The UC system’s professional librarians represented by the American Federation of Teachers, or AFT, will begin participating in the university’s furlough-salary reduction program this month, UC officials announced Oct. 2.

Systemwide, participating staff and faculty are taking 11 to 26 furlough days, corresponding to pay cuts of 4 percent to 10 percent, for a year.

The AFT became the third union to reach agreement with UC on the furlough-salary reduction plan. The other two: the Federated University Police Officers Association (a systemwide union) and Local 501 of the International Union of Operating Engineers (at UC Riverside).

Unions that had not agreed as of Oct. 6 included the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; the Union of Professional and Technical Employees; and the Coalition of University Employees.

More than 100,000 of the university system’s 180,000 employees began participating in the 12-month furlough program Sept. 1. For about 70,000 union-represented employees, implementation of furloughs is subject to contract agreements and collective bargaining.

Pending such agreements, individual campuses are developing alternatives that are designed to generate savings equal to what the campuses would save if the unions went along with the furlough plan.

For example, UC Davis administrators notified union-represented employees last month that they are subject to temporary layoffs or reductions in time, at a minimum, with none of the furlough plan’s safeguards (pension calculations are based on prefurlough salaries, vacation and sick leave accrual is not reduced, and health and welfare benefits are not affected).

“The opportunity to negotiate still exists, but the train has left the station,” said Dwaine Duckett, UC vice president for Human Resources. “The farther it gets down the tracks, the more difficult it is to pull back from their cost-cutting plans without major disruptions, especially now that classes have begun. It will take a lot of convincing and heavy consultation to get the campuses to pull back at this point.”

UC officials say the furlough plan will save $184 million, which, together with other spending cuts, plus debt structuring and student fee increases, will offset a $1 billion shortfall in state funding.

The furlough plan, shaped by employee suggestions and approved by the Board of Regents in July, uses a sliding scale that allocates the least furlough days (11) to the employees who earn the least ($40,000 or less). The most furlough days (26) go to employees who earn $240,000 or more.

Three union agreements

Under the agreement with the AFT, approximately 420 librarians will participate in the furlough-salary reduction plan in the same manner as nonrepresented UC employees for 12 months, resulting in savings of $2 million that will help make up for steep reductions in state funding of the university’s core educational costs.

“We appreciate the thoughtful, rational and responsible approach the union took in considering this program for its membership,” Duckett said.

The earlier agreements, both announced Aug. 27:

International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501, representing about 100 electricians, metal workers, plumbers, carpenters and other trade employees at UC Riverside — They agreed to participate in the furlough-salary reduction program in the same manner as nonunionized employees. However, the deal provided for previously negotiated salary increases to go forward as scheduled on Oct. 1, with the increases to be based on the employees’ unreduced, prefurlough salaries. Then, the employees’ pay will be reduced by the applicable furlough rates.

Federated University Police Officers Association, representing more than 250 campus police officers — As safety workers, they are exempt from furloughs, but the officers agreed to forego any across-the-board wage increases or merit increases over the next two years, according to the deal. Also, in recognition of the fiscal environment, step and longevity increases during the next 12 months are suspended, saving UC more than $800,000.

"Both the local union unit at UC Riverside and the university police officers association recognized the financial challenges facing the university," Duckett said, "and both stepped up in a spirit of partnership to do what's best for the entire UC community."