The University of California today (Nov. 4) announced a tentative three-year agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union for UC’s approximately 4,000 academic researchers.
“Our goal was a multi-year agreement that recognizes the significant contributions academic researchers make to UC’s academic mission, and that’s what we’ve achieved,” said Peter Chester, the University’s executive director of labor relations.
“We appreciate union leaders’ partnership at the bargaining table to work together on the issues and resolve differences.”
UAW-represented academic researchers will vote in the next few weeks to ratify the contract, which includes the following highlights:
- Compensation: 4 percent increase in January 2020 (4.5 percent for Professional Researchers) and 3 percent annual increases July 1, 2020-22.
- Health benefits: Excellent medical, dental and vision care at the same rates as other UC employees with similar salaries.
- Retirement benefits: UC’s Retirement Choice Program, which allows employees to choose between UC’s traditional pension plan and a 401(k)-style plan. UC retirement benefits are among the most generous in the market.
- Joint Labor-Management Committees: UC and the UAW will create committees to jointly explore potential solutions to specific issues, including bridge funding for principal investigators and paid parental leave.
The contract would be effective until September 2022.