Home < Policies, Employee & Labor Relations < Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining < Systemwide Collective Bargaining Units < Technical Unit (TX) < Bargaining Update
[September 18, 2009]
The University and UPTE RX/TX held their most recent bargaining session on September 3, 2009. During this last session, it became apparent that after 17 months of bargaining successor agreements between the University and the RX and TX Units, the parties have arrived at a stalemate over compensation and possibly other economic issues.
There are many economic and non-economic issues that remain on the bargaining table, some of which are understood to be tentative agreements and simply waiting to be executed when UPTE is agreeable to doing so. While clearing the table of these "agreed" upon items would affirm the progress attained thus far and focus the parties so that the scope of problem solving is greatly narrowed, there remains fundamental differences on how economic issues should be handled.
UC has requested that UPTE join the University in requesting that the Public Employee Relations Board certify the parties to impasse. With such a filing the parties will not only move the process forward but will be given the opportunity to engage the professional services of a State appointed mediator who may be able to assist UC and UPTE in reaching resolution.
The University remains committed to the HEERA process and resolution of these differences. Until impasse is certified or UPTE agrees to pre-impasse mediation as previously requested by UC, the parties will continue to meet. The next negotiations are scheduled for September 21-25 in Oakland and Berkeley. Key issues that will be discussed are campus closures and curtailments, layoffs, furlough/salary reduction plan, parking rates, vanpool changes, Article 11 Health & Safety, responses to requests for information, compensation, and other open articles. Future bargaining dates are scheduled for: September 29 - October 1t at UC San Diego; October 7 - 9 in Oakland; October 12 - 14 in Berkeley.