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State Improves Its Offer for Doctors

The UAPD Bargaining Team met with representatives of the State Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) on April 28th, May 19th, and again on June 10th. Responding to the UAPD Bargaining Team’s strong rejection of the State’s February 4th offer, on the more recent dates the DPA passed language that improved what they had proposed earlier in the year.

On the plus side:

  • The State withdrew its proposal for a 5-10% salary cut
  • The State proposed increasing the maximum salary for all bargaining unit classifications by 5% at the end of the two year contract (on July 1, 2012)
  • Furloughs end on June 30, 2010
  • The State dropped its proposal to require doctors to contribute towards prefunding retiree health care benefits.

Despite that progress, there are still cuts on the table. The State has proposed:

  • One mandatory 8-hour unpaid “personal leave day” each month for one year (reducing pay 4.65% that year)
  • Requiring an additonal 5% PERS employee contribution
  • For new hires only, lowering the retirement formula for Miscellaneous/lndustrial/ARP Members to 2% at age 60 and for State Safety Members to 2% at age 55
  • Eliminating the Rural Health Care program.
  • Eliminating two holidays (Lincoln’s Birthday and Columbus Day) and giving one hour of ATO for every two hours worked on six holidays
  • Insisting that UAPD not oppose any CalPERS changes supported by the Governor

State legislators have already come forward to challenge the legality of the last item on the list, which has been proposed for all the state-employee unions now in bargaining. UAPD believes that the political activities of union members should not be subject to curtailment by a MOU.

The UAPD Bargaining Team continues to believe that an agreement that satisfies both sides can be reached through collective bargaining. However, there is an increasing risk that the Governor will try to implement his Last, Best, and Final offer without reaching an agreement with the UAPD Bargaining Team and UAPD members. UAPD attorneys believe that Schwarzenegger has not passed through the necessary steps to legally implement a Last, Best, and Final offer, but the Governor has already shown his willingness to act first, and face legal consequences later, when it comes to State workers. There is additionally a risk, as bargaining continues, that the Legislature will pass wage and benefit cuts as part of a budget package. Even under this increased pressure, the UAPD Bargaining Team is working hard to reach the best possible agreement for doctors at the bargaining table.