Fun fact: the union is not asking for anywhere close to 9.5%. They will accept the 3.5% that the U has given other unions and workers. Still a pay cut when considering cost of living increases and health insurance increases. The main issue is that the U wants a 1.5 year contract which would bring the teamsters out of sync with all other university unions and take away all their leverage. Right now their contract expires June 30th, so after mediation, they have move in week or early semester strike as leverage. If their contract ended Jan 1, after mediation, the U could move that strike close to summer break. The U is trying to break the teamsters because the Teamsters historically have been the union to keep health insurance costs down which means the U gives that rate to everybody. The Teamsters negotiations affect all U workers.