Feb. 11, 2003

Who is watching out for the employees' interests?

Lately many Laboratory employees, including Ed Harvey, have been asking who is looking out for the employees' interests in the University of California's possible loss of the Lab contract. The answer is University Professional and Technical Employees. UPTE is a membership based organization which does, indeed, look out for the interests' of its members who are all UC employees or former UC employees. UPTE already represents its members to management in grievances and in disciplinary matters at the Lab. In addition, it meets with management to present its members' views on various issues. Management is not required to negotiate, however in the absence of a contract and does not do so. Nor can the Lab or UC legally negotiate with any organization on behalf of employees, which has not been elected by a majority of employees voting in an election.

UPTE has contracts to represent members in certain categories throughout the UC system, but not at the Lab. Due to rulings of the Public Employees' Relations Board (PERB) in California, Livermore and probably the Lab, cannot become part of the UC bargaining units in California, but would have to have a separate election or elections here at the Lab to gain a contract to represent employees here.

UPTE would request an election immediately if there were sufficient interest among Lab employees indicated by the signing of cards requesting that UPTE represent them.

Lab management, of course, represents itself, UC management represents itself, and DOE management represents itself. The employees have no place at the negotiating table without a union contract. All they can do is make suggestions and hope to be listened to. Past experience has not shown this method to work very well.

--Betty Ann Gunther