The UPTE Update: 5% raise in effect; UCSF, UCSD workers rally to protect care
Welcome to The UPTE Update, a monthly newsletter from University Professional and Technical Employees.
Keep lifesaving care in Oakland — UPTE members rally with families and elected leaders
Over the past year, UCSF has moved bone marrow treatments and interventional radiology from Children's Hospital Oakland (CHO) across the bay to San Francisco—creating dangerous risks for immunocompromised children.
We took action: Frontline pediatric workers, families, parents, community groups, and elected leaders rallied outside the hospital on July 9 to demand that UCSF keep critical pediatric care in Oakland.
"Dozens of families who used to get care here in Oakland are being told to go back and forth across the Bay when their child's immune system is at its most fragile. These kids and families don't need additional obstacles to being healthy and safe," said Paola Portillo, UPTE member and clinical social worker at CHO. "That safety is being stripped away, service by service, decision by decision."
Key elected allies stood in solidarity with us, including Oakland City Councilmember Zac Unger and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunate Bas's office. Read more about the action in coverage from SFGATE, Bay City News, and Univision.
5% UPTE contract raises take effect on first full paycheck of July
Thanks to your UPTE contract, you should have seen a 5% raise in your August 1st (monthly pay) or July 29th (bi-weekly pay) paycheck. This raise and retroactive pay for July will be in the September 1st (monthly pay) or August 12th (bi-weekly pay) paycheck for titles* added to the technical (TX) unit on June 29.
* Applications Programmer 1-3, Business Systems Analyst 1-3, Data Systems Analyst 1-2, Database Administrator 1-2, Information Systems Analyst 1-3
If you have questions regarding your raise, please contact your local chapter.
These raises—along with affordable, predictable increases in healthcare costs, improved layoff protections, and other victories from our 2025 contract fight—allow us to plan for our future and our families in times of uncertainty.
We secured these victories together because workers like you signed up as members, fought, and went on strike for a fair contract in 2024 and 2025.
In addition to this month's raise, we have the following raises scheduled for the duration of our contract:
- January 2027: approximately 2% step increase†
- July 2027: 4% raise
- January 2028: approximately 2% step increase†
- January 2028: 4% raise
† To be eligible for a step increase, you must be in a career position and have received a "meets expectations" or better on your most recent performance review (if you have had a review)
UC Irvine workers secure salary increases and title changes
UPTE members at UC Irvine's Center for Clinical Research demonstrated the impact of collective action to enforce language we negotiated in our new contract.
The problem: Many clinical research coordinators were taking on duties beyond the scope of their titles without recognition or compensation. Lack of respect for their work was exacerbating the department's retention challenges.
Workers started organizing with UPTE to address these issues last year. They submitted reclassification requests, spoke out during department and one-on-one meetings, gathered and delivered petition signatures to department leadership, and successfully demanded meetings to find resolution.
The turning point came after we successfully ratified our new contract, which requires management to process reclassification requests within 90 days.
This campaign delivered results. Fifteen UPTE members were reclassified, leading to title changes, salary increases of up to $20K per year, and backpay to the original date of their request.
"This win was crucial for ensuring we are appropriately compensated and recognized for the work we do. By increasing job satisfaction in our department, we're also strengthening continuity of care for our research participants," said Hailey Maxwell, a Clinical Research Coordinator at UC Irvine.
Hear more from Hailey about this campaign here.
UCSD physicians expand resources for maternal mental health clinic
UCSD's Women's Reproductive Mental Health Clinic is one-of-a-kind in San Diego County. When executives announced a new policy that would push working mother physicians out of the clinic, we organized.
UC physicians aren't yet represented by UPTE, but our members understand the impact when union and not-yet-union colleagues alike are excluded from decisions impacting working conditions.
Patients, mothers, clinic workers, and UPTE members stood together at a rally to protest UCSD's proposed policy. The action was covered by San-Diego Union Tribune and CBS 8.
The pressure paid off. UCSD exempted some providers from the policy, committed to doubling the number of providers, increasing clinical capacity by 50%, and expanding access to care for reproductive mental health patients who need it.
When physicians have a collective voice, patients win. Learn more here about how UC physicians are organizing with UPTE.
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