Union representing postdocs reaches settlement with UC

A union representing postdoctoral scholars announced Tuesday that it reached a settlement with the University of California, after the union alleged that the University overcharged and gave some of its members incorrect information about their healthcare benefits.

United Auto Workers Local 5810, which represents more than 6,000 postdoctoral scholars at the University, alleged that the UC told some union members they have to pay for their own health benefits. Under the union’s current contract, which will expire in September 2015, members pay for health benefits at a discount rate of $10-50 a month.

In its press release, the union said the alleged inaccurate information given by the UC caused more than 100 postdoctoral scholars to be excluded from the plan or to pay up to $1,300 a month for healthcare coverage.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Neal Sweeney, the UAW Local 5810 president, in a press release. “Working together, we presented a strong argument to the University and were able to demand fairness.”

The union’s press release said the UC is paying about $140,000 to the union to reimburse those who were affected by the miscommunication.

Brooke Converse, a UC spokeswoman, said in an email that the University made a “no-fault” settlement with the union, meaning the UC makes no admission of wrongdoing. She said the settlement involved three categories of grievances and the University settled on paying half for two of the categories.

The UC also retained its right to decide how much it pays for health coverage for postdoctoral fellows who receive certain grants according to the terms of those grants, Converse said in the email.

In response to the union’s concerns, Converse said in the email that the University thought the advice it gave to union members was valid. She said the UC had no intent to mislead or misinform, and that it thinks the union “mischaracterized” the issues and made false allegations.

Collective bargaining negotiations between UAW 5810 and the UC are still ongoing.

Compiled by Kristen Taketa and Jeong Park, Bruin senior staff.

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