UCPEA membership comes with so many benefits, it can be hard to keep track of them all. From childcare reimbursement to tuition waivers, scholarships to the sick leave bank, and of course the fundamental benefit of solidarity, professional development is among the most popular — and among the most misunderstood.
The internal desire to continue learning and enhance your skills to advance your career is commendable and deserving of UCPEA support. The external requirement to earn or maintain certifications, licenses, or professional memberships to get or keep your job is the responsibility of your department.
Article 34.3 of the UCPEA Contract states simply: When management requires the employee to obtain work related training, it shall be paid for by the University.
The UCPEA Professional Issues Committee oversees and sets the guidelines for distributing a set pool of funds per fiscal year for our members’ professional development. Too often, however, departments instruct staff to apply for an UCPEA Professional Development Award when the costs should be covered by the department.
Solidarity means we have your back. We encourage our members to commit Article 34.3 to memory and repeat it back to management should the need arise. Allowing management to exploit the UCPEA Professional Development Award, intentionally or unintentionally, by not fulfilling the University’s obligation to pay for professional development activities weakens this important contractual benefit by reducing the maximum award amount for UCPEA members.
By standing firm on this issue, we protect the integrity of our contract and ensure that all members continue to benefit from the full value of our Professional Development Award.