On Friday, UPTE and the University concluded our twenty-third day of bargaining. Even with all of our contracts now expired, UC has yet to provide a pay proposal for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is explicitly refusing—unlawfully—to bargain over our inclusion in the mortgage loan program it provides to Executives and Faculty.

While UC finally acknowledged the importance of guaranteeing the use of vacation accruals, they have not offered improved accruals or the right to cash out vacation despite already providing higher accruals to executives and managers. Overall, the movement made by the University after five months and ten bargaining sessions remains insignificant.

UC's raise offer would leave us behind in inflation, setting us up to fall even further behind by 2027. Worse, their healthcare cuts would allow them to raise costs as much as they want, allowing them to take back hundreds if not thousands of dollars per month. Go here to see a comparison of our offer and UC's.

UC continues to bargain in bad faith and plans to unilaterally increase healthcare costs in 2025, all violating California law. Go here to sign a strike pledge today!

Thousands of members participated in our strike vote at UCSF, voting yes to strike by 98% and dwarfing turnout from all past UPTE strike votes.

Over 75% of healthcare workers voted to strike, meaning that our power to hold UC accountable will be on full display at UCSF's Medical Centers, labs, and clinics.

A strike at UCSF may be announced at any time. UPTE will provide at least 10 days notice to the University and has already reminded them of their responsibility to plan for this.

Click here to find a strike FAQ.

We are limiting this strike to UCSF in order to give UC an opportunity to begin to bargain in good faith. If UC continues to commit illegal, unfair labor practices, all of us must be prepared for a statewide strike vote.

Have all of your colleagues pledged to strike already? Please ask to make sure they have today!

I am proud that our clinicians, researchers, and technical staff at UCSF are prepared to be the first to stand up and strike to hold the UC system accountable for its unfair labor practices. UCSF members, you can cast your ULP strike authorization vote now by visiting upte.org/vote.

We cannot allow UC to drag out negotiations and prolong the crisis of recruitment and retention with these illegal tactics. If UC continues its pattern of unfair practices, we need everyone across the state to be ready to vote to strike, too. While UCSF votes, ensure all your coworkers have signed a commitment card and are ready to join us.

What are some ways UC has bargained in bad faith, putting patient care, and research at risk by prolonging the recruitment and retention crisis?

• Sending representatives who lack the authority to address the critical issues we've raised at the bargaining table;

• Making proposals that they know we would not accept;

• Refusing to disclose the number of unfilled positions in our titles statewide—or how many millions of dollars they're saving by not filling budgeted staff.

We are now in our 5th month of negotiations and our contracts expire in less than 2 weeks. Yet the University has not ended its unfair practices, made significant movement on our priorities, nor even provided a complete contract proposal. 

UC has not provided any pay proposal at all for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) and has not responded to proposals that UPTE made more than 2 months ago, such as Shift Differentials and Subcontracting.

At bargaining yesterday at UC Santa Cruz, UPTE members once again packed the room to share stories of how poor compensation, misclassification, lack of career progression and more are impacting our students and our research. We were also joined by State Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin who called on the University to address the affordability crisis, and by State Senator John Laird who pledged his support if a strike becomes necessary. 

Our rally was covered by KSBW Action News 8, local NPR affiliate KAZU 90.3, and Lookout Santa Cruz.

On Friday, October 11, UPTE filed an unfair labor practice charge in response to UC’s bad faith bargaining and illegal plan to implement unlimited healthcare cost increases while we are bargaining. UC currently pays 76-95% of monthly healthcare premiums on Kaiser & UC Blue & Gold plans, thanks to the $25 annual limit we won in our last contract.

After significant increases in 2024, this saved up to $224/month compared to non-union employees. By proposing to remove the cap, UC wants the ability to shift up to $2,451.37 per month in costs to us - numbers that are likely to increase dramatically in 2025 and beyond.

What UC is proposing in bargaining:

• No limit on healthcare premium increases

• $100 subsidy for Pay Band 1, $75 subsidy for Pay Band 2 (after their increases)

Some of what UC is planning to implement outside of bargaining in 2025:

• 9% increase in cost on pay bands 1 and 2 (those making less than $140,000)

• 11% increase in cost on pay bands 3 and 4 (those making more than $140,000)

• CORE PPO no longer no-cost (premium cost not announced)

For months, we have been met with UC's bad faith at the bargaining table, and unfair labor practices by the University even longer.

UC is sitting on billions in reserves due to vacancies but fails to provide us with information we need - and are legally entitled to - about staffing, vacancies, or how much they are saving while our patients, research, and students suffer the effects of short staffing.

Adding insult to the University's predictably unacceptable proposals at bargaining, UC just announced massive increases to employee healthcare costs. They plan to increase premiums by 9-11%, eliminate the one no-cost insurance plan, raise co-pays from $20 to $30 per outpatient visit, and shift 30% of specialty drug prices to employees. UC never even proposed these changes to UPTE – it is just making the changes unilaterally.

UC has the ability to avoid a strike action by changing their behavior, which we sincerely hope that they do before a strike is called. Click here to pledge to strike and vote YES on the first day!

At last week's bargaining session, UC proposed to remove the current $25 cap on annual healthcare premium increases on Kaiser and Blue & Gold Plans in exchange for a $100 and $75 subsidy for those in Pay Bands 1 and 2, respectively.

Days before, UC revealed that they are planning 9-11% premium increases for 2025, alongside increases in co-pays and a new 30% coinsurance fee for specialty drugs of up to $150/prescription.

This subsidy might provide a benefit to those in pay bands 1 and 2 in 2025 but would increase rates by up to $126/month for those on pay bands 3 and 4 and allow UC to shift an unlimited amount of their cost onto everyone in subsequent years. 

With just a month before our contracts expire, UC is not only trying to keep our pay below inflation, they are trying to give themselves a free hand to push us even further and further behind each year by offsetting healthcare premium costs on us.

There is no question that UC’s healthcare proposal would deepen the recruitment and retention crisis. Sign a strike pledge now to let UC know you are ready to stand with nearly 7,000 other UPTE members who have already pledged to strike.

We are now just a month away from our the expiration of our contracts. Instead of taking our concerns, our testimony, or our demands seriously, UC continues bargaining in bad faith and commits other unfair practices outside of bargaining.

One of UC's most egregious unfair labor practices is their failure to bargain in good faith over our demands that impact staffing levels. On April 12, 2023, we requested information that would help us better understand the depths of the recruitment and retention crisis, such as the number of vacant positions in UPTE job titles across the state. 18 months later, we have yet to receive any of this information.

Why is UC withholding this data? Do they not want the public to know how many budgeted healthcare providers, researchers, and technical positions are being left empty while patient care, research, and students suffer?

Enough is enough. After 4 months of bargaining, we are now just a month away from our contracts being expired. Instead of listening to your demands, concerns, and testimony, UC continues bargaining in bad faith and commits other unfair practices outside of bargaining.

As we prepare to capitalize on our collective strength in the workplace, and to leverage that power for a new contract, we must also endeavor to “organize” and mobilize our communities to apply maximum pressure on UC. 

This year, our union is beginning to identify and endorse “UPTE Champions” to represent our interests and fight for our members in public offices across the state. The candidates who earned our endorsement demonstrated a commitment to our values, articulated a vision of working collaboratively to hold UC accountable, and have pledged to utilize their office to pursue bold legislative solutions to support working families and union households. 

For a complete listing of UPTE’s endorsed candidates, please visit upte.org/endorsements to view information on the candidates and to learn about how we can mobilize our union to engage in the civic process. 

“For too long UC has operated under the perception of impunity, investing significant resources to lobby the State Legislature for their own means. It’s time that we change this dynamic, and elect champions that have the conviction to fight for our members, to push back against UC, and to codify transformational policies that support our work and enhance our lives,” said Amy Fletcher, a Staff Research Associate 4 at UC Davis who is also UPTE’s Chapter Chair and statewide Treasurer. “It’s time for us to ‘organize’ local and state governments to support our workers, our students, and our communities and reset UCs priorities.”

College of the Sequoias Adjunct Faculty Association/University Professional and Technical Employees (COSAFA/UPTE) members ratified a new contract. In September, COSAFA/UPTE’s bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with the administration and the Board of Trustees at College of the Sequoias. Now, it goes to the Board of Trustees for a final vote.

“We are thrilled to announce a significant victory—our collective power, including each and every part-time faculty member, has led to ratifying a new contract with the administration and the Board of Trustees at College of the Sequoias,” expressed Danielle Alberti, president of College of the Sequoias Adjunct Faculty Association/UPTE, Sam Brookshire, vice president of the COSAFA/UPTE chapter, and Charles Slaght, the COSAFA/UPTE chapter’s secretary-treasurer. “That success is a testament to our unity and determination in fighting for fair pay, better working conditions, and improved job security, all of which are key achievements of our new contract.”

The new contract includes several substantial financial and non-financial improvements for part-time faculty. Among the financial gains are a 2.07 percent hourly rate increase retroactive to August 1 and the addition of longevity steps at 10, 15, and 20 years of service.

"Remember, it’s our collective strength that helped us achieve our new contract,” continued Danielle. “Together, we can continue building a stronger, more inclusive union that represents the goals and priorities of every COSAFA/UPTE member at College of the Sequoias.”

Our current contract negotiations center on a theme of "Resetting UC's Priorities." While pleading poverty at the bargaining table with us, the UC Regents have awarded huge raises to top executives and approved the purchase of additional ammunition and military equipment.

At the same time, they're pursuing proposals in our negotiations that would dramatically restrict the rights of our members to advocate for improved working conditions and outlaw our ability to gather and protest in front of or near our workplaces.

Regarding the free speech restrictions, UC has used the recent Palestine protests and a legislative request for a report on its speech policies as a "Trojan horse" of sorts to push through radical and unprecedented limitations on speech without proper bargaining—a clear violation of the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA).

"These proposed restrictions are not just alarming because of their clear illegality, but because they demonstrate just how out of touch the administration is from the challenges frontline workers face every day in serving our patients and students or advancing our research," said Matias Campos, a Pharmacist at UCSF and UPTE's systemwide Executive Vice President. 

“It’s disappointing that UC and LBNL are focused on curtailing our fundamental rights to free speech and collective action rather than investing in the people responsible for the important work we do both at the Berkeley Lab and across the University of California system as a whole,” said Eduardo de Ugarte, a Graphic Designer and UPTE’s Chapter Chair at LBNL. 

UPTE's bargaining team was back at the table with the University of California on September 10 and 11 at UC Santa Barbara. UC continues to reject UPTE's proposals regarding pay, reclassification, work-life balance, staffing, and job security.

"College counseling today isn't about choosing a career or adjusting to being away from home. It's about keeping students alive and helping them get an education for a better future. It makes me wonder what UC is prioritizing if not student wellbeing and education," said Dr. Lily Clark, Counseling Psychologist.

When questioned, management's bargaining team has offered little or no explanation for rejecting proposals - even those that would cost the University little to nothing, such as improved rights to vacant positions or additional unpaid leave.

Fortunately, we know that UC has the resources to correct all of these issues. Our strikes in 2018/2019 and those by UAW academic workers in 2022 show that UC can be convinced to make the changes that we deserve. Join thousands of your colleagues and sign a strike commitment card today at upte.org/strike.

During August, UPTE members at every UC campus and medical center across the state hosted mass meetings to share bargaining updates and talk about the importance of getting strike-ready. In a powerful display of our solidarity, thousands of healthcare, research, and technical workers came out to participate and sign their strike commitment pledges.

UC can’t pretend that they don’t know or understand our issues. At every bargaining session, members have shown up in force to pack the room in support of our demands. 

We’ve shared first-hand testimony in support of our demands—the researcher who schedules their lunch around when the food bank truck is close to their worksite because they can’t afford to survive on what UC is paying them, the campus mental health clinician who worries about having enough staff to work with students struggling with stress or even suicidality, and more.

We have the power together to win this contract, but we won’t win it just because your bargaining team members are arguing at the table. We have to win it through collective action. If you haven’t already, sign your strike commitment pledge today at upte.org/strike.

The inpatient rehab therapists at UCSF Parnassus have secured a significant victory regarding their weekend work schedules. Previously required to work two weekend days every five weeks, these dedicated healthcare workers will now only need to work one weekend day per month. The change follows a coordinated effort by the therapists, who highlighted the impact of the demanding schedule on their work-life balance through strategic data collection and engagement with management.
“We realized that after thinking about the actual problem, it was more like we’re not doing our best at this moment to make the most of our resources,” explained Amanda Chow, a Physical Therapist 3 of almost five years at UCSF Health. “Ultimately, if we don’t have a proper schedule, then, at the end of the day, that impacts patient care."

After a march on the boss last year, during which UCSF healthcare workers demanded a substantive change to the weekend schedule policy, UPTE members once again escalated the issue with management. Their latest example of collective action involved them presenting their findings as a united front, detailing data points showing better patient outcomes, preventing severe burnout, and higher morale within the department.

After the joint effort by the inpatient rehab therapists, management acquiesced to the workers’ demands and changed the weekend schedule policy. The new schedule for inpatient rehab therapists is set to take effect in October, marking a significant step forward for UCSF healthcare professionals who must balance the demands of their critical work with their personal lives.

Each month, we’ll highlight members of our bargaining team and this month, we're highlighting members from UC Davis. You can find a full roster of our bargaining team representatives here.

How will winning a strong contract help your work or the people who benefit from your work?

Amy: I think it would aid retention for sure. We’ve had a lot of turnover in my department of late and recruitment has gotten harder due to the pay and when we do hire people they are sometimes already planning to leave. I love my work and my department and want our amazing staff to be able to build a career here if they choose.

Danielle: A strong contract means recruiting and retaining the best technicians. When individuals can go to work knowing that they aren’t just making “ends meet” and can actually enjoy life outside of work, they become happier and want to stay. Having a job that supports you while also working with our furry, feathered and scaly friends is a dream come true. Great technicians are the difference between groundbreaking research, top-quality patient (pet) care, and food-animal health. It’s a win-win for everyone, especially the UC.

Sonya: If we had a contract that prioritized recruiting and retaining the best social workers in the state, we would become competitive again. Winning a strong contract would allow us to stay and continue setting the standard for what world-class social work service is. It would make UC Davis a magnet for the best, and that is what our patients, clients, students, and community deserve.

Anastasia: Winning a strong contract would ensure that our patients continue to get the best care possible by attracting and retaining the specialized staff that we have. Therapists who work with our most vulnerable populations will get the pay that they deserve and have some work/life balance so they won't be so burned out that they leave.

We are now less than 2 months from our contracts’ expiration and UC is showing no urgency to reach an agreement. UC isn’t just rejecting our proposals - they are refusing to even acknowledge that issues like fair pay and compensation, work-life balance, job security, or staffing deserve serious consideration or discussion.

None of us want to strike, but we are not going to watch our talented and committed colleagues leave while our patients, our research, and our students suffer. We need to be ready to strike if that is the only thing that will convince UC to take our demands and their legal obligations seriously.

Fortunately, we are not alone. Last week, leading Mayoral candidates Aaron Peskin and Flojaune Cofer joined our rallies in San Francisco and Sacramento to let UPTE members know that they have our backs and are prepared to walk the picket lines with us. Over the past two weeks, thousands of UPTE members attended mass rallies and signed our pledge to strike.

Sign our strike pledge today at upte.org/strike. All of us need to be ready to vote YES to strike and walk the picket line, if UC doesn’t change course and FAST.

UPTE members at Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) have a new contract! Between July 8 and 12, 2024, nearly one hundred UPTE Associate Faculty members cast their ballots to unanimously ratify their new contract with the administration of MSJC.

Santino Labbate, an associate faculty member in the physics department at MSJC's Menifee Valley Campus, has been advocating for associate faculty rights. With twelve years of experience at the University of Redlands, Santino brought his passion for education and justice to MSJC. "At the beginning of working for MSJC, I felt alone because I was new and didn't know anyone," he shared. This sense of isolation fueled his involvement with the union, where he found a community and a platform to address critical issues.

The journey to the recent contract victory was challenging. Traditional bargaining methods with the administration proved unfruitful, leading to impasse and mediation. Santino remarked, "The district filed for an impasse, so we decided to rally at the State of the College address at the Menifee Valley Campus. We made signs, making our presence known to donors, stakeholders, investors, board members, and the president. We wanted to let people know that despite some apparent successes, associate faculty are still treated like dirt." The rally was a crucial step in raising awareness among the community and student population about the struggles faced by associate faculty.

Together, workers will continue building a stronger, more inclusive union that represents the goals and priorities of every UPTE associate faculty member at MSJC.

Earlier this year, UPTE members across the UC system nominated and elected colleagues to represent us as members of our union's bargaining team for our current contract negotiations. Our bargaining team's composition was designed to ensure we had people from each campus and area of expertise in healthcare, research, and technical job titles present at the bargaining table to make sure that we could speak confidently and with first-hand knowledge on the issues impacting UPTE members.

UC didn't seem to think having that experience in the room was important. When we gathered for our first bargaining sessions, first at UC San Diego and later at UCSF, UC leadership refused to release Lalaine Rojo, a lab assistant and one of our elected bargaining team members, from work to participate in negotiations on behalf of UPTE members.

Lalaine has spent the last ten years working at UCSF, where she is a Lab Assistant II working in the Anatomy Department. She takes her role as a voice for her colleagues as both an UPTE Unit Representative and bargaining team member seriously, saying, "I've always been the kind of person who fights against injustice. We have to choose our battles, sure, but we shouldn't just stay silent and accept unjust circumstances. I want to make sure I'm here to speak up about the challenges lab assistants face, and why UC needs to take our concerns seriously."

You can watch a video of that march on the boss on UPTE's social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter).

For over seven decades, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has leveraged science and technology to make the world a safer place. The laboratory is a premier, world-leading, federally funded research and development center because its skilled crafts employees, represented by UPTE, have kept the lights on.

Between July 10 and 16, 2024, hundreds of members unanimously cast their ballots to ratify the "2024 UPTE LLNL Contract Platform," a unified statement of the priorities that will be included in bargaining with management, as identified in our bargaining survey.

"Ensuring we have comprehensive and affordable health coverage means peace of mind, knowing that we can handle any medical challenges that come our way," said Robert Perez, a laboratory carpenter. "It's not just about immediate care; it's about long-term security and well-being. Improving our retirement benefits is equally crucial. After dedicating years of hard work and expertise to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we deserve to retire with dignity and economic security."

The 2024 UPTE LLNL Contract Platform demands competitive wages, better benefits, and fairness at work. These priorities are designed to address issues, including severe recruitment and retention cases and a lack of respect from management. The contract platform represents UPTE's core values, including the belief that workers should have more time to spend with their families and loved ones.

Securing strong contracts requires more than just skilled negotiators; it hinges on the active involvement of frontline members from every campus and lab across diverse job titles. Our daily experiences make us the true subject matter experts, giving us unique insights into what is needed to drive forward our groundbreaking research, deliver critical patient care, and ensure our technical skills are duly recognized.

The 25 dedicated members comprise the UPTE bargaining team at the University of California (UC). They represent a variety of healthcare, research, and technical positions across all UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Each month, we will spotlight different members of our bargaining team from various UC locations and departments. You can view the complete list of our bargaining team members here.

Eduardo de Ugarte is a Senior Graphic Designer and UPTE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Chapter 184 Chair.

What motivated you to run for the bargaining team?
“I am motivated to advocate for fair treatment, living wages, and better working conditions for the workforce. Collective bargaining ensures everyone’s voice is heard and benefits all members. I aim to create a supportive and equitable work environment that respects everyone’s rights and needs. We’ve found many opportunities to improve retention, recruitment, efficiency, and morale, supporting our research, healthcare services, patient outcomes, and the mission of LBNL and UC.”