Librarians Tentatively Agree to Furlough Program - Ratification Vote Begins

Librarians at the University of California have tentatively agreed to the furlough plan imposed by UC President Mark Yudof.  The agreement was reached with the hope that it would alleviate the need for widespread layoffs or reductions in time for librarians and other library staff.  The university threatened across the board reductions in time, equivalent to a 6% pay reduction, or a series of temporary layoffs for unit members. 

The consensus librarian opinion leading up to the T.A. held that preserving the salary scale through the furlough program was the best of the bad options.

A ratification vote will be held in person on all the campuses in the coming two weeks.  Contact your local bargaining committee reps, or your local field representative for polling information. 

Absentee ballots will be accepted for librarians who will not be on campus on their scheduled voting days.  To submit an absentee ballot, follow these instructions:

1. Download and print this ballot

2.  Place your ballot in a sealed envelope.

3.  Place your sealed envelope inside of another envelope. Address this outer
envelope to:

       Rosanna Wiebe
       UC-AFT
       1201 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 115
       Alameda, CA 94501

4.  Carefully print your name, your campus, and your return address on
the outer envelope and sign the envelope across the seal.

5.  Put correct postage on the envelope.  To be counted in the
ratification vote, mail ballots must arrive by Tuesday, September 29.