice of keeping people in limbo with contract appointments for long periods of time, depriving them of the stability of a career position. When our contract is ratified, all current ComMaS contract employees will be converted to a career position once they have worked 1,000 hours. New ComMaS positions will be hired as career positions rather than as UC contract positions. You can read the tentative contract language on UC appointment types and career conversation here.
What is a subcontractor?
A subcontractor is someone who does not work directly for UC. UC hires an outside entity for services, and the subcontractor completes the services and is paid by their employer, not the University.
How does the ComMaS-UAW contract affect subcontractors?
The goal of our agreement is to keep ComMaS work in our unit. We’ve heard from many people in ComMaS-UAW about work that should be done by people in our bargaining unit being farmed out to subcontractors.
The agreement with UC limits when they can lay someone off and use a subcontractor to complete the work. If that happens, management must offer the ComMaS member another job at the same location, percent time, and at least the same rate of base pay should they subcontract out the work within 90 days.
The agreement does not rule out using freelance services on discrete projects, which we know is essential to many ComMaS members to get their work done.