UC Santa Barbara's ELR team is dedicated to fostering a successful and positive work environment.
We are responsible for the administration and interpretation of UC Santa Barbara’s 15 union contracts (collective bargaining agreements). We work collaboratively with the union representatives and stewards to uphold UC Santa Barbara's union contracts.
If you are uncertain whether a position you supervise is represented review the appointment information in UC Path or ask your personnel coordinator or Business Officer for assistance. The information is also available by searching the Job Code Lookup System to determine whether a job title classification falls into a specific unit by code, e.g., CX, SX, TX). If a position is not represented by a union, the job title/position is non-exclusively represented (often referred to by the code) and is covered by Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM)
The State law that governs collective bargaining rights for University employees (Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act) guarantees employees and employee organizations certain rights to conduct representational business, subject to the reasonable regulations of the University. Such activities include meetings, distribution of literature, and other related communications. These rights are generally called "access" rights, which, in a practical sense, means the law protects the union’s access to employees it represents. Unions are also provided certain limited access rights to non-represented employees. The campus’ access regulations are available here (printable PDF version). Specific regulations regarding AFSCME's access to employees working in dining facilities is available here.
All unions are responsible for knowing and following our campus access regulations. ELR is responsible for providing the access regulations to the unions. Union representatives are knowledgeable and generally cooperative regarding campus access regulations, but questions and issues may arise. Please contact Employee + Labor Relations using HR ServiceNow for assistance.
When a department or unit is contemplating changes that will affect represented employees, the University’s obligation to provide a notice to the applicable union(s) may be triggered. Management may want to begin informing employees about plans as early as possible. However, when a proposal has reached the stage of being finalized but not yet implemented, it is time to contact ELR using HR ServiceNow. ELR will review the proposed changes and determine whether or not notice to the union(s) is required. The lead time for notice depends on the action you are considering. One issue would be a major reorganization that could necessitate possible layoffs, create new layoff units, or change layoff units. (Most reorganizations don't include all of these actions.) In most circumstances, notice obligations are 30 to 60 days in advance of the implementation of the proposed change or action.
When Is Notice Required?
Notice is required in a variety of circumstances, but most typically in situations involving:
When Is Notice Generally Not Necessary?
Some actions do not call for notice; two examples are a change of assignment of duties or supervisors within the same classification and department. Employees don't have a right to always perform the same set of duties within their classification, nor do they have a right to the same supervisor forever.
If an employee asks you for information or for your opinion or advice on union dues, please direct the employee to their union (see below). Do not attempt to answer questions or provide information.
Research Support Professionals Unit
Police Officers Unit
Patient Care Technical Unit
Health Care Professionals Unit
Non-Senate Instructional Unit
Skilled Crafts Unit
Academic Student Employees
FAQs / Labor Relations
After a union is elected to represent a collective bargaining unit, the University and the union engage in a negotiation process to reach an agreement (or contract) on the terms and conditions of employment for represented members of the unit. Every agreement has a duration period, meaning that the agreement expires after a specific date and the parties have to negotiate a new agreement. This next negotiation process is called "successor" bargaining because the parties are negotiating for an agreement that will succeed the current one. In some cases, agreement includes a provision called "re-openers." This means that the parties have agreed that they will re-negotiate only certain portions, or Articles, even though the agreement does not expire until a future date.
You can find out more about the processes for elections, decertifications and the history of collective bargaining in the FAQ's on the UCOP Labor Relations Web site.
No employee is ever obligated to strike. Unions are legally prohibited from threatening or coercing members in other ways to keep them from coming to work. Some unions can fine dues-paying members (but not non-members) for working during a strike. A union member who does not want to strike may contact her/his union directly to inquire about possible fines. UC will not deduct fines from an employee’s paycheck.
You will not be paid if you fail to report for work as scheduled. In additions, your benefits may be affected depending on the percentage of time worked in a particular pay period. Please refer to the terms of the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
If an employee does not report to work as assigned during a strike, UC will presume — absent prior authorization or medical certification — that her/his work absence during a strike period is strike related. Employees who are absent from work without authorization during a strike will not be paid for the absence. As is always the case, authorization for an absence from work (e.g., vacation leave or compensatory time) may or may not be granted, depending on operational necessity and without regard to the employee's reason for the requested leave.
Some of the staff positions at the University of California, based on job title classification, are organized into collective bargaining units that are exclusively represented by a union or employee organization. California's Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA) gives UC employees the right to decide whether or not they want to unionize and have collective bargaining as the sole means of determining their wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. There are thirteen collective bargaining units (CBU) on the UC Santa Barbara campus. More information about HEERA and the collective bargaining process is available on the Office of the President’s collective bargaining web pages and at the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) web site. PERB is the state agency responsible for oversight of HEERA and the collective bargaining process between the University and employee organizations/unions representing our employees.
When you were hired, your hiring supervisor or the employment recruiter should have informed you if your position is part of a collective bargaining unit and represented by a union. If you are uncertain, please ask your supervisor, department personnel coordinator or business officer. You can also search the Salary Scales by job title classification to determine representation. The Salary Scales indicate whether a job title classification falls into a specific unit by code. (The campus often uses these codes as an informal reference for the bargaining units, e.g, CX, SX, TX)
If a position is not represented by a union, the job title/position is non-exclusively represented (often referred to by the code "99") and is covered by Personnel Policies for Staff Members.