Yesterday your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee had twenty observers at the bargaining table with us!  Your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee won concession from State to allow more observers at the bargaining table and we packed the room with Contract Action Team (CAT) members! This was a milestone for CAPS-UAW in resetting our relationship with the State and moving towards more transparent and open bargaining.

Once again, despite assurances otherwise, the State did not come prepared with a counterproposal to most of the economic items within our package passed on 5/2, including 2.1 Salaries. We expressed our disappointment that the State was not prepared with counterproposals, even though they had said that they would be. Your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee reiterated our desire to expeditiously reach a successor memorandum of understanding (MOU) and let them know we are looking forward to them coming to our next meeting (6/5) prepared with counter proposals to our economic items. 

Regardless of the State being unprepared to discuss economics, your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee made progress on some of the few outstanding sections of our contract. 

Your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee passed a proposal package including:

• NEW 3.25 – Employee Donated Release Time Bank, and 
• 13.6 – Supersession

We tentatively agreed to the 13.6 Supersession language that was included in our proposal package. The State initially proposed that this section no longer be grievable or arbitrable, but your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee held firm and was able to keep that restriction out of our tentatively agreed to (TA’d) language and maintained your right to file grievances on Section 13.6 Supersession pursuant to Article 9 of our contract.

The State passed counter proposals on: 

• NEW 3.25 –  Employee Donated Release Time Bank, and 
• 5.1 – Health Dental Vision

Your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee is working on developing counter proposals to pass on these sections.

Bargaining Lingo

What does “tentatively agreed to” mean?

If the Union and the employer mutually agree on a contract section, that section is then called “tentative agreement” (TA). When all of the sections of a contract have been tentatively agreed-upon, the parties come to full and final tentative agreement, or a Total Tentative Agreement. This Total Tentative Agreement remains tentative until both the membership of the union and the State Legislature separately vote to ratify the terms of the newly agreed-upon language. If ratified by both parties, the Total Tentative Agreement becomes the successor memorandum of understanding (MOU), also known as our union “contract” with the State. 

How You Can Make A Difference

Your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee shares your frustration with the lack of response on all of our economic proposals. This is why it is more important than ever for you and your coworkers to attend our power hours and take action together! Some reminders:

• Our next Power Hour is scheduled for next THURSDAY, 5/30 between 12-1pm. Register to attend here. Attend and invite your colleagues. 
• Share how the gender pay gap has impacted you here

In Solidarity,

Your CAPS-UAW Bargaining Committee

Jacqueline Tkac

Itzia Rivera

Monty Larson

Justin Garcia

Steven Sander

Robert Haerr