The University of California is now in the seventh month of bargaining with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union (AFSCME) for new contracts for Patient Care Technical and Service employees.

On July 11-12, UC presented proposals for the Patient Care Technical unit and the Service unit on arbitration procedures, layoff, and time reduction language, union business leave parameters, and vacation leave. Our bargaining team continues to work toward gaining tentative agreements on the wide range of proposals that UC has sent to AFSCME since January. UC continues to bargain in good faith and listen carefully to AFSCME priorities with an open mind and a genuine willingness to achieve fair agreements.

UC has presented ten proposals to AFSCME over the last four bargaining sessions; however, AFSCME has not presented any proposals or counterproposals to UC since the May bargaining sessions.

UC’s wage and healthcare offer

In early July, UC introduced an updated wage proposal. Under the proposal, all AFSCME-represented employees would receive multi-year pay increases over the course of a five-year agreement, starting with 5% in the first year, 4% in the second year, and 3% in the third year. UC’s proposal also increases the minimum wage for the lowest-paid employees to $25 per hour by July 1, 2025. This accelerated timeline would enable employees to reach the $25 per hour target ten months earlier than UC's previous offer, providing significant financial relief for service and patient care technical workers currently earning less. Additionally, UC has proposed healthcare premium credits for the lowest-paid employees to improve affordability and access to healthcare.

The University is dedicated to making fair proposals reflective of the critical services both units provide. Our proposals are not designed to be a “starting point” but rather reasonable offers that represent our valued employees. We will continue to update you with the latest information after each bargaining session so that you can understand our actions and the reasons behind them.