Skip to Main Content

Information about AFSCME Strike

DEANS, DIRECTORS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

Re: Communications for Managers and Supervisors about AFSCME Strike

As you may know, AFSCME, the union representing patient care technical and service unit employees, has notified the University of its intent to conduct a two-day strike on June 4 and 5, 2008. 

The University remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached without the need for a strike and believes that the bargaining record demonstrates the University’s genuine effort to offer increasingly improved proposals on wages and other issues important to employees. The University also believes that the planned strike violates California labor laws. At this time, the University and AFSCME are still engaged in negotiations in an effort to reach an agreement.

Employee Activities in Support of the Strike

University employees enjoy certain legal protections for activities on non-work time, such as informational picketing, leafleting or demonstrating. The University stands behind free speech and the rights of employees to engage in activities protected by the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA), but will not accept behaviors that interfere with the work of the University.

If you are aware of your employees’ activities with respect to missing work, you may be asked to share this information with the Labor Relations Office. Your contribution, however, will primarily be to communicate to employees your expectations regarding absences during the AFSCME strike.

Employee Absences During the Strike

Please be aware that employees who have not received prior approval to be absent from work (for example, approved vacation, compensatory time off, etc.) are expected to notify their department prior to their scheduled starting time and in accordance with departmental procedures if they are not planning to be at work. Failure to properly notify and receive approval for an absence results in that absence being considered unauthorized. If an employee calls in on the days of the AFSCME strike (June 4th or June 5th) and requests sick leave, departments should require that employees produce a doctor’s note upon returning to work. Employees who are absent from work without authorization during a strike will not be paid for the absence. If a strike is illegal or unprotected under applicable law, an employee may face the possibility of disciplinary action.

Management Communications

We recommend that you communicate your expectations regarding absences to employees prior to May 30, 2008, if possible. Managers/supervisors may ask employees if they plan to come to work on June 4 or June 5 for the purpose of determining staffing needs. However, managers/supervisors should not survey or communicate with employees concerning whether or not they intend to participate in a strike.

If you have any questions, please contact Labor Relations at Campus Human Resources at (310) 794-0860 or Healthcare Human Resources at (310) 794-0500. For more information, please see Related Information.

Sincerely,

Lubbe Levin 
Assistant Vice Chancellor  
Campus Human Resources
Mark A. Speare
Senior Associate Director
Marketing, Patient Affairs,
and Human Resources


 

Campus Human Resources, Policy & Personnel Services
Phone: (310) 794-3147  | Fax: (310) 794-0865

UCLA Healthcare Human Resources
Phone: (310) 794-0500 | Fax: (310) 794-0620