UPTE Mt. San Jacinto College Associate Faculty

University Professional and Technical Employees CWA Local 9119 (UPTE CWA 9119) is your union—run by part-time associate faculty for part-time associate faculty. We fight for fair pay, safer working conditions, and stronger job security.

UPTE MSJC members ratify the tentative agreement on the wage re-opener by 89 percent!

The votes are in. Thank you to everyone who participated in our online ratification vote—your UPTE Mt. San Jacinto College Associate Faculty members have ratified the tentative agreement reached with the Mt. San Jacinto Community College District.

This agreement delivers meaningful, immediate gains for associate faculty at Mt. San Jacinto College:

  • Retroactive pay increases effective August 4, 2025: New Lecture rates of $90, $105, and $120 per hour (Steps 1–3); new Laboratory/Non-Teaching rates of $80, $87.50, and $95 per hour (Steps 1–3). Extensive Labs are compensated at Lecture rates.

  • A one-time lump-sum bonus equal to 10% of updated base pay for work performed from Fall 2025 through Spring 2026, for all represented employees who held a contract in Fall 2025.

  • Retroactive pay and the lump-sum bonus are to be paid within 60 days of Board of Trustees approval, expected at the Board meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

  • Voluntary paid office hours at $35/hr (up to 1.5 hours per unit taught per semester), no change.

  • Language clarifying the scope of normal course-related work, including a path to additional compensation when unusual circumstances require extra hours.

  • A District commitment to immediately open separate negotiations for a health benefit for our members.

You can read the full text of the ratified agreement here.

This result is a testament to what associate faculty at Mt. San Jacinto College can achieve when we organize and bargain together. The bargaining team—Emily Collins, Santino Labbate, Gillian Patton, Michael Rabi, and Laura Sweeney—worked hard to secure these gains on your behalf, and this vote confirms the membership’s support for their work.

Not a member yet? Becoming a member keeps you eligible to vote on future agreements and helps strengthen our collective voice at the bargaining table. Dues are approximately 1% of your base pay rate, deducted from each paycheck.

If you have any questions about next steps or the agreement itself, contact UPTE Chapter Chair Emily Collins at or UPTE Contract Enforcement Coordinator Jeff Welsh here.

Thank you for showing up for your colleagues and for your union.

In solidarity,

Your UPTE Mt. San Jacinto College Associate Faculty Bargaining Team
Emily Collins, Music Department
Santino Labbate, Physics Department
Gillian Patton, Psychology Department
Michael Rabi, Political Science Department
Laura Sweeney, History Department

We’re proud that UPTE members at Mt. San Jacinto College cast a ballot, unanimously voting YES to support our proposals to win a strong contract at the public community college here in Riverside County.

Remember, it’s our collective strength that helped us achieve our new contract. Together, we can continue building a stronger, more inclusive union that represents the goals and priorities of every UPTE associate faculty member at Mt. San Jacinto College.

Watch our video breaking down what we voted for in our new contract!

Key highlights of our contract

  • Retro Raises begin to address pay parity in the region AND includes Yearly Raises

    • 10.5% Retroactive Raise (2022-23)

    • 8.5% one-time payment based on 2023-2024 earnings. 

    • 4% Raise (2024-25 academic year)

    • 2% Raise (2025-26 academic year)

    • 2% Raise (2026-27 academic year)

    Additional Clause: We return to bargaining over pay if other units receive higher raises.

  • Paid Office Hours (with better amount of Paid Time):

    • 1.5 hours for each unit taught per semester @ $35/hour

    • 9 units = 13.5 hours

    Associate faculty members will decide where office hours will be held, in person or online, as best suits students' needs.

  • Seniority Rights Language AND:

    **Implements Transparency

    **NO detrimental Riders

    • Transparent date of hire list provided to UPTE-CWA Unit Members each year July 1

    • NOT affected by student evaluations

  • Transparency with student evaluations: annual student evaluations will not have more weight in the student evaluation process.

  • The contract includes an agreement to bargain a Healthcare Agreement: WHEN the state healthcare reimbursement program is funded in the upcoming year or in the future.

    **State Healthcare Reimbursement Program for Part-Time Healthcare did not receive funding this year.

  • Improvements to the initial steps of the grievance process, BUT: the President/Board of Trustees has the final verdict on the mediation outcome.

    Our plan is straightforward: to secure Binding Arbitration, a key element in the grievance process, we must forge a robust partnership with the Full-Time Faculty. Their current lack of this option makes their involvement crucial.

  • Catastrophic Leave Policy.

  • It contains clear rights to conduct New Employee Union Orientations.

  • It contains a policy allowing member leaders to use up to 80 hours per year of paid union release time to conduct union business.

Read the full contract here

Being an active member of University Professional and Technical Employees CWA Local 9119 (UPTE CWA 9119) demonstrates to the administration and your coworkers that you support our efforts to make Mt. San Jacinto College a better place to work for us all. By working together towards common goals, we win things like improved compensation, better working conditions, and more. If you aren’t currently a member, you can become one today by signing up here.