University of California officials announced today (Apr. 2) that an agreement has been reached between UC and the University Professional and Technical Employees union on a new five-year labor contract for UC's roughly 2,200 health care professional employees.  A tentative agreement was reached on February 15 and UPTE members have voted to approve the new contract, which takes effect March 30, 2007.

"Our health care professional employees play a critical role in helping UC hospitals and student health centers deliver quality patient care," said Howard Pripas, executive director for universitywide labor relations.  “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement that is satisfactory to the bargaining unit members, and acknowledges the excellent work and many contributions that our health care professional employees make to the university and the state.”

Highlights of the agreement, which runs July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2011, include:

Wage increases:

-- Effective March 30, 2007, employees will receive wage increases ranging between approximately 4% and 15% depending upon their particular classification and location.  In the first three years alone, some employees may receive increases of as much as 32%, depending upon their particular classification and location.  Additionally, to complement these increases, employees will transition from an “open-range” wage structure to a step-based structure;

-- All health care professional employees will receive a $1,000 one-time lump sum payment within 180 days of March 30, 2007;

-- UC and UPTE will meet on a systemwide basis later in 2007 to discuss equity concerns for bargaining unit employees, and again in 2008 and 2010 for local campus discussions.

Health benefits:  For calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009, the university's maximum monthly rates of contribution for health and welfare benefits for health care professional employees will be the same as those for other staff employees. The parties will engage in bargaining on health benefits in 2009 for calendar years 2010 and 2011.

Pension benefits:  At UPTE’s discretion, health care professional employees, with an UPTE representative, will have the opportunity to fully participate in the negotiation process with the other two employee groups represented by UPTE regarding potential pension contributions.  Health care professional employees will pay the same contribution to the UCRP as other employees represented by UPTE through June 30, 2009.  The parties will engage in bargaining on this issue in 2009 for the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011.

Professional development:  Employees may request time-off for work-related education, including requests for more than 12 hours of internet/home study. Upon an employee's request and at UC's discretion, an employee may be cross-trained on new equipment within his/her department.

No strikes:  Clarified contract language that specifically bans sympathy strikes in addition to other forms of strikes or concerted activities.

Duration:  The five-year agreement includes  bargaining in the Spring of 2009 for purposes of negotiating selected items including wages, health benefits and pension contributions.

Complete details of the agreement will be available http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies_employee_labor_relations/index.html

UC takes pride in its ongoing commitment to providing quality employment conditions and opportunities for the more than 160,000 employees that make UC their employer of choice.  UC operates the nation's largest health sciences and medical training program, and its network of five medical centers and associated facilities represents the fifth-largest health care delivery system in California. UC medical and student health centers offer some of the best patient care in the country, and provide patient-care services valued at over $2 billion annually, accounting for more than 3.3 million clinic visits and over 239,000 emergency room visits a year.

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