STORRS — The union representing nearly 1,900 professional employees at UConn has voted to withdraw a contract agreement with the school amid concerns it would be rejected by lawmakers who had criticized its cost.
The five-year deal would have provided raises to the non-teaching employees in exchange for them switching from a 35-hour to a 40-hour work week.
An analysis by the Malloy administration’s and the legislature’s budget offices determined the agreement would cost almost $94 million. UConn analysists had estimated the cost at $56 million.
The union in announcing its decision also blasted the administration and General Assembly, saying they “egregiously disrespected” the collective bargaining process.
The union says members will continue to work under the terms of their current contract until there is a new deal.
Here is a statement sent to employees by UConn President Susan Herbst:
This week, members of the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association (UCPEA) voted overwhelmingly against resubmitting their contract to the General Assembly and in favor of returning to the bargaining table to negotiate a new contract with UConn. We respect their choice.
More than 90 percent of UConn’s workforce are members of collective bargaining units. UCPEA is UConn’s largest staff union. The median salary among UCPEA members is $67,500 a year. A large majority of its members – 65 percent – are women and the union includes nurses, librarians, IT staff, admissions staff, financial aid staff, mental health counselors, grant writers and administrative assistants, among many others. They are the people who make this university run, providing essential services to our students and faculty. Our campuses would grind to a halt without them.
Relations between the university and the union have often been productive and collegial, in both good times and bad.
This fall, the university and UCPEA negotiated a new five-year contract.
Following union ratification and board approval, the contract was submitted to the legislature, which has final say over all labor agreements between the state and its workforce.
The contract received a great deal of attention. Unfortunately, some of the discussion about the contract over the last few weeks included statements that were not fair or factual regarding the negotiation process, the contract’s provisions, and the potential effect the contract would have on the university.
Here are the facts: the contract would have allowed for a leaner, more productive workforce by extending the work week from 35 to 40 hours. This would enable UConn to reduce our payroll and save money by hiring fewer people. The contract would have modernized outdated systems, and made important changes to compensatory time and employee separation costs which would also serve to increase productivity and save money.
It contained modest base pay increases of 2 percent in the first year and 1 percent thereafter. It would have set aside 1 percent for merit pay for outstanding employees and included a 2.5 percent pay increase annually over four years in exchange for employees working longer hours. Only current employees would have received the 2.5 percent increase, since all employees hired after the contract became effective would have been hired at 40 hours a week.
The university determined it could fund the cost of the final contract within our anticipated operating budget and through efficiency gains, which was a key consideration for us during the negotiations. We would not have negotiated a contract that necessitated significant layoffs or required tuition increases to pay for it and we would not have signed a contract that our budget could not support, nor would the Board of Trustees have approved it.
We can only control those things that are within our control. Our shared job is to run this university as well as it can be run, offer the highest quality education to our students, and fulfill our mission of providing exceptional teaching, research and public service. UConn is a top 20 public university and we will do all we can to ensure it stays there on behalf of our students, their families, and the state. Our employees are the cornerstone of that effort.
Sincerely,
Susan Herbst
