We fully respect AFSCME’s right to engage in expressive activities on issues of importance to its membership. The University values these important employees and the critical services they provide across the university, furthering the institution’s education and research mission and enriching patient care across the system. Since January, we have been bargaining in good faith with the union, presenting meaningful proposals to directly address the union’s requests, including wage increases that, if accepted, would increase AFSCME salaries by 26 percent over the life of the five-year contract. We value our relationships with our union partners and maintain a positive outlook with respect to the current contract negotiations with AFSCME. We hope a mutually beneficial contract agreement can be achieved soon.