Failure to Uphold Dynamic Status Quo of Wage Increases During Bargaining
Date filed: July 22, 2026
On June 16, 2026, the President of the University of California announced the details of the University’s 2026-2027 Salary Program, which provides the framework for the salary increases granted at each campus. On June 23, 2026, the Chancellor of UCSD announced UCSD’s salary program, which includes across-the-board increases of up to 2.5% for all unrepresented staff employees. Without notice to the Union, the University announced these raises and announced that employees in the ComMas unit would not receive them, because they are now represented by the Union. By these acts, the University has engaged in unlawful discrimination and interference by providing differential benefits to employees in the ComMas unit because they have chosen an exclusive representative. By the same conduct, the University has unilaterally changed terms and conditions of employment by withholding wage increases from employees who were previously eligible to receive such increases.
Cal Athletics Layoffs
Date filed: April 30, 2026
On April 10, 2026, the University informed 17 employees in the ComMas bargaining unit at the UC Berkeley Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (“Athletics Department”) that they were being laid off. On the same day, the Athletics Department announced by email to all staff that it was implementing a reorganization. The announcement explained that the University was creating a new office called Strawberry Creek Studios, that all positions in the Department’s marketing, athletic communications and creative services hiring units were being eliminated, and that at least 20 new positions performing similar work were being created. The University announced these changes directly to the affected employees without providing the Union with prior notice or an opportunity to bargain over the decision to transfer this bargaining unit work out of the unit and the effects of this decision. The University therefore violated its duty to bargain in good faith under HEERA as a matter of law, by failing to provide the Union with notice and opportunity to bargain before announcing its decision to reorganize the Athletics Department, transfer work out of the unit, and layoff bargaining unit members.