Seems like it’s been a long road to get here, but STEPs finally had our first bargaining session with UC and Berkeley Lab on Friday, October 9.
During this initial session, the bargaining team introduced STEPs to the UC and LBNL negotiators. The presentation touched on the many ways we ~1,000 STEPs provide support critical to Berkeley Lab’s mission of “Bringing Science Solutions to the World.” And we explained the factors that led us to unionize, emphasizing the importance of swiftly implementing our contract.
However, management has sent a clear signal that accretion bargaining will not be so swift or straightforward. They are backtracking on initially positive signals about career conversion, dragging their feet on implementing our contractually guaranteed raises, and offering bargaining sessions 3 weeks apart.
Right now, STEPs are talking to our colleagues to ensure a strong majority of us sign our initial bargaining demands (IBDs) and union membership cards. The more of us who sign IBDs and become members, the more unified and determined we are in management’s eyes. This is how we grow our power to incentivize management to negotiate efficiently and implement our contract fairly. Additionally, if you haven’t already, you can make the most tangible show of determination by signing up as a dues-paying member. Get connected with a fellow STEP to learn about accretion bargaining and next steps to win.