Page One, November 2008, Issue 28

UC-CNA Bargaining Update November 5, 2008

The University and CNA have concluded fact-finding hearings and the fact-finder issued his report with recommendations on October 22. 

The recommendations included in the fact-finding report are in line with UC’s previous offers to CNA and validate many of UC’s proposals. 

·      Wages:  The University’s market-based offer ensures that salaries for UC nurses are competitive with salaries paid at other hospitals, and the fact-finding panel did not find that the University’s wage offer is inadequate in any way. 

·      Medical Benefits:  UC’s proposal ensures that nurses would continue to be a part of the same comprehensive health benefit programs as all UC employees receive, and defines how University and employee contributions will be calculated moving forward.  UC's proposal ensures that the percentage paid by the University in 2008 (for Health Net) will be maintained. In 2009, the University will contribute an even higher percentage toward health insurance costs due to a special one-time subsidy as recently announced. (http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/news/health/0810_health_rates.html). UC’s proposal also makes it clear that the University will continue to set the health benefit program for all employees, including RNs.

·      Retirement Benefits:  UC’s proposal guarantees that contributions to the UC retirement Plan will be negotiated in the spring of 2009, once the Regents have reached a decision regarding the University’s contribution level.

·      Staffing:  UC believes that nurses should have a say about work assignments, break periods & staffing, and required competence levels, in collaboration with nurse colleagues from other units, their managers, and the Chief Nursing Officer. For float issues, UC proposes that each CNO establish a task force with members from the Professional Practice Committee (and thus automatically involve CNA representatives) to deal with decisions concerning units to which nurses float.  UC would also use a process similar to UCLA’s in which nurse representative’s work with CNO’s to address meal and break issues.

The University hopes to resume bargaining with CNA as soon as possible in order to quickly secure a good contract for nurses.

To see a summary of the UC's proposals, CNA's positions, and the fact-finder's recommendation, please click here. To review the entire fact-finding report, please click here.