UPTE local wage agreement

The Berkeley Lab and UPTE recently reached agreement on a three year wage package for Laboratory employees in both the Technical and Research Professional bargaining units. The wage agreement for FY05 includes a merit pool of 2.5%, salary range movement of 2.5%, and up to 0.5% for posted promotions and reclassifications. Distribution of these merit increases retroactive to October 1, 2004, will be implemented in August. Salary increases for FY06 and FY07 will be from a merit pool of 3% each year, with up to an additional 0.5% available for posted promotions and reclassifications.

UPTE strike on Thursday, May 26

Despite this wage agreement, UPTE has provided notice of its intent to strike this Thursday, May 26, based on perceived unfair labor practices by the University. The University views UPTE's charges as being without foundation, and therefore considers the strike unlawful because the parties are still in active negotiations and no impasse has been reached.

CUE, the union representing the Laboratory's clerical employees, has announced plans to join in a "sympathy" strike with UPTE on Thursday. The contracts with other unions representing Lab employees--AFSCME, which represents our service workers, and the Alameda County Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents workers in the skilled trades--include explicit language prohibiting employees represented by those unions from participating in such "sympathy" strikes or refusing to cross picket lines.

Employee absences

Unless they have received advance approval for vacation, employees are expected to report to work on Thursday. Vacation requests may be denied or approval rescinded due to operational necessity. All employees who call in sick on the strike day will be required to provide a doctor's note upon their return to work. Employees will not be paid for time lost due to participating in a strike and will not be allowed to use vacation leave to make up for the pay they lose because of striking. In addition, employees absent without authorization on Thursday may also be subject to corrective action.

Gate access to the Lab

The main Blackberry Gate will be open during normal hours on Thursday. The Grizzly Gate on Centennial Drive will also be open throughout the day (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Laboratory employees, guests and vendors are to use one of these gates to enter and to leave the premises during the strike day.

The Strawberry Gate off Centennial Drive, however, will be designated as a "reserved" gate on Thursday and will be available only to contractors and employees working on the Molecular Foundry construction project, including their subcontractors and the vendors supplying those contractors. This is intended to allow the construction work to continue unimpeded. Lab employees, guest and vendors are not to use this gate and will be refused access.