UC-AFSCME news and updates

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UC offers significant financial proposals to AFSCME for patient care technical and service employees

June 18, 2024

This new wage proposal offers AFSCME-represented employees increases totaling 26% over the course of a five-year contract for eligible employees. The proposal also reflects the new budget realities facing public entities across the state. Learn more >>

UC proposes significant multi-year pay raises for Patient Care Technical and Service employees

February 22, 2024

UC has proposed that all positions go up to $23.00 in 2024 and $24.00 in 2025, which means an overall hourly wage increase in the first year of a new contract of 26.6% for a Food Service Worker, 20.5% for a Hospital Assistant, and 18.5% for Groundskeepers and Patient Escorts. Effectively, the lowest-paid employees in these units receive the largest increases. Learn more >>

In 2024, UC began negotiations with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local Union 3299 (AFSCME) for new contracts for UC patient care technical and service employees. We approach all contract negotiations with the following principles:

• advancing UC’s mission,
• strengthening union partnerships,
• promoting operational excellence and
• enhancing UC’s work to be a leading employer in California, increasing our workforce’s equity, diversity, inclusion, retention, recruitment, and advancement.

Our goal for these negotiations is fair contracts that honor our employees and the importance of their work, and our priorities include the following:

	FAIR AND COMPETITIVE PAY  We believe all UC employees, at every level, deserve to be fairly compensated for their contributions. We know the cost of living in California can be challenging, and we expect compensation to be a key topic in these negotiations. We are committed to finding solutions that work for everyone, and we will carefully listen to and consider all union proposals, including AFSCME’s request for a $25/hour systemwide minimum wage and a 5% increase for those already earning more than $25 per hour.
	QUALITY BENEFITS We know how important good benefits are to our employees and their families. That’s why UC offers a range of comprehensive and family-friendly medical plans — with salary-based monthly premiums to ensure access to quality care for lower-paid colleagues — and employer contributions that are more generous than the State of California or the California State University system. UC also offers employees excellent retirement benefits to help them save for the future.
	LONG-TERM STABILITY We strive to provide our employees stability when it comes to pay and benefits. We are committed to multi-year contracts that include predictable annual pay increases and benefit costs to help our employees meet their needs.
	RESPECTFUL, COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATIONS  Negotiations are most successful when both sides are willing to be flexible and open to compromise. In recent years, UC has achieved contracts with unions representing UC lecturers, nurses, police, clerical staff, graduate student workers, post-doctoral scholars and academic researchers. These agreements were the result of both sides working collaboratively to find solutions and demonstrating flexibility and a genuine willingness to compromise. We approach our negotiations with AFSCME in the same fashion.