Tentative Agreement Ratification FAQs
Q: When will the ratification vote take place?
A: The vote for ratifying the tentative agreement will open at 1:00 pm PDT on Friday, September 27 and close at 8:00 pm PDT on Monday, September 30.
Q: Who is eligible to 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 now and cast a vote.
Q: How do I cast my vote?
A: All dues-paying UC-AFT members of the Unit 17 Librarian bargaining unit will receive a unique ballot by email from UC-AFT Local 1474 via ElectionBuddy.com. If you do not receive your ballot, check your Spam folder and then contact your campus rep.
Q: Will my vote be secret?
A: Yes. Your ratification decision (Yes or No) will be anonymous. UC-AFT will know only whether you voted, not how you voted. We want to ensure that you have a voice in our collective bargaining.
Q: Where can I learn more about the tentative agreement?
A: Join your colleagues at the U17 Town Hall on Friday, September 27 at noon (Register for the Zoom link). Your Table Team has also written a “Tentative Agreement Summary” with information on the uclibrarians.com website: https://www.uclibrarians.com/ta-summary/, and follow us on @uc_aft on Instagram or @ucaft.bsky.social for other updates.
Q: If the majority votes Yes, when will the new contract take effect?
A: If a majority is reached, the new contract will likely take effect on October 1, 2024. Undoubtedly, there will be a period of adjustment where University Librarians and other administrators will need education about our new contract.
Q: If the majority votes No, what will happen?
A: Your Table Team will return to the bargaining table and resume negotiations. If that happens, we expect the University will withdraw their salary offer and we will be looking at protracted negotiations before we are able to reach another deal.
Q: If the contract is ratified, when will we receive our salary raises?
Salary provisions do not take effect until 60 days (maximum) following ratification. We expect the 6.85% ratification salary adjustment (aka raises) to appear in your December 1, 2024 paycheck. We expect the $2,000 Ratification Lump Sum Payment (in lieu of retroactive raises) to appear in your December 1, 2024 paycheck (or via a separate payment before that date).
Q: When will the new review procedures take effect?
We don’t know yet, but will try to find out within the coming weeks.
Q: How can I help?
You can join a phonebank Monday and reach out to your colleagues to make sure they’ve cast their ballot. We want to make sure every librarian’s voice is heard.
RSVP for the phonebank at: https://linktr.ee/ucaft