Local 73-UIC bargaining confrontational:
What planet do they spend their time on?
Update on Clerical and Administrative Negotiations
Negotiations began July 21st for our contract, which expired August 27th.
We have met with management six times in the past month.
Our committee was selected by a membership vote in July. The members of the committee are listed elsewhere in this article.
The contract is being negotiated by Local 73 Vice President Phil Martini, assisted by Field Representative Willie English.
We also did a survey of members to decide our priorities in negotiations. While wages are still important, the key issue in most people's minds is job security.
Based in part on the results of the surveys, Local 73 representatives and our committee prepared and presented a number of proposals on the language of our contract.
At the commencement of negotiations, as UIC and Local 73 have done for 20 years, we agreed to continue to abide by the terms of the contract while negotiations proceed. Among other things, this means that Step Increases will continue to be awarded on anniversary dates.
Beyond this, however, we have to tell you that bargaining has been confrontational since the beginning.
Just prior to our first meeting, UIC H.R. sent an email letter to all members of our bargaining unit in which they disparaged the union. They suggested that it was our fault that negotiations were not going to be completed by the time of the expiration of the contract.
In fact, Local 73 was prepared to bargain and met all our obligations to the bargaining process.
Management also suggested that there were no major problems that our negotiations needed to address when they said that there didn't need to "be any difficult or significant changes to the language of the contract."
Statements like that make us wonder, What planet do they spend most of their time on?
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The members of the bargaining committee are: Maria Alvarez, Physical Therapy; Yolanda Carter, Patient Access; Iris English, Internal Medicine Clinic; Jennifer Edwards, History Department; Willie Gordon, Campus Parking; Katina Hill, Patient Access; Joe Iosbaker, College of Medicine; Regina Russell, Patient Access; Betty Simpson, Patient Accounts; Darlene Walton, Health Information Management; Dante Williams, Daley Library; Samella Wright, Public Affairs
The Alternates are: Lenore Blanchard, Campus Recreation; Floria Davis, Graduate College; Rosaline Elliston, OBFS; Mary T. Garcia, Psychiatry; David Greenleaf, Student Financial Services
Peoria:
Debbie Granger; Beth Lafollett
Alternates:
Amanda Erwin; Judy Heffernan; Lisa Staggs; Fae Turner; Bonnie Willis
Rockford:
Brett Ruiz; Antoinette Richard
Alternate:
Doreen Dowdakin
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