The Facts: UC, AFSCME Bargaining

Current employees: No change in retirement benefits.

Future employees: New employees hired after a new contract is ratified will have a choice between a traditional pension and a 401(k)-style plan. Both options provide valuable retirement income. Future employees can choose based on their needs and preferences, including their age, how long they plan to work at UC and their personal investing style.

Teamsters Local 2010, which represents UC clerical staff, and the American Federation of Teachers, which represents UC lecturers, have agreed to the same retirement program UC is offering service staff.

For more details, see our fact sheet.

No new retirement program and no choice for future employees.

Step increase — equal to a 2 percent increase — in each year of the contract for eligible employees, to keep service staff wages at the top of the market.

The average wage for a UC service worker is $20.62/hour. No UC service employee earns below UC’s minimum wage of $15/hour.

AFSCME is demanding an 8 percent increase per year for all service employees. This is almost triple what all other staff employees have been budgeted to receive.

Excellent health care at the same rates other UC employees pay. A typical service employee would pay just $32/month for themselves and their children.

UC’s rates are structured so that lower-salaried employees pay substantially less for health care than higher-salaried employees.

AFSCME is proposing its members pay different rates that are even lower than all other UC employees for the same health benefits.

UC and the union are discussing staff development opportunities, including ensuring service staff take full advantage of the 40 hours of paid educational leave per year they currently receive to enhance skills for current and future job opportunities and promotions.