Dear Local 34 Members,
We are glad to say that we have once again achieved an agreement with Yale to keep everyone whole through July 10th. This means that every C&T will continue to receive a full paycheck and benefits whether at home or on campus, whether working fully or partially. You have all risen to the challenge during this pandemic—together we have kept Yale functioning, all while facing unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19. Many of us have also been sick ourselves, caring for sick loved ones, supporting unemployed family and educating our children.
Yale has acted responsibly during this pandemic, responding to our call to shut down early. Yale worked with us as we pushed to get every possible person working safely from home. And each month they have agreed to maintain our pay and benefits. These responsible actions mitigated but have not prevented devastation to our membership and the larger community.
For the most part, Yale is approaching the reopening with similar diligence. We have negotiated provisions to protect our health and our jobs and to deal with the special circumstances of this next phase.
- Working at home. Around 2,700 of us have been successfully working from home and will continue to do so.
- On campus. For those of you who have been on campus, or are returning now, there are many safety measures and special programs we’ve put in place. The force of our union is behind you, ready to ensure that Yale lives up to these public health protocols.
Please find a comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions below.
We are also relieved to say that all of Local 35 will be working. With summer programs cancelled, many dining workers will be trained in custodial work to increase cleaning across campus.
Long Term
It’s time to look beyond July 10th. We know living with month-to-month with this uncertainty has been very difficult. For this reason, our Executive Board, along with the Executive Board of Local 35, is beginning talks with Yale to work towards a longer-term commitment and more stability for all our members.
Our goals are:
- Protect every single person. We are committed to Yale through this unprecedented crisis. We ask that Yale commit to us. We call for no cuts. Yale will be making long-term changes, but there is a lot of work to be done and we are ready to do it.
- Keep all of our wages and benefits. Now more than ever, our families depend on our paychecks and healthcare. During tough times, we support out-of-work spouses, grown children and neighbors. Continuing to provide stable employment is essential for our community and for the economy.
- Grow when Yale recovers. As with previous crises, we know the University will survive and eventually thrive. The number of union jobs on campus should grow so we can advance and so that more people in our community have access to quality jobs.
The World Around Us
We will not return to our lives as they were. Here at Yale, we will need to adapt. There is no way to know yet what our new normal will look like. We have to be prepared to understand what changes are coming as best we can and as soon as we can, and to fight to protect all of us if Yale makes that necessary.
We seek stability in this moment, but we also demand change. We condemn the state-sanctioned murder of Black people by police. We condemn generations of policies that cause people of color die disproportionately from this virus. We condemn the funding system which leaves our City chronically underfunded to address these and other inequities.
For these reasons, we continue to stand up and join the fight for Black lives. We continue to push Yale to honor its commitment to hire from historically marginalized neighborhoods and we continue to call on Yale to contribute its fair share to our city. We are proud to sign on to this pledge. Please sign the petition here.
Yale’s fate is tied to the community now more than ever. The whole of New Haven must be healthy for students to safely return. Yale cannot survive and move forward, and neither can its students or employees, if New Haven falls apart around it. Unemployment in New Haven will be very high for months or years to come.
Next Steps
We are fighting for a higher level of job security than ever before. To win, we will need more members to stand up than ever before. Already, our organizing committee has talked to over 2,200 of you to see how you are doing. If you haven’t heard from us, reach out to your steward! If you are in an uncovered area or don’t know who your steward is, please reply to this email.
Laurie Kennington
President, Local 34
FAQ
Will I continue to be paid?
Yes. Every C&T will receive full pay and benefits through July 10th.
What happens after July 10th?
As in March, April and May, Yale has extended its commitment by just about a month. This doesn’t mean that everything ends on July 11th, but it does mean that we have to negotiate again to keep everything in place.
Yale is trying to make July 10th yet another deadline, but our unions’ Executive Boards decided to sit down with Yale to discuss longer-term plans instead. We need certainty not just for this month but into the future.
My manager has not said anything about our department reopening. Do I have to return to campus?
If your department is reopening, management should have told you about their plans by now. The clinical practices are increasing patient volume, select research labs are opening and the libraries are calling in a few staff, for example. If you are unsure about your department’s status, check with your supervisor.
We have secured an agreement from Yale that going forward, everyone being called to campus will be notified at least one week in advance.
If you are successfully working from home now, you will likely continue to do so until your area reopens. We have advocated, and Yale has agreed, that every person who can work at home will during this time.
I am working on campus
I am an essential worker who has been on campus or I am being called to return to campus now. Do I have to return?
Yes. You can see Yale’s webpage here. There are exceptions for vulnerable populations below.Going forward, anyone required to move from a part-time schedule to a full-time on-campus schedule will have at least one week’s notice.
Is it safe? What kinds of precautions are in place?
We have worked with Yale on a very comprehensive set of public health measures. They have been responsible by putting in place COVID-19 testing for everyone who wants it. Everyone will receive masks and training about the virus. Work areas must allow for social distancing. Extra cleaning will take place across campus. People may voluntarily use a contact tracing device that keeps track of who they are near. You are encouraged to log any symptoms twice a day in a voluntary app to ensure that all cases are identified quickly. We have agreements that this data cannot be used to track people’s work time or for disciplinary purposes. Please contact your steward immediately if you do not feel safe in your workplace.
We have to continue to be vigilant about safety in the clinical practices. Our members are caring for COVID positive patients and processing infected specimens in these areas. Members have shown immense courage in their daily work, but also in advocating for safety on the job. We continue to push for front-line staff to have the right training and personal protective equipment. “Essential” should mean more protection, not less.
What if an underlying medical condition makes me vulnerable?
We have a commitment from Yale that anyone over age 65 or with an underlying health condition, according to the CDC definition, will have a special process for accommodation. Your doctor will be the ultimate judge of whether you fit this criteria. Management cannot unreasonably deny requests to perform work at home, in a safe setting on campus or on an alternate schedule. If none of these options work for you, contact the Employee Service Center to apply for an LOA with The Standard (call 203-432-5552, press option #4). Yale has agreed to fully pay everyone eligible for such leaves through July 10th. No one can be cut or laid off as a result of taking this leave. See this Your Yale page here.
What if I am caring for children or an elderly person?
Yale has agreed that management cannot unreasonably deny requests to perform work at home or on a flexible schedule. If these solutions do not work for you, contact the Employee Service Center to apply for a caregiver LOA or for reduced hours/months. While these caregiver leaves are unpaid, you can use your vacation, floating holidays, or personal days.Yale has agreed that if your balance of these days reaches five or less, you will receive an additional 10 scheduled days of pay for use before July 10. We have secured language that management will not unreasonably deny requests for these leaves and that no one will be cut or laid off as a result of taking this leave. See Your Yale page here.
Note that because you will receive additional days July 1st, you will realize the greatest benefit if you become eligible for the 10 additional days during the month of June.
What happens to premium pay?
The on-campus premium ended at midnight on June 7th. Given the pressures our essential workers face, we fought to keep 1.5x pay in place for approximately 800 people for 9.5 extra weeks beyond Yale’s original April 1 deadline.
We believe that front-line clinical personnel should still be receiving hazard pay for their work. Yale has rejected this proposal. We have filed a grievance. We have also proposed that all of the C&T paid time off that cannot be carried past the July 1st deadline should be automatically donated to our front-line workers. Yale has not agreed to this proposal.
Will parking be free in Yale lots through July 10th?
Yes. You do not need to contact the parking office. There will be limited shuttle service. You can read here for updates.
I am working from home.
Will I have to pay for my parking spot in a Yale lot?
No. Yale will not charge for parking through the month of July. You do not need to contact the parking office.
I do not have the right equipment and have been accruing extra costs in order to work at home.
We are continuing to bargain with Yale about the conditions of working from home.
When will I be called to return to campus?
Yale is reopening in phases so it depends on the functions of your department. Check with your manager if you are unsure. We want to keep people home as long as possible during the pandemic. When your department reopens, Yale will provide at least one week notice before you are called to campus.
Will there be cuts?
We have achieved an agreement from Yale that there will be no new hours reductions or layoffs before July 10th. A few of you may have previously received notice of layoff from a reorganization or a grant that ends. A few of you are in fixed-duration positions that are set to expire. A few of you will be offered the opportunity to transfer to a new position if your current position changes. People in these categories, can, as always, elect to join our interim employment pool with full pay and benefits (extension time based on years of service) while you look for another job.
But we repeat that Yale has committed to no new hours reductions or layoffs before July 10th.
This is particularly significant because not all University operations are continuing in this moment. Libraries, galleries and museums are mostly closed for example. About 500 of us are unable to work at least half time. Our union has pushed Yale to keep every single member whole during this period of uncertainty.
Looking beyond July 10th, most of us are working as hard as ever, if not harder. Much of our work will eventually resume, but Yale will be seeking to make changes. Our best bet is always to be ready to work. For those not fully deployed, Local 34 and the University have been finding opportunities for temporary assignments and, in a handful of cases, permanent moves. As always, our contract guarantees that no one will be transferred involuntarily.
In our negotiations for a longer agreement, our number one goal is ensuring that no one be cut. There will be plenty of work to do if we are adaptable enough to do it.
What about paid time off?
Yale rejected our proposal to extend the deadline for using paid time off through July of 2021. Yale has agreed to cash out people that still have unused comp time or floating holidays at the end of this month. Managers may encourage people to use this time before June 30th, but it is ultimately your decision.
We proposed that any time lost be donated to our front-line workers that are no longer receiving premium pay. Yale has not agreed to this proposal.
Some people may be exposed to COVID a second time, beyond the initial 10 business days Yale agreed to pay. In these cases, the University may grant additional COVID days pending review on a case-by-case basis with a doctors’ note confirming the direction to isolate.
What about paid time off?
Yale rejected our proposal to extend the deadline for using paid time off through July of 2021. Yale has agreed to cash out people that still have unused comp time or floating holidays at the end of this month. Managers may encourage people to use this time before June 30th, but it is ultimately your decision.
We proposed that any time lost be donated to our front-line workers that are no longer receiving premium pay. Yale has not agreed to this proposal.
Some people may be exposed to COVID a second time, beyond the initial 10 business days Yale agreed to pay. In these cases, the University may grant additional COVID days pending review on a case-by-case basis with a doctors’ note confirming the direction to isolate.
Will there be a retirement incentive for C&Ts?
Local 34 is analyzing a potential retirement buy-out.