The University of California announced today (Dec. 15, 2013) that it has reached tentative agreement with three labor groups for multi-year contracts covering more than 12,000 health care, research and technical employees.
The three bargaining groups, both represented by the University Professional and Technical Employees union (UPTE-CWA), are expected to vote on the tentative agreements this week.
The agreements are the culmination of more than two years of negotiations between UC and UPTE for the health care employees, and about a year of bargaining for the research and technical employees.
"It has been a long road and we are pleased that we have been able to work through the issues and negotiate fair terms for our hard-working employees," said Dwaine B. Duckett, UC vice president of human resources.
Highlights of the tentative agreement for health care professionals include:
- Wages: a 5.5 percent wage increase in January 2014 for medical center employees, followed by a 2 percent annual increase over the subsequent three years; a 4 percent increase in January 2014 for student health center employees and a 2 percent to 3 percent increase over the subsequent three years.
- Health benefits: Employees would choose from the same 2014 health plans at the same rates offered to all UC employees. Rate increases would be capped at $25 a month for the Kaiser and Health Net Blue and Gold Plan.
- Pension benefits: Employees would participate in a modified version of UC's new 2013 pension tier, contributing 8.6 percent of pay to the UC Retirement Plan starting February 2014 and 9 percent of pay starting July 2014. The tentative agreement on retirement benefits must be approved by the UC Board of Regents.
- Retiree health benefits: New employees hired after the contract is ratified would participate in revised eligibility rules for retiree health care.
- Multi-year agreement: The contract would expire in 2017.
Highlights of the tentative agreement for research and technical employees include:
- Wages: a 4 percent wage increase upon ratification, and a 3 percent increase in October 2014, 2015 and 2016.
- Pension benefits: Employees would participate in a modified version of UC's 2013 pension tier, and contribute 9 percent of pay starting July 2014.
- Retiree health benefits: Employees hired after the contract is ratified would fall under the revised eligibility rules for retiree health care.
- Multi-year agreement: The contract would expire Sept. 30, 2017.
These agreements are the latest in a number of labor contracts UC has settled recently. The university finalized multi-year agreements with its nurses, lecturers, librarians and police officers within the last two months.