UE Local 267, the Service and Maintenance Workers at UVM have worked four months without a contract. The UVM administration continues to present unacceptable proposals, including:
* No, to everyone getting a fair increase for all over the next three years
* No, to raising the start rate higher than $9.05 per hour (the City of Burlington, St. Michael’s College, CCTA all start at $10.50 per hour for the same work.)
* No, to ending the practice of firing employees who are on light duty if the employee is not completely healed after six months of the date of the injury.
* No, to guaranteeing the Union its full rights to bargain over changes in working conditions and pay grade changes (Broadbanding).
Join with UE Local 267 members, students, faculty and community members in calling on the UVM administration to bargain a fair contract for all UVM service and maintenance employees
On Thursday, September 25, a delegation of over 70 UE members, UVM students, faculty and community members delivered over a petition with over 1300 signatures to UVM President Dan Fogel. The petition demanded that UVM pay sign a fair contract for all, pay a livable wage and stop firing injured workers who are working light duty. Fogel said he would pass our concerns along to the Board of Trustees.
At another session with the mediator on Friday, September 26, the UVM administration failed again to offer a fair contract. The Union negotiating committee made it clear that they would not sign a tentative agreement that failed to substantially improve our members lives. This is especially the case when it is clear that UVM can afford real wage increases.
UPDATE: UVM’s last offer:
WAGES: UVM’s official offer (the one they say they’ll take to fact finding) is for: 3% this year, 3.25% next year and 2.75% the year after, and raising the start rate to $9.05. UVM’s offer to settle last Friday was 3.5% this year, 3.5% next year and 3.0 % next year, with the start rate going to $9.05 this year, and any employee with two years of service on 7/1/03 going to a minimum of $9.35, and a new shift differential for first shift work on Saturday and Sunday of $.50 per hour.
BENEFITS: UVM’s official offer is to maintain the 30-60 day waiting period for new employees to receive Health Insurance (the faculty don’t have to wait). UVM’s offer to settle last Friday was that our members won’t have to wait if the University decides to make get rid of the waiting period for unorganized workers (clerical, technical and administrative).
LIGHT DUTY: UVM continues to insist on the right to fire workers if they are not completely healed six months from the date of an injury.
BROADBANDING, CORE NEGOTIATIONS and CUSTODIAN II: UVM says they are committed to adding Custodian II and Custodian III through the Broadbanding negotiations that they want. The Union’s proposal is that it be made clear that UVM will negotiate with the Union and that the Union has the right to take these issues to the Labor Board if the UVM fails to offer fair proposals on these issues.
-UE Local 267
