UC officials announced Aug. 25 that Sacramento Superior Court Judge Loren E. McMaster has ordered the continuation of the temporary injunction he placed on the California Nurses Association, the union representing UC nurses.

The injunction prevented a nursing strike at the university on July 21. The judge is expected to make a final decision today at a hearing.

Under the court's continued order, the California Nurses Association may not conduct a strike until the conclusion of impasse proceedings including fact-finding. UC is in active negotiations with the union and impasse has not been declared.

Negotiations resumed on Monday.

The California Public Employment Relations Board recommended to the court that the strike injunction be continued on the basis that the CNA has failed to bargain in good faith with the university.

In other labor news, the UC announced Aug. 23 that the Public Employment Relations Board has certified UC's request to declare that its negotiations with the Coalition of University Employees, the union representing UC's clerical staff, are at an impasse.

The Public Employment Relations Board will now appoint a mediator to help the parties resolve the remaining issues that have stalled progress to negotiations, which began over a year ago.

In certifying that the parties are at impasse, PERB believes that continuing negotiations without mediation assistance would be ineffective in resolving outstanding differences.

"We are grateful for the impasse certification and we are hopeful that a mediator will help us reach a fair contract for our clerical employees," said Howard Pripas, UC executive director of labor relations.

For details on the CUE talks, go to http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies/labor_relations/index.html.

For details about the nurse's injunction, visit http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies/labor_relations/index.html.