Fifteen of UC Riverside’s information technology workers were laid off this month.

University administrators determined their work was non-essential or redundant, but a union representing four of those employees contends that important work is now going undone.

Representatives of the University Professional and Technical Employees and university administration continue to meet over how to handle effects of the layoffs, but the university says they are final.

Meanwhile, the list of UCR staff and students who need the department’s help is growing, said Zachary Thomas, the union’s local president.

“Their normal duties take so long that they don’t even make it to trouble tickets, so they’re not able to help people with problems,” Thomas said. “The workload is not getting done.”

The university started an analysis of the department several years ago, leading them to restructure the department and eliminate 15 positions effective Oct. 2, university spokesman John Warren said in an email.

The department consists of about 150 employees, he said.

No further layoffs or restructuring are planned at the university, he said.

The four employees represented by the union were given a notice of intent to lay off the same day as the other employees, but they are still being paid to remain at home while negotiations continue, Warren said.

Those negotiations are required because the university’s contract with the union expired Sept. 30. If management takes action such as reorganization or layoffs after a contract expires, it must bargain over the effects, Warren said.

“Typical items that come up include: workload issues for the remaining employees, effective date of the layoff, transition assistance, etc.,” Warren wrote. “The negotiation does not involve the right for management to make a layoff decision.”

Separate negotiations on the a new contract between the university the union, which has about 200 members and 400 people covered by its contract at UC Riverside, are progressing, though slowly, Thomas said.