Bargaining Updates

On Tuesday, ComMaS delivered our public sign-on letter to put more pressure on UC for a fair agreement. We blew past our goal and delivered the letter with 700 signatures to each campus chancellor and even UCOP’s executive VP! Yesterday, UC started our bargaining session by bringing up the letter and saying they are committed to working with ComMaS for a fair contract. They’re feeling our pressure across the UC system and at the bargainingtable.

In the session, UC responded to the proposal we passed on August 5th. The big news is that they offered to go to mediation over our unfair labor practice charge about the campus-wide equity bonus program at UC San Diego. Our bargaining teams also made progress on subcontracting as we hone in on what matters most—protecting ComMaS jobs.

Both sides continue to move towards each other with each proposal and the bargaining team feels we are close to finalizing a contract with major wins for ComMaS. We will continue bargaining next Friday, August 28th. You can view the latest proposals and updates from bargaining on our website and bargaining tracker.

To keep ComMaS fired up about getting to the finish line, CAT Bingo is extended until August 27th! People across UC are playing along and engaging their coworkers in new ways, from hosting coffee hours to helping their coworkers with workplace issues. It’s not too late to start filling out your bingo card—download one here. Not a CAT yet? No problem, sign up here to get CAT trained and start playing.

Submit your card here by midnight on August 27th.

In solidarity,

ComMaS-UAW Bargaining Team

On Wednesday Aug 5, the bargaining team countered management’s last proposal, but management was unable to turn around a counter the same day. Here’s what’s left to resolve:

• UC must remove their proposed medical separation article—which makes it easier for management to let us go when we have medical conditions and other disabilities.
• UC must also agree to stronger protections for ComMaS negatively impacted by subcontracting our work.

ComMaS have already won all the amazing wins that SSAPs and RPSPs negotiated in their contract, like pay raises (calculate yours here), remote work protections, and more. However, every bargaining session UC fails to turn around their counters delays the implementation of our new union contract.

Before August 19th, our next bargaining session, we need to get all ComMaS up to speed and active so we can increase our pressure on UC. Here are some actions all of us can take today:

• Sign the public letter and make sure every ComMaS you know signs too. The more of us who sign, the more power we have to leverage.
• Attend a bargaining basics training to meet 1-1 with a colleague and learn how to grow our power. Our union is only as strong as our organization.
• Start your CAT Bingo card and discover some ways to engage your coworkers and have a little fun doing it—we’re playing until August 18th. There will be prizes!

ComMaS are getting closer to a deal thanks to months of organizing and demonstrating our power alongside our UAW staff colleagues. Let’s ramp it up for a big push in these next couple of weeks!

You can view the latest proposals and updates from bargaining on our website and bargaining tracker.

In solidarity,

ComMaS-UAW Bargaining Team

Dear Colin,

At our last bargaining session on July 10, UC countered with another package proposal. UC’s proposal’s TL;DR:

• Management has the final say whether our rights were violated (instead of a fair, neutral arbitrator) when their subcontracting results in our layoffs;
• Management has the right to medically separate ComMaS from our jobs whenever they choose to (while fellow staff in UAW 4811 are protected).

To reach a full tentative agreement with the UC, ComMaS must raise the pressure and demonstrate our power. Already, we’ve won historic economic benefits and protections, but nothing is enforceable until a full agreement is reached and ratified by ComMaS. Do you want to guarantee a minimum 27.8% wage increase, protections from unjust layoffs, and more?

Get ready to take action! Schedule your bargaining basics training!

You can view the latest proposals and updates from bargaining on our new website and bargaining tracker. ComMaS will be back at the negotiating table on August 5th and 19th. RSVP here if you’d like to attend the next bargaining session.

Fighting back against unfair labor practice at UCSD

As many campuses have done, UC San Diego offered across-the-board equity increases in addition to the 4% baseline increase, up to 2.5%. Right now we are in Dynamic Status Quo (DSQ), meaning that if ComMaS would have received these increases before we started negotiating, they should receive them now. Yet UC says they aren’t getting them. In response, we filed another Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the state labor board. See the latest charges here.

Salary increase in your next paycheck

ComMaS should expect to see the systemwide 4% general salary increase reflected in their August 1 paycheck. Any additional increase that we negotiate for will be paid once our contract is signed, retroactively to July 1.

If you or anyone you know did not receive the increase, please fill out this Workplace Issues Form.

Defining who is in our unit

You may have heard about an “exclusion list” from UC—a list of people they think do not belong in our unit for reasons like being a manager or a confidential employee. This list is not final – the state labor board will have the final say in determining eligibility. If your name is on the list, expect a survey from your union soon to provide information and help make the case to the state labor board.

In solidarity,
ComMaS-UAW Bargaining Team

We finished our 5th bargaining session with UC management on Monday. Read on for updates and what comes next.

Significant progress yesterday on subcontracting 

We made significant progress yesterday in ComMaS’ effort to stop UC from giving union work to subcontractors. UC proposed much stronger language than what they had previously been willing to offer, with protections like involving the union at the RFP stage of the process and guaranteeing other jobs for ComMaS who are impacted by subcontracting. 

We sent a counterproposal back to them that strengthens those protections, and we maintained our proposal on wage increases for ComMaS. 

Our organizing efforts are impacting UC staff beyond UAW members. UCSF announced campus salary increases that “help ensure alignment with recent compensation increases for represented employees.” Our organizing has led UC to recognize that they can and should pay people more for their work, and we need to keep building our power to keep up the pressure. Sign onto the public letter of support to show UC we are united in winning a fair contract for all ComMaS.

What we’re fighting for

The bargaining team has shared a lot of details on areas we still need to come to an agreement on as we negotiate with UC. As ComMaS build power to win our first contract, it’s important to remember what we have already won at the table:

• At least a 27.8% wage increase over 4 years, including raises when we ratify the contract, a lump-sum ratification bonus, another 1% salary increase in January, and additional annual increases of at least 2% through the creation of a step wage system.
• Fair standards for maintaining flexible work arrangements and the right to request a new agreement or appeal a modification. For the first time at UC, we’ll have protections against arbitrary, discriminatory, or inconsistent decisions.  
• Fair and accountable process to request reclassification and address career stagnation. 
• Annual caps on increases to health care premiums.
• The right to a stipend for taking on additional duties and out-of-class work.

And more! You can see a side-by-side comparison from our union siblings in the RPSP and SSAP units. 

These wins reflect what ComMaS have been saying we need since we started organizing. To get us to the finish line, sign on to our public letter to UC and urge your coworkers to sign, too.

Visit the new ComMaS website

Our ComMaS-UAW website is now live, offering a central place for information about our union and a hub for keeping up with our bargaining process. Check it out and share to let everyone know you are a proud ComMaS!  

In solidarity,

ComMaS-UAW Bargaining Team

Here’s the latest from our 4th bargaining session, which we wrapped up yesterday. You all have questions about wages, and we have answers.

Guaranteed wage increases starting July 1st

Many of you have seen emails about a system-wide 4% wage increase-and potentially higher on some campuses-for non-represented staff starting July 1st. The bargaining team has signed an agreement with UC ensuring that ComMaS will receive at least the amount that non-represented staff are receiving, as required in order to maintain the status quo during negotiations. ComMaS should expect to receive the 4% July increase at the same time as our non-represented colleagues. The agreement also says that when we ratify our contract, that number will go up to the amount we negotiate—and we’ll be paid retroactively for the difference to July 1st. Read the agreement here. 

Seeing a 4% general salary increase up from last year’s 3.2% is a direct reflection of our movement to unionize across UC. When other staff who organized with UAW won a 5% increase, management was pressured to raise wages for all employees. This is what it means to raise the bar for all workers in higher education. When we win, we win together.

We’ve heard about additional increases being offered at certain campuses, primarily UC San Diego. To reflect this new information and ensure equity across the UC system, at bargaining yesterday we increased our demand for the first year of raises from 5% to 8%. We’re waiting for UC to respond. If you hear anything about additional wage increases announced on your campus, reply to this email and let us know. 

Agreement reached on layoff terms

In yesterday’s bargaining session, UC also responded to our proposal to negotiate terms for ComMaS who have been laid off while we’re in negotiations. We’ve reached a tentative agreement to establish systemwide standards for layoffs that may occur between now and contract ratification (“dynamic status quo”). 

Continuing to work on subcontracting

We also passed a counterproposal on subcontracting to better address what we’re seeing with contractors taking work away from our unit. Once again, our counterproposal excluded management’s proposal on medical separation. 

We need to keep the pressure on UC and show them we want a fair deal across the UC system. So far, nearly 300 ComMaS have signed on to our public letter. Can you help us get to 500 by our next bargaining session by signing and telling your coworkers to sign? Add your name to our public letter here!

See how bargaining works and make your voice heard

Our next bargaining sessions are July 6 and 10 on Zoom. If you’d like to observe, you can RSVP here. You can visit our bargaining tracker any time to see the status of the proposals and read through them. 

Did management change your working conditions without giving you a say? Contact us so we can work together on a plan. A peer organizer will be in touch to schedule a time to meet and discuss your experiences and help figure out next steps together. Report your workplace issue here

Our pressure is working. Last month ComMaS proposed adopting the articles in the RPSP/SSAP UAW contract—the one that includes at least a 27.8% wage increase over the next 4 years, a clearer path to promotion, first-of-its-kind protections for remote and hybrid work arrangements, and more of the priorities ComMaS identified over the last year and a half. 

Today, UC proposed a package that includes those articles in our ComMaS contract. This signals major progress, right after we announced our sign-on letter and escalated our organizing. ComMaS should expect the regular July increase. They also proposed that once our contract is ratified, they’ll make up the difference so we get the full 5% laid out in the contract, retroactive to July 1. 

Now, we have more work to do. Here are the next steps in our negotiating process:

• Stronger protections against subcontracting ComMaS work. After we proposed a broad ban on contracting out our work, UC came back with a weak, narrow proposal that doesn’t address the impacts ComMaS are feeling. We know they can do better; they’ve already agreed to better protections in other contracts. We’re working on a counterproposal to address what we’re seeing with contractors taking work away from our unit.
• Better layoff terms. Unfortunately, there are already ComMaS across UC who have been notified that they’re being laid off. We proposed terms for ComMaS who have been laid off while we are negotiating our first contract. We’re asking for things like 1.5 weeks of severance per year of service and preferential rehire. We’re waiting for UC’s response. 

Here’s what every ComMaS can do now to keep the momentum going and pressure them as they consider their response to us.

• If you haven’t already, join hundreds of people and sign our public letter to pressure UC for the contract we deserve. If you’ve already signed, ask your coworkers to sign on too. 
• Schedule your bargaining basics training and join the Contract Action Team, our essential network to keep all ComMaS informed and activated. 
• Help make the case to UC that subcontracting is negatively affecting ComMaS. If your job has been changed or work on your team has been handed off to subcontractors, share your story here.

It’s incredible to see how all of us coming together can do so much to improve our working conditions. We look forward to continuing to build our power and line up more wins.

• The ComMaS-UAW bargaining team

P.S. Our next bargaining session is June 24 on Zoom. If you’d like to observe, you can RSVP here. You can visit our bargaining tracker any time to see the status of the proposals and read through them. 

On May 5th, ComMaS came prepared for our first bargaining session and proposed:

• A comprehensive package that includes the groundbreaking wins 12,000 UC-UAW staff secured in their first contract this Spring;
• Our first proposal on protecting ComMaS work from unfair subcontracting.

On June 2nd, UC management had no response ready.

Instead, management introduced a proposal on medical separation, which our fellow UC-UAW staff rejected in their negotiations. If ComMaS want our priorities to be taken seriously, we need to show UC our power. ComMaS at every campus are signing on to this letter so it is clear that we are ready to fight for a fair contract that reflects our critical contributions to the University. Can you take a moment right now to add your name and invite three of your coworkers to join you?

As a reminder, you can view each proposal we pass back and forth in this bargaining tracker, which we will update after each bargaining session. If you’d like to attend the next bargaining session on June 10, you can RSVP here.

In solidarity,

ComMaS-UAW Bargaining Team

After hundreds of ComMaS gathered at a bargaining town hall last week, we took an important step in our effort to win a strong contract: our first bargaining session with UC. This is the first of many bargaining updates our bargaining team plans to send after each session.

A contract that reflects our power as a UC-wide staff movement

ComMaS are joining a powerful UAW movement at UC, including the Student Services and Advising Professionals (SSAPs) and Research and Public Service Professionals (RPSPs). After months of escalating pressure, including our resounding election win, SSAPs and RPSPs overcame management’s unlawful conduct and ratified an incredible contract to make tangible improvements in people’s lives.

Solidifying our part of this larger movement, we made a package proposal (part 1, part 2) to adopt almost all of the articles in their contract, which includes wins like at least 27.8% salary increase over 4 years, a clear path to career advancement, and automatic conversion of all contract positions to career. You can see a before-and-after summary comparison of what SSAPs and RPSPs won here.

Some of the big changes ComMaS have been working so hard for are within reach, so now we need to show UC our power. And our power at the bargaining table comes from each and every one of us. It’s critical that we build our Contract Action Team (CAT) to keep all ComMaS up to date and ready to take action when we need to turn up the heat on UC. 

Keep UC jobs at UC

At some campuses, UC has given work customarily performed by ComMaS to outside contractors. Editors hired from a temp agency have worked for years without being hired by UC. Supervisors gave long-term work to private consultants instead of UC employees. Our work belongs with ComMaS, with appropriate pay, benefits, and opportunities for advancement.

Our bargaining team sent a proposal to UC to mitigate subcontracting of ComMaS work. While they’re strategizing on their response, it’s time to organize. If you’ve been affected by or seen any work that would otherwise be done by a ComMaS UC employee instead go to non-UC consultants or contractors, please fill out this form to share your story.

You can view each proposal we pass back and forth in this bargaining tracker, which will be updated after each bargaining session. The next bargaining session will be on June 2nd, you can RSVP here to attend as an observer.

Fighting back against unlawful layoffs at UC Berkeley Athletics

UC Berkeley laid off their entire athletics communications team, including 17 ComMaS, only to encourage those same employees to apply for new jobs at “Strawberry Creek Studios” that aren’t unionized or part of our bargaining unit. UAW has filed two unfair labor practice charges against UC, but to stop management’s unlawful conduct, ComMaS will very likely need to take collective action. We enforce our union rights. Connect with your colleagues and join your Contract Action Team today!

In solidarity,

ComMaS-UAW Bargaining Team