Page One Archive
 October 2007 — Page One, Issue 10
Clarification about CNA’s misinformation regarding UC’s proposals and bargaining efforts
In recent weeks, the California Nurses Association has issued several communications to UC nurses, and staged several public events, that the University believes have misinformed nurses about many of UC’s bargaining proposals and its efforts to reach an agreement with the union. The information contained here and elsewhere on this website clarifies the market-competitive wages and benefits UC is offering nurses, and UC’s many good faith efforts to reach an agreement with CNA.
FACTS about CNA’s strike/contract votes
- CNA is asking its members to vote to reject UC’s latest proposal, and the union has also mentioned the possibility of a strike vote. The union has never informed UC exactly what it is asking members to vote on, so if nurses have any questions about what these votes mean, they should seek immediate clarification from CNA before casting any votes. Further, all UC nurses should know that in the strike vote CNA only allows union members to vote – unless CNA has changed its rules, fee payers are not even allowed to vote.
- It is critical that all nurses educate themselves about UC’s proposals by reviewing this website and that they understand that an economic strike in advance of the completion of the entire bargaining process, including mediation and factfinding, is presumptively illegal.
- In fact, in 2005 CNA was barred by court order for attempting to strike UC before bargaining was completed, and the Public Employment Relations Board also issued a complaint against the union.
FACTS about UC’s efforts to reach an agreement with CNA:
- UC has held thirty-one bargaining sessions with CNA over the last six months, and has offered CNA numerous proposals, many of which containing substantive compromises – details at the archive section of this website.
- On October 18, UC asked CNA to join UC in a declaration of impasse and seek state-assisted mediation to help effect an agreement. Mediation is expected to begin in early November.
- Mediation is a confidential process, and the parties are expected to work in good faith to try to resolve differences and to not engage in any behavior that would tend to disrupt the process or reduce the possibility of an agreement.
- UC’s sole focus is on resolving remaining differences and getting a good contract for nurses.
FACTS about UC’s proposals for nurses to clarify any misinformation
From the very beginning, UC has made clear its commitment to market-competitive wages and benefits, and to a safe work environment for nurses, and UC’s proposals reflect these values.
The following is an overview of where UC and CNA stand on some of the key issues – details on these and the other issues being negotiated are available at this website's archive and important issues sections.
Issue |
UC’s position |
CNA’s position |
Healthcare and Retirement Benefits |
- Nurses will get the same high quality health care benefits as other UC employees, at the same affordable cost.
- No retirement contributions guaranteed through September 30, 2008.
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- Special no-cost healthcare and a guarantee of no contributions to the UC Retirement Plan for nurses, regardless of what other UC employees have to pay.
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Salary
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- UC’s salaries often lead the market, and UC is offering market-competitive raises systemwide based on exactly the same market data used by other California hospitals.
- CNA has never presented any data that challenges the surveys.
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- 9% across-the-board raises regardless of market position; new longevity steps, and improvements in on-call and other pay.
- CNA alleges: “Raises offered by UC are much less than RNs at other major California hospitals.”
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PTO |
- Currently, RNs who use up all sick leave are on leave without pay. UC’s PTO allows RNs to stay in pay status.
- Nurses use the sick leave in the PTO account for absences due to illness.
- UC’s PTO does not limit RNs’ judgment. In fact, it increases judgment, allowing RNs to decide when to use sick leave for vacation, something they cannot do in the current system.
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- Nurses must use 24 hours of vacation time before accessing sick leave.
- PTO encourages RNs to come to work sick, thus endangering patients.
- Nurses should decide when s/he is too sick to come to work.
- UC’s PTO proposal would apply only to new RNs and is a “backdoor way of forcing PTO on everyone in the next round of bargaining”.
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Preceptor Pay |
- Many UC locations have preceptor programs, and UC has offered hourly preceptor pay in its settlement package.
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- UC has not offered preceptor pay.
- CNA proposed hourly preceptor pay.
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Educational Leave |
- UC already provides RNs with 40 hours of educational leave so carry-over is not necessary.
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- RNs should be able to carry-over educational leave credits from one year to another and receive a full shift of leave if s/he misses a shift.
- CNA alleges that UC opposes full-shift leave and carryover of unused leave.
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