UC reaches tentative agreement with an employees’ union
By Kristen Taketa
Dec. 16, 2013 3:42 p.m.
The University of California reached tentative collective bargaining agreements with a union representing more than 12,000 health care, research and technical UC employees, the University announced Sunday.
The University Professional and Technical Employees Union (UPTE-CWA) has negotiated with the University for more than two years for a contract concerning health care employees, and for about a year for a contract concerning research and technical employees.
Health care employees from the union who work at UC medical centers will receive a 5.5 percent wage increase in January. Those who work at student health centers will receive a 4 percent increase that month and a 2 to 3 percent increase over the following three years.
Research and technical employees in the union will receive a 4 percent wage increase and another 3 percent increase in the next three years.
Employees in the union would have to pay about 1 to 2 percent more of their pay toward their pension contributions than non-unionized 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, in a statement released Sunday.
Employees in UPTE still have to approve the new contracts by a vote, and the UC Board of Regents will have to approve the changes to pension contributions.
The new contracts would last for the next four years.
The University has made six labor contract deals with unions in the past two months, most recently with a union representing UC lecturers.
Compiled by Kristen Taketa, Bruin senior staff.
