See the full details of the TA here. If your question is not addressed below, be sure to ask a member of your bargaining team to help you find the answer. Or, you can email Carla Arbagey and she will track down the answer.
SALARY
Q: Are the Assistant and Associate ranks getting greater increases than Librarians?
A: Yes. We campaigned to have greater increases towards Assistant and Associate Librarians based on member feedback. In a survey sent to all Unit 17 librarians (2017 November), 80% of respondents supported differentiated raise increases, supporting the lower ranks. Assistant librarian salaries start at a mere $49,165 per year, and there is evidence that it has become difficult to recruit new librarians at the Assistant rank.
Q: I’m a Librarian at the top of the scale. What will happen to me?
A: You will see a total cumulative increase of over 24% between your current salary, and your salary in 2023. Your annual income by fiscal year 2023/24 will be approximately $29,430 higher than it is today.
Q: I am awaiting the results of the current peer review cycle, and expecting a merit increase mid-year. What will happen to my salary?
A: Like all of your represented colleagues, your current salary will be adjusted through the recalibration process. You will receive an 8.6% or 5.6% increase to your current salary (depending on rank) by the end of June 2019. Then, depending on how many points you earned via the merit review process, you will land on a new salary point on the Recalibrated Scale (with the additional 3% salary increase that is applied July 1, 2019).
Q: I am expecting to reach a salary point that overlaps with the next rank after my next merit review, and then seek promotion. Will I have to change my plan if the salary points change?
A: No. The recalibrated salary scale maintains you in the same relative position within the rank, and the salary overlap points (the salary points at which one is eligible for promotion) remain in the same relative positions. So the schedule for when you would become eligible for promotion is unaffected.
Q: This proposal does not have a “me-too” clause. What is in place to keep non-represented salaries from pulling away from the represented salary scale?
A: The Unit 17 MOU only covers the salary schedule of represented librarians. Our contract does not preclude UCOP from granting increases to non-represented academic staff, nor does it impede on the right of University Librarians to recommend salary increases for non-represented librarians. Typically, “me-too” clauses are only included in contracts without annual increases. This contract guarantees annual increases.
Q: What about retroactive pay?
A: This proposal does not include a retroactive pay component.
DURATION
Q: How long will the contract last? When will we bargain again?
A: The MOU would expire on March 31, 2024, and the opening of new contract negotiations for a successor contract will begin in 2023 in advance of that expiration.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Q: With the new “per capita” allocation of professional development funding, how will my PD funding change?
A: You should see a notification of your minimum available PD funding from your library’s HR/Business office prior to the next fiscal year. We expect many campuses will continue to augment this guarantee with additional funding, as is current practice. Library administrators are still free to grant additional funding to support your professional development.
TEMPORARY LIBRARIANS
Q: What have we gained for temporary librarians?
Unfortunately, not much. Appointment letters must now specify an end date for a temporary appointment, and UC-AFT (not just the temporary librarian) will be notified when a temporary position is being terminated early. UCOP insisted that current language is sufficient, pointing to the grievance process as a venue to address any abuses. We will continue our fight on this issue in that venue.
YOUR RATIFICATION VOTE
Q: Can all members of the bargaining unit vote on ratification?
A: Only dues-paying UC-AFT members of the Unit 17 Librarian bargaining unit can vote on ratification of the new contract. If you are not a member, you can join prior to the April 1st deadline and cast a vote. More information and the link to the online enrollment forms is at https://ucaft.org/content/join-uc-aft.
Q: What is required for ratification?
A: A simple majority of the votes cast will determine whether or not we accept the tentative agreement as our new MOU.
Q: If the majority votes Yes, when will the MOU take effect?
A: If majority is reached, The MOU will take effect on April 1st.
Q: If the majority votes No, what will happen?
A: Our Table Team will return to the bargaining table and resume negotiations. If that happens, we expect to be looking at protracted negotiations, requiring further escalations up to and including strike, before we reach another deal.
UC-AFT Librarians Blog 