The UPTE Difference
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“UPTE contracts are the result of 30 years of career healthcare, research, and technical professionals standing together to advocate for ourselves, our patients, research, and students. We have protected benefits that UC has consistently stripped from non-union workers on everything from retirement to job security. Our members also come together in their workplaces to advocate for improvements and push back on bad ideas from management.
Join UPTE today to enjoy these benefits and help us build even more power.”
UPTE President
UPTE Chief Negotiator
Business Technical Support Analyst, UC Berkeley
Dan Russell
| UPTE Contract at UC | Non-union workers at UC | |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping our benefits | Maintain PTO, CEMRP/IAP, Ed Time, and other title specific arrangements upon joining UPTE, and for as long as it takes to reach title-specific agreements with UC | Without a contract any benefits can be taken away at management's discretion |
| Fair pay | Guaranteed annual raises and step increases totaling each year: - 2025: 8% or more - 2026: 7% - 2027: 6% - 2028: 6% - Daily overtime after 8 hours of work and double-time after 12 hours of work for hourly workers - Opportunity for additional pay increases for internal and market equity |
No guaranteed raises or step increases: - 2025: 0% - 3.2% - 2026: No Guarantee - 2027: No Guarantee - 2028: No Guarantee - No daily overtime - No right to equity reviews |
| Pension | - Retire 5 years earlier—begin retirement at 50 and receive max pension age multiplier at 60 - No PEPRA cap on pensionable earnings - Ability to take a lump sum payout at retirement |
- Begin retirement at 55 and maximize benefits at 65 if hired after July 2013 - Pension earnings capped at $155,081 (2025) if hired after July 2013 - No lump sum cashout option if hired after July 2013 |
| Healthcare | - Save up to $230/month in 2026 on Kaiser and Blue and Gold HMOs compared to non-union rates. Jump to your plan. - Annual caps on monthly employee premium cost increases and subsidies in 2027 & 2028 |
No limit on healthcare premiums—changes can be made any time at UC’s s discretion |
| Job security | - Guaranteed "Alternatives to Layoffs" including the right to be offered open positions elsewhere to avoid layoff - Seniority rights and up to 3 years of preferential recall and rehire rights or severance in case of layoff - Right to Preferential Rehire at all campuses, not just your home campus - Jobs cannot be replaced by contractors - Just cause protections against unfair corrective action |
- No guarantees—management’s discretion - No protection from subcontracting or unfair discipline - Non-represented jobs often targeted for layoffs |
| Career progression | - 40 Professional Development Hours can be used remotely and on days off - Reclassification process with 90 day deadline, appeals panel, and more |
- No right to use Professional Development hours remotely or on weekends - No right to be properly classified for the work you preform |
| Remote work protections | - Commitment to support remote work where possible - 30-day minimum notice for changes in remote/hybrid schedules - Right to meet with management to advocate for remote work |
- No remote work protections - No voice in possible changes to remote/hybrid schedules |
| A voice at work | A powerful, collective voice to advocate for ourselves on workplace and profession-specific issues | No voice and none of the guaranteed rights, protections, or benefits negotiated by a union |
Defeating UC’s Two-Tier Pension Scheme
In 2013 and 2017 contract negotiations, UC attempted to divide our union by raising the retirement age by 5 years and capping pensionable income for new hires.
UPTE members fought alongside AFSCME Local 3299 and the California Nurses Association, successfully keeping all of our members on the same pension tier in exchange for an additional 1% employee pension contribution. Thanks to this win, thousands of members hired since 2013 have maintained the ability to maximize their retirement benefits at age 60 instead of 65.
Keeping our union united around the same pension benefits also allowed us to win the highest wage increases in our history in our 2019-2024 contracts, more than offsetting the additional pension contribution!