UC and UPTE meet on Oct. 3-4 for healthcare professionals, technical employees, and researcher contracts
On October 3-4, 2024, the University of California and the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) continued negotiating contracts for healthcare professionals, technical employees, and researchers.
The current contract for healthcare professionals (HX) expired on September 30, 2024. The
technical (TX) and research support (RX) contracts expire on October 31, 2024. UC is working diligently with UC-UPTE to achieve contract agreements for these three units by the end of the contracts.
During the sessions, the parties reached their first tentative agreement regarding eliminating PTO at UCLA for HX employees working at UCLA Medical Center in favor of the leave system used by the other UPTE units. The union presented several proposals and counterproposals. UC submitted proposals and clarifying language on the following topics:
- payroll deductions for union dues and rate adjustments
- specificity on leaves of absence
- retain current contract language on several articles across all three units
- management rights to determine remote and/or telecommute work policies and guidelines
- access to UC locations
- unit modification by accretion
- employee transfers, promotions, and requests for reclassification
In addition, UC proposed parameters governing parking citations during voluntary overtime and offered location-based discussions on expanding access to shuttle and on-demand transportation services from off-site parking.
Healthcare: The University of California understands that the cost of health care can be burdensome and is dedicated to making it accessible for our employees. To help with affordability, UC is proposing a two-tier salary-based monthly healthcare credit, as follows:
- Employees in pay band one who select the Kaiser Permanente Plan or the UC Blue and Gold Plan will receive a $100 monthly credit to help offset the employee contribution.
- Employees in pay band two who select the Kaiser Permanente Plan or the UC Blue and Gold Plan will receive a $75.00 monthly credit to help offset the employee contribution.
If the union approves the proposal, that’s a savings of $1,200 or $900 per year or $3,600 or $2,700 in healthcare credits throughout a three-year contract. In addition, UC will participate in forming a system-wide working group on healthcare costs.
The University continues to present proposals that are not intended as a mere “starting point” but rather as fair offers that recognize the contributions of UPTE-represented employees. Upcoming bargaining sessions are scheduled for October 16-17, 2024.