This post was updated Nov. 7 at 11:04 p.m.

Librarians across the UC are set to begin contract negotiations Tuesday following increases in the cost of health care benefits.

Health care premiums increased as much as 193% per month for this year’s open enrollment, according to a Tuesday announcement from the University Council-American Federation of Teachers union that represents UC librarians. The announcement from the UC about rising health care premiums was made only three days before librarians were given the option to enroll in the UC’s health care plan, the UC-AFT announcement added.

Rising health care premiums are compounded by other rising costs, including the cost of living, the announcement also said.

“Librarians’ wages have failed to keep pace with the rising costs of living in UC campus communities, pushing many of the university’s most talented librarians to leave the UC,” the announcement said.

Despite the UC student population more than doubling since 1983, the number of UC librarians has stayed about the same since UC-AFT signed its first contract with the University, the announcement said, adding that this resulted in more work for librarians and decreased services for students and faculty.

“Instead of spending millions on expensive technologies and platforms, we want UC to invest in the people that make those libraries run,” said Kendra K. Levine, UC-AFT’s lead negotiator and a librarian at UC Berkeley, in the announcement.