FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS for remote employees
About 93% of the staff who make up RPSP-UAW are either hybrid or fully-remote, and thousands of us have already signed our authorization cards. Just as many of us do for our jobs, we collaborate effectively over zoom, phone, and email, and we commit to our democratic principles by ensuring that decisions are collaborative and take in the wide variety of viewpoints within our community. Read on to learn more about what we can achieve together through a union.
Why are hybrid and remote employees interested in forming a union?
Currently the UC Office of the President can unilaterally decide the terms and conditions of any remote or hybrid work options irrespective of what our immediate supervisors want. As a union, we could negotiate for a fair and transparent process through which to maintain or adapt remote work options that take into account the needs of a given workplace. Defining the terms of such a process clearly through a contract with UC is the only way to achieve greater security for hybrid and remote employees.
Maintaining remote and hybrid options is essential for retaining experienced employees, particularly those of us who are working parents and caregivers. We would not be able to continue performing outstanding work without the flexibility in work hours and location that many of us depend on. Without a seat at the negotiating table and a say in decisions that affect us, UC upper management does not have to consider these realities. And while retention should be a high priority for UC, that is only something we can directly influence once we form a union.
Can the university really call us back to the office? So many of us live far away that it would be impractical.
It would be impractical; but they certainly can. In fact, Gov. Newsom did so for CA state workers back in March when he suddenly changed the terms of remote work mandating 4 days a week in the office by July 1, 2025. While UC is not included in that group of workers, if UC looks to cut costs or jobs, non-unionized remote workers will have no say in how changes are implemented.
I don’t live near a UC campus, so it’s harder and more expensive for me to find and receive health care (especially specialized support). How could we change that through a union?
Many remote workers have reported that their health benefits don’t cover as much or provide the same quality/options as their colleagues who live near a UC campus, especially those who live out of state. By unionizing, we would be on equal-footing with UC administration to negotiate our healthcare options and could win improvements like lower out-of-pocket costs to increase access to adequate healthcare for all staff in RPSP-UAW.
As a remote employee, I have to supply most of my own office equipment, internet connection, etc. at my own expense. Can a union help me recoup some of those expenses?
A collectively bargained agreement with the university can minimize the additional costs we incur as remote workers. Some might say that we should shoulder these costs as a “tradeoff” for working remotely, but unionized employees have already set a precedent on this issue that we can build on when we negotiate our contract. For example, unionized, remote employees at the State of California can submit reimbursements for telework equipment. Unionized researchers at UC also have necessary work equipment covered by the university, as guaranteed in their contract.
I have a good arrangement with my manager — why mess with it?
Unionizing does not mean that our good relations with our managers or our flexible work accommodations will need to change; rather, it would ensure an employee-centered path to address issues in our workplace and better define a process through which the needs of a given workplace are taken into account. And since over 50,000 of our UC colleagues already formed unions with UAW, joining the majority on campus is only going to offer greater power in numbers and the confidence to do our work without worrying about sudden changes beyond our influence.