UPTE files major charge against UC’s crackdown on free speech

Over the last year, the University of California has imposed draconian rules that attempt to stop workers from advocating on behalf of their patients, research, and students.

This January, UPTE filed a 490-page charge with the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), forcefully challenging dozens of UC’s new rules. These repressive policies set unconscionable limits on both employee and union speech, running counter to well-established protections under state and federal law. The Public Employee Relations Board is responsible for safeguarding the collective bargaining statutes that govern employees of California’s universities and other public institutions across the state.

Among UC’s many repressive measures, UC San Francisco and UC Davis now ban a lone leafletter from venturing closer than fifty feet from any door, while UC Merced forces every picketer or leafletter to remain thirty feet away from walkways, roadways, or doors. Our charge highlights that in 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a thirty-five-foot buffer zone around doorways, underscoring the outrageous nature of UC’s even more extreme demands.

“UC Merced’s illegal acts force us into a tiny spot in the middle of a lawn,” said Dan Russell, UPTE President and Chief Negotiator. “We strongly believe no other public institution has ever attempted such a draconian buffer, even for just one leafletter, pushing them far from every walkway. It’s an insult to the environment of open debate that UC proclaims to foster.”

We’re calling on PERB to stop UC’s escalating war on workers’ speech. UPTE simply demands that UC respect the same basic rights nearly all other employers respect: the right to advocate in and near our workplaces through peaceful, constitutionally protected speech during the ordinary workday.

Eduardo de Ugarte, UPTE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Chapter Chair and Technical Illustrator 4, spoke out against these absurd policies: “We’re now forbidden from rallying at dozens of appropriate locations where we’ve peacefully gathered before. They’ve relegated us to three tiny areas, far from our rank-and-file members, leadership, and workplaces. The Lab’s excuse? It claims it can’t afford adequate security. The Lab could not provide a single example of labor-union-related problems in this context. These rules limit our essential activities and are simply indefensible.”

UC’s rules are wildly contradictory. UC Irvine bars union organizers from leafletting anywhere except employee entrances and parking lots, yet other UC locations ban us from parking lots altogether. It’s a hypocritical patchwork approach that blatantly defies California court rulings upholding the right to leaflet in parking lots, except in the rare case of congestion in a crowded lot.

Three UC campuses have now adopted an outrageous requirement for any union or “outside group” to secure a $1 million insurance policy just to hold an outdoor meeting. Most UC locations also ban banners or insist unions must seek prior approval for each use, limiting employees to signs no larger than 30” x 30”. Worse, the same facilities treat the mere presence of a small literature table, a canopy for protection from the elements, or a single bullhorn as a violation of grounds to demand yet another round of permissions. Some campuses, such as UC San Diego and UC San Francisco, even demand rally organizers submit requests several weeks in advance to hold small, peaceful events—restrictions similar to those that courts have struck down time and again for being unreasonably far in advance or for lacking clear deadlines or standards for administrators’ decisions.

UPTE President Dan Russell underscored the urgency and deep frustration among members: “On September 28, 2024, at our statewide union convention, UPTE members unanimously approved a resolution demanding we fight speech-restricting rules by every means possible—including at the bargaining table. The resolution directs UPTE to ‘vigorously oppose in every way possible, including at the bargaining table, all new rules designed to limit our free speech and protest rights.’ Rank-and-file members from across the UC system pushed it forward, outraged by UC’s new wave of gag orders. And since our collective bargaining agreement expired on September 30, we are no longer constrained by any no-strike clauses.”

Finally, UPTE’s charge blasts UC’s claim that a legislative request for a “speech policy report” somehow legitimized these rushed, unilateral rules. UC’s actions were never about compliance or campus safety—they were about silencing the voices of workers and stifling the core principle of free expression at a public institution allegedly dedicated to open dialogue.

UPTE will continue to fight these extreme and unconstitutional speech restrictions until every UC worker’s First Amendment rights are restored and respected. Stay tuned for updates as we press onward in this pivotal battle for our members’ fundamental freedoms.

Every vote counts—let’s end this week with a strong showing

More than 9,000 of our UC colleagues across the state cast their ballots in the first week of voting. Now, we're focused on making sure that we finish the week strong so we can send a clear message to UC that we won't tolerate unfair labor practices or their misplaced priorities any longer. Join me and thousands of your colleagues across the state by voting YES now at upte.org/vote.

Over the past two years, thousands of clinicians, researchers, and technical support professionals came together to identify the changes we need to continue providing the best research, patient care, and education. Instead of engaging in good faith with our 20,000 colleagues, UC has violated state law dozens of times.

Let's put an end to the bad-faith bargaining and unfair practices hurting patients, research, and students with a strong YES vote to authorize a statewide strike if necessary.

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I've sat across the table from UC for eight months now and have traveled the state hearing testimony from UPTE members like us:

• The behavioral health clinician whose students struggle to access timely care when they're in crisis;

• The clinical research coordinator who is too overworked to spend adequate time with study participants;

• The IT worker who sees how the backlog for support impacts faculty and students;

• The rehabilitation specialist who wonders how delays for patients could impact someone's recovery in the long-term.

The list goes on.

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UC negotiators' flagrant disregard for the law and the mission of our institution breaks my heart. They've bargained in bad faith, unilaterally increased healthcare costs, restricted our right to speak out, and withheld information on short staffing. You can learn more about their unfair practices here and then cast your ballot at upte.org/vote.

Let's use our strength in numbers to stop UC's unfair practices, reset their priorities, and re-center our mission of providing the healthcare, research, and education people depend on us for.

In solidarity,

Danielle Daniels
Animal Health Technician
UPTE RX/TX Bargaining Team Member 
UPTE Chapter Co-Chair, UC Davis

I’m voting YES to strike - will you join me?

My name is Ursula Quinn. I'm an Occupational Therapist at UCLA and a leader in our union, UPTE. Over 6,000 members cast their ballots on the first day of our statewide strike vote. Will you to join us in voting YES to strike today at upte.org/vote?

Occupational Therapy is critical for children facing developmental delays or disabilities and adults recovering from an injury or illness. Early intervention and regular treatment can mean the difference between recovery or permanent disability and loss of independence. I've heard from members across so many of our professions that relate to the impacts of short-staffing and recruitment issues.

For the last seven months, however, UC has refused to meaningfully address our priorities and concerns. We tell them about our dedication to world-class patient care, innovative research, and high-quality education for our students—all of which depend on sustainable working conditions and an end to the staffing and recruitment crisis. Instead of meaningful counterproposals, they respond with bad faith bargaining and other unfair labor practices, like illegally implemented healthcare cost increases and interfering with our union rights.

For many of us, career progression and proper classification are top of mind. We've been clear that UC needs to make progress in two key areas:

• Clear Criteria for Career Progression: UC must develop transparent criteria for progressing through a classification series, differentiating specific tasks, responsibilities, and requirements for each (eg. from Physical Therapist 1-3, Systems Administrator 1-3, or Staff Research Associate 1-4). Without clearer criteria, there is no way to ensure that workers are appropriately classified - and compensated - for the work we do.

• An Enforceable Process: UC must agree to allow denied reclassification requests to be appealed to an independent arbitrator, who can overturn denials if they do not conform to the criteria for moving through a title series.

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UC's response to these proposals? They addressed neither concern, instead, only promising to give a final answer within seven months of a reclass request being submitted. Click here to see a comparison of our other proposals and their responses.

Fortunately, we know we can move UC, just like we did in 2019. Today, UC is sitting on $27 billion in liquid capital and many of our demands would likely be cost-neutral (or even save UC money by reducing costly turnover). 

Our UCSF colleagues have already led the way to hold UC accountable with their powerful strike last November—now, it's up to the rest of us to step up. Please join more than 6,000 other UPTE members and visit upte.org/vote to cast your YES vote now.

In solidarity,

Ursula Quinn
UPTE Vice President & UCLA Chapter Co-Chair
UPTE Bargaining Team member
UCLA Occupational Therapist

Our strike vote starts now!

Our strike vote is live, please visit upte.org/vote to cast your ballot now.

I and our bargaining team encourage you to vote YES and ask you to encourage all your co-workers to do so as well. 

A strong YES vote will send UC the strongest possible message that you are prepared to strike for as many days as necessary to win a strong contract, end their unfair labor practices, and ready to stand in solidarity with our AFSCME colleagues. 

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Below, find links to a summary of how we won our previous contract, our bargaining priorities, and the unfair labor practices UC has committed.

• How we won our previous contract in 2019 after 5 strikes

• Compare our proposals to UC's

• Summary of UC's unfair labor practices

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UC's representatives have made it increasingly clear: UC administrators will not engage with the urgent demands set out by clinicians, researchers, and frontline staff without the pressure of a strike. Vote to strike at upte.org/vote and make sure all of your coworkers vote today.

In solidarity,

Dan Russell
UPTE President
UPTE Bargaining Team Chief Negotiator
UC Berkeley Business Technical Support Analyst 3

Increased Premiums and Co-Pays are Illegal and Cruel

Workers across the state report that UC has illegally implemented increased co-pays—which was one of the bases for our November unfair labor practice strike at UCSF—and has now made new changes to premiums.

Increased monthly co-insurance of $150 for specialty drugs hit the lowest paid workers hardest and are especially cruel to those of us who need these drugs for ourselves or family members battling life-threatening illnesses or just to live happy and productive lives. UC made these changes even though unilateral changes are unlawful during bargaining, despite our active unfair labor practice charges over this illegal action.

“The increase in specialty drug co-insurance, from $40 to $150, has a significant financial impact on my family and countless other patients who are facing similar increases. Such increases can mean difficult decisions between paying for essential treatments or other basic needs, further exacerbating the financial burdens that already come with managing chronic health conditions.”

Judd Laraway
UPTE Bargaining Team Member
UC San Diego Senior Physician Assistant

UC has also increased premiums for those whose January 1, 2025 salary would have put them in a new pay band. For those who were moved from Pay Band 1 to 2, this may have more than doubled your monthly premium—again, hitting the lowest-paid workers hardest.

UC's refusal to respect its legal obligations in the face of our November strike at UCSF shows the urgency of our escalation to a statewide strike vote on February 3rd. Please take the time now to make a plan with all your coworkers to vote on the first day of voting to send UC a loud and clear message.

UC wants us to believe we can't beat their healthcare cuts, short-staffing, and more—but we know we can, just as we beat their attempts to increase our healthcare costs and cut our retirement benefits in 2013 and 2019.

In solidarity,

Dan Russell
UPTE President
UPTE Bargaining Team Chief Negotiator
UC Berkeley Business Technical Support Analyst 3

Statewide Strike Vote on February 3rd

Step increases were not processed for the first full pay period in January because, after 7 months of bargaining, UC continues to bargain in bad faith and has refused to engage over our bargaining priorities meaningfully.

A statewide strike authorization vote will begin on February 3rd. This vote will ask you to authorize UPTE leadership to call strikes in response to UC's ongoing bad-faith bargaining or other unfair labor practices UC commits, failure to agree to your bargaining priorities, and in solidarity with our AFSCME 3299 siblings who are also fighting for similar demands to protect our patients, research, and students.  

Instead of bargaining in good faith to address your concerns, UC has refused to provide information and has insisted on maintaining illegal restrictions on our ability to advocate for ourselves, our patients, our research, and our students. If UC continues to commit unfair labor practices, we must be ready to hold it accountable statewide. 

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Right now, UC is offering only 11% in across-the-board increases through 2028 - 19% less than we are asking for and 5% less than they agreed to with CNA-represented nurses from 2022-2025 - while removing limits on increases to healthcare costs. 

UC has not made meaningful movement on our demands for reclassification, work-life balance, job security, or staffing. Click here to see a side-by-side comparison of our proposals and UC's.

Accepting UC's proposals or allowing them to continue bargaining in bad faith will only deepen the crisis of recruitment and retention that is threatening all of the important work that we do, including keeping the world safe from a bird flu pandemic. 

While our October strike vote was limited to UCSF, we will be voting - and need to be prepared to strike - at every campus, clinic, hospital, and laboratory moving forward. 

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The next step in negotiations - mediation - has been scheduled for January 28-29. While we hope that UC will engage in mediation in good faith, UC has shown no inclination to do so at the bargaining table. Neither mediation nor the impasse process ultimately requires UC to make movement in their bargaining proposals - that is ultimately up to our willingness to take collective action. Click here for a brief explanation of the "impasse" process.

Make sure that all of your colleagues are prepared to vote YES to strike and to be on the picket line for as many days as needed. 

Dan Russell
UPTE President
UPTE Bargaining Team Chief Negotiator
UC Berkeley Business Technical Support Analyst 3

Bargaining Update #11: Contract bargaining with UC reaches impasse

After our 24th day of bargaining, the University showed no intention to address our priorities nor to take their legal obligations more seriously. When we asked the University to explain the claim that they are offering 19-23% raises (when in fact UC has offered just 11% across the board raises) UC's Chief Negotiator said "I didn't do the update, so no, I won't try to."

On December 11, we informed the University that we believe negotiations are no longer productive and that we should begin an 'impasse' process required by the Public Employment Relations Board before we are able to call a strike directly over our bargaining priorities. We can continue to strike in response to the University's Unfair Labor Practices during this time.

As a reminder, you can find updates from our previous bargaining sessions at upte.org/uofcalifornia. A side-by-side comparison of our proposals and UC's proposals can be found here.

UC's refusal to bargain in good faith demonstrates a lack of respect for the important work all 20,000 of us do. By failing to address the growing staffing crisis in our hospitals, labs, and campuses, UC executives are jeopardizing patient care, research, and education. UC negotiators' behavior has made crystal clear that we need to keep building pressure to force UC decision makers to change course.

Your bargaining team is recommending that UPTE hold a statewide strike vote to authorize UPTE leadership to call a strike in response to unfair labor practices committed by UC. Among the ongoing unfair labor practices UC has committed are their unilateral increase to healthcare costs, bad faith bargaining, and unconstitutional restrictions on union speech and activities. 

UPTE's Executive Board will soon be considering authorizing a statewide strike vote. Stay tuned.

In solidarity,

Dan Russell
UPTE President
UPTE Bargaining Team Chief Negotiator
UC Berkeley Business Technical Support Analyst 3

UPTE members at UC Davis blow the whistle on dangerous lab conditions in the facility testing dairy and poultry for bird flu

We knew how the world reacted to a worldwide pandemic with COVID-19. In California alone, nearly one hundred ten thousand have died from the contagious disease since first being detected in late January 2020. We have seen how our loved ones and entire communities were devastated by the pandemic. That is why we need to be on guard for the next time.

Workers at the California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab System (CAHFS) at UC Davis are raising the alarm about severe understaffing and unsafe conditions that jeopardize critical testing for diseases like Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1). On December 11, 2024, these essential workers who are protecting the health and safety of our communities held an informational picket to call attention to the burnout and turnover crisis in their lab.

You may have seen the recent Los Angeles Times article highlighting the working conditions that workers have to endure on a daily basis just to protect all of us. Please make sure to share it widely on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky. The fight that CAHFS workers are going through is what we mean when talking about resetting UC's priorities to serve ALL Californians. At the bargaining table and across UC, UPTE members are fighting for safe staffing as part of our platform we're bringing to contract negotiations.

After five out of seven lab workers quit since January due to inadequate compensation and a lack of support, the timely and accurate monitoring of our nation's food supply is at risk, potentially leading to catastrophic outbreaks affecting poultry and human health.

Your support is crucial in urging UC management at CAHFS to address these issues and protect the health and safety of our communities. Our goal is to have UC address the staffing and working conditions issues by filling all vacant positions, improving compensation, and creating a supportive work environment. That will ensure that essential testing is conducted accurately and promptly, safeguarding public health, protecting the food supply, and preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Please click here to send an email to Dean Stetter in support of UPTE members at CAHFS.

In solidarity,

Amy Fletcher
UPTE Treasurer
UPTE UC Davis Chapter Co-Chair
UC Davis Staff Research Associate 4

Our unfair labor practice strike at UCSF is over, but our fight to reset UC’s priorities continues

If UC had any doubts that UPTE members were willing to do whatever it takes to end the University's unfair labor practices and the crisis of recruitment and retention, our strike at UCSF put those to rest.

Through wind and rain, UPTE members at UCSF came out in their biggest numbers ever. Please take a look at the incredible photos and videos on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Bluesky to get a sense of what it looked and felt like. You can also take a look at our coverage of our unfair labor practice strike in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco, and ABC News.

Among many powerful moments, perhaps the most exciting was an impromptu picket of UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood's "State of the University" address. Our presence could not be ignored.

In an email to UCSF staff this morning, Chancellor Hawgood and Suresh Gunasekaran, the President and CEO of UCSF Health, acknowledged that "[t]he strike has had an impact on all of us, and its effects will linger in the weeks ahead."

UC now knows how prepared thousands of UPTE members across the state are to strike if they continue their unfair labor practices.

Our next bargaining session is Tuesday, December 10, and Wednesday, December 11—the ball is in UC's court.

Bargaining Update #10

Share our video overviewing our campaign to reset UC's priorities.

Instagram • Facebook • Twitter • Threads

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.

	UPTE Proposal	UC Proposal	Nurses Contract	UC Executives
Raises	9% - 8% - 8% plus 5% retroactive raise 2025-27	5% - 3% - 3% 2025-27	6% - 5% - 5% 2023-25	16-40% just in 2024 alone

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!

Go here to RSVP for our November 20 and 21 unfair labor practice strike today—and make sure all of your colleagues have as well!

Dan Russell
UPTE President
UPTE Bargaining Team Chief Negotiator
UC Berkeley Business Technical Support Analyst 3

UC San Francisco will hold an unfair labor practice strike on Nov 20 & 21

Share our video announcing our unfair labor practice strike dates at UCSF

Instagram • Facebook • Twitter • Threads

Today, we are announcing that a ULP strike will take place at UCSF on November 20 and 21, 2024. We are limiting this strike to UCSF in order to give UC an opportunity to begin to bargain in good faith.

If they don't - and if they continue their pattern of unlawful behavior—all 20,000 UPTE workers across the state need to be prepared to act to hold UC accountable.

Will you click here today and pledge to strike when the time comes to let our UCSF siblings know that you have their back?

For five months, UC has refused to meaningfully engage with any of our proposals. Instead, they have withheld key information, bargained in bad faith, and threatened to impose healthcare cost increases without bargaining, in violation of California law. 

The University's refusal to bargain in good faith is not just illegal, it insults the commitment that each and every one of you has to your patients, research, and students. UC won't even tell us how many vacant positions they leave unfilled, or how many millions of dollars these vacancies save them.

I have heard again and again from clinicians who report that short staffing and delayed care could mean permanent health impacts. In the emergency room, sufficient staffing is the difference between life and death. Our laboratory and clinical researchers report that turnover and loss of institutional knowledge slows the pace of the important work we help advance to tackle some of the most pressing medical and scientific issues of our time. 

If and when the time comes for a strike at your campus, I hope you'll be prepared to stand with thousands of UPTE members across the state. Sign your strike commitment pledge today and let us know we can count on you. 

Dan Russell
UPTE President
UPTE Bargaining Team Chief Negotiator
UC Berkeley Business Technical Support Analyst 3

UPTE STRIKE VOTE RESULTS: UCSF members authorize strike by 98%

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!

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Our Strike Vote Has Begun at UCSF, Vote Now!

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.

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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.

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UC has also announced plans to implement significant increases in healthcare costs—such as a 30% coinsurance that could cost $1,800 per year per drug for those relying on specialty medications, and monthly premium increases of up to $550 for the previously no-cost CORE PPO. Implementing these changes unilaterally is unlawful and disregards the university's legal obligations to bargain with union employees.

A YES vote to strike will send a strong message to the University that you will not allow UC to drag out negotiations and prolong the crisis of recruitment and retention with these illegal, unfair labor practices.

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UCSF members: cast your ballot now at upte.org/vote

Not at UCSF? Make sure you and your coworkers have signed your strike commitment cards so that if the time comes for a strike vote at your campus or workplace, you’ll be ready: upte.org/strike

Questions? Check out our ULP strike FAQ at upte.org/ucstrikefaq

Bargaining Update #9: More bad-faith bargaining from UC with 2 weeks until our contracts expire

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.

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So what did UC do in bargaining?

UC's only "movement" was to remove the contingency on state funding for a 3% raise in 2027 and to add a step increase for RX/TX in 2025. When UC asked if UPTE would bargain for LBNL separately, we made it clear that we will not leave LBNL members behind, nor will we leave Research and Technical workers without annual step increases. This is too little, too late. 

UC also rejected our proposal to decrease parking rates by pay band, instead proposing to increase the existing annual cap on parking rates at UC Davis and Merced.

Click here to see an updated side-by-side comparison of our proposals and here for an explanation of how UC's proposal to remove caps on healthcare premium increases could be used to wipe out any raises we receive in this contract.

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UC has been bargaining in bad faith for months; refusing to supply data on vacancies and reclassification and failing to provide their negotiators with significant authority. On top of this, they are implementing significant healthcare increases without bargaining.

Click here to sign a strike pledge and let UC know that you won't let them keep violating their duty to bargain in good faith thus deepening the crisis of recruitment and retention across UC.

How much could UC’s cost-shifting cost you?

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 and UC Blue & Gold plans, thanks to the $25 annual cap we won in our last contract. In 2024, our cap 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 “credit” for Pay Band 1, $75 “credit” for Pay Band 2 (after their increases)

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How much of what UC currently contributes could they shift to you and your family (per month) in 2026 under their proposal?*

Family Plan Rate	Kaiser	UC Blue & Gold
Pay Band 1 ($71,000 and under)**	$2,089.90 ($2189 - $100 credit)	$2,451 ($2,551 - $100 credit)
Pay Band 2 ($71,001-$140,000)**	$1,997 ($2072 - $75 credit)	$2,358 ($2433 - $75 credit)
Pay Band 3 ($140,001-$210,000)**	$1,962	$2,326
Pay Band 4 ($210,001 and above)**	$1,849	$2,219

*Estimate based on 2024 rates*
*2025 Pay Bands

To see the amount UC could make you pay, look for the name of your plan (eg. “Kaiser Perm NoCal”) on your paystub under “EMPLOYER PAID BENEFITS.”

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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 $140,000 or more)

• CORE PPO premiums of up to $550 per month (previously no-cost)

• Outpatient visit copays increase to $30 Specialty drugs will have 30% coinsurance, up to $150 per prescription per month

• UC’s unilateral implementation of cost increases without bargaining is an illegal, unfair labor practice.

UC’s unilateral implementation of cost increases without bargaining is an illegal, unfair labor practice.

Sign a strike pledge today to let UC know that you’ve had enough!

Enough is enough. Your UPTE bargaining team has called for a strike vote.

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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.

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Pledge to strike today!

Your bargaining team has unanimously recommended a strike vote over UC's Unfair Labor Practices. The affected UC locations (all or certain campuses) will be announced at the beginning of the vote, on October 21st. Only the campuses who are called on to strike will be asked to vote at this time.

Ballots will be sent via email and in-person voting locations will be announced on the 21st. Sign your strike commitment today and pledge to stand with your coworkers if a strike is necessary.

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A YES vote will authorize our leadership to call a strike. The length of the strike will be announced at least 10 calendar days in advance if the strike affects any UC Medical Center.

A YES vote will send a strong message to UC that we will not indefinitely tolerate their bad faith bargaining and refusal to engage with the demands made by a majority of UPTE members across the state.

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!

In solidarity,

Dan Russell
UPTE President

Bargaining Update #8: UC Proposes Unlimited Healthcare Premium Increases

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.

How much cost could UC shift back to us per month under their proposal?*

*Estimate based on projected 2025 Rates for Pay Band 1, after $100 subsidy	Kaiser	UC Blue & Gold
Self	$725.16	$860.84
Self + Adult	$1,385.38	$1,630.71
Self + Child	$1,596.11	$1,840.05
Family	$2,259.15	$2,610.63

In 2024, our $25/month cap saved up to $224/month when UC shifted costs onto non-union employees. Under this proposal, UC could shift thousands of dollars of their contributions onto us in 2026 and 2027, effectively taking back any raises we win in this contract.

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 to us.

UC continued its bad-faith bargaining by proposing to strip us of the right to bargain over remote work and to advance notice when workers are being reclassified into non-union jobs.

UPTE revised our proposal for a 36-hour workweek to a right to a reduction in time to 36 hours for all and 32 hours for those with 5 years or service or those with new children, with pay and accruals reduced accordingly.

Click here to see updates from previous bargaining sessions and a side-by-side summary of UPTE and the University’s proposals.

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.

Our next bargaining sessions are October 16 - 17 in Santa Cruz. Contact your UPTE Organizer to learn more.

UPTE President Dan Russell: "With one month before our contracts expire, UC continues bargaining in bad faith and commits other unfair practices outside of bargaining."

After 4 months of bargaining, 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?

Here's some of what we do know about how UC's misplaced priorities are fueling short staffing that is affecting students, patients and research:

Counseling provider vacancy rates have skyrocketed from pre-pandemic levels of around 10-11% to a staggering 23.29%. Rather than providing competitive pay to recruit and retain counselors, UC paid $30.8 million to Lyra, a venture capital-backed company that employs a UCSF professor to make misleading claims about Lyra's efficacy.

43% of all UC career staff surveyed answered that they are seriously considering leaving the UC system. 54% of UPTE staff with career appointments have been hired in the last 5 years.

Fixing this recruitment and retention crisis is core to our contract campaign - but UC is showing no urgency in addressing it. 

Last month, the UC Regents approved raises of 16-39% for UC Chancellors. Yet, they still expect us to accept a 5% raise that will leave us behind inflation?

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.

We have our 8th bargaining session with UC on Thursday and Friday. Watch for our next bargaining update and steps to let UC know that they need to take this more seriously.

In solidarity,

Dan Russell

UPTE President & Chief Negotiator

Bargaining Update #7: Our stories continue to fall on deaf ears, as patients, students, and research suffer

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Help spread the word about our strike commitment campaign by reposting or sharing our launch video to your social media stories: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Threads

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

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.

UPTE's Proposals	UC's Proposals
-Increased UPTE representative employer-paid release time -Remove arbitrary limits on union-paid release time	-No additional parental leave (which UC provides to nurses) -5 days of unpaid reproductive loss leave (required by state law)

Additional release time for UPTE representatives has been crucial to our success in addressing these issues and countless more over the past 2 years as we prepared for this contract fight. You only need to glance at upte.org/news to see some of the great work being done by UPTE unit and workplace reps as a result of this release time.

UCSB members also delivered powerful testimony to UC during these negotiations about the importance of long-term research, technical, and healthcare staff to student safety. Too many of our colleagues who are committed to our students and the incredible research we make possible at UC end up being forced to leave if we want to be able to start families and/or buy homes. This quite literally puts student and staff lives, as well as world-changing research, at risk.

Social Workers, Behavioral Health Counselors, and Psychologists, including Dr. Lily Clark, spoke about the importance of being there for students and staff in their moments of greatest need and the devastating consequences of short staffing.

"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, a Counseling Psychologist at UCSB CAPS.

Watch and share Lily's comments on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Ross Derer, a Principal Electronics Technician emphasized that his colleagues are responsible for maintaining increasingly complex fire alarm and suppression systems, returning to dormitories at all hours of the day to keep students safe.

"If a call comes in that affects a student's dorm room or even an entire building, the best case scenario is that it's an inconvenience. But the fact of the matter is far too often a critical piece of hardware fails leaving large areas unprotected in instances of a fire," said Ross, who has been at UCSB for eight years.

"Having an unqualified person work on life safety equipment is an unacceptable gamble with our students' safety. I constantly feel anxiety and an immense amount of pressure for this reason.

Cricket Wood, a 24-year Staff Research Associate 4 reminded UC that they are often the only career employees in labs with hazardous and valuable materials that short-term academic employees will not be as familiar with, leading to safer labs and cost savings. 

"I manage huge, invaluable resources and all of the students and persons that are here short-term. And so I have to provide the consistency and organization to prevent waste. Part of the struggle is that there's so much turnover in our lab staff, and I provide the institutional memory," said Cricket, who works on aging and basic cell health and development. 

"I want UC to step up and put some of the money that they take from our research grants back into our research staff, supporting us and keeping good research continuing."

Our next bargaining sessions are scheduled for October 3 - 4* in San Diego and 16 - 17 in Santa Cruz. Contact your UPTE Organizer to learn more.

*We have contacted the University regarding the omission of October 3-4 from their communications about upcoming bargaining but have yet to receive a response. We hope that they still intend to bargain on these dates, as we will be just weeks from both contracts being expired.

Bargaining Update #6: "We are not going to watch our talented and committed colleagues leave while our patients, our research, and our students suffer."

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Your UPTE bargaining team was back at the table with management on August 28 - 29 at UC Davis. You can find a summary of UPTE and the University’s proposals made in previous sessions here. UPTE and the University made the following proposals:

UPTE	UC
Freeze Healthcare Rates at 2024 Levels Option for Per Diems who work at least 50% time to convert to Career	Make contract enforcement via arbitration more time consuming & expensive Make it harder for your co-workers who act as union reps to address issues at work

We are now less than 2 months from our contracts’ expiration and UC is showing no urgency to reach an agreement. 

Last week, a member at UC Davis who has given 19 years of her life to the University told UC negotiators that she relies on food pantries to make ends meet. UC’s response? The same as always: “You have our proposal, we look forward to a counterproposal.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

In solidarity,

Dan Russell
UPTE President & Chief Negotiator